You can begin prenatal yoga as soon as you become pregnant, although you also have the option of continuing a normal yoga practice through your first trimester. Each trimester has its own set of considerations, but as long as you follow general pregnancy exercise guidelines and your doctor's advice, there shouldn't be any need to worry about yoga harming your unborn child.
First Trimester
As with other activities, the first trimester doesn't pose many physical limitations for yoga. However, you should tell your instructor you're pregnant as soon as you know and modify any poses that feel uncomfortable. If prenatal yoga classes are available to you, you can begin taking them right away or stay in a regular class as long as you feel comfortable doing so. Backbends can sometimes trigger nausea, so you may wish to avoid them if you're experiencing morning sickness.
Second Trimester
After the first trimester, avoid poses that require you to lie flat on your back. Also avoid bikram or "hot yoga," as the high temperatures of the classroom could cause overheating in the womb. Now is the time to switch to prenatal yoga classes or videos if you haven't already. Your joints become more loose in the second trimester, so be aware of them while you practice and move in and out of poses more slowly.
Third Trimester
In your third trimester, avoid inversions such as head or shoulder stands. Deep forward and back bends, twists and other poses that stretch the abdominal muscles should also be skipped. Muscle tears and strains happen more easily in your third trimester due to hormones expanding your connective tissues, so take it easy--but keep moving, as you shouldn't hold any one pose for a long time.
Post-Delivery
It takes awhile to recover from labor and delivery, and you may notice changes in your body that might surprise you, such as getting winded more easily and weakened abdominal muscles. Poses such as warrior II help build strength, and easy inversions like legs-up-the-wall are relaxing and rejuvenating. Even when you're not doing yoga, ujjayi-style breathing can help calm both mother and baby during tense, sleep-deprived moments.
Member Comments