What Are Some Safe Pregnancy Yoga Poses for Each Trimester?
Yoga is a popular exercise amongst pregnant women interested in maintaining their health and well-being throughout their pregnancy. Most women understand the importance of eating right and getting a little exercise while they’re pregnant, but it’s also important to reduce stressors and properly manage stress. Many accomplish this through yoga. Restorative yoga is a type of yoga practiced by many pregnant women because it’s a form of restful yoga that uses blocks, pillows, blankets and other props to put the body in certain yoga poses. Certain yoga poses may not be safe depending on the woman’s trimester, while others might be recommended.
Before you begin a yoga class, inform the instructor that you are pregnant. If you are practicing at your home, make sure you’re careful not to put yourself or your baby at risk of injury. During the first trimester you should be aware that your body is starting to produce greater levels of relaxin, which softens the ligaments to help prepare the body for a child. Overstretching is possible with the higher levels of relaxin, so be sure to avoid going too deep into your poses.
Try also to avoid any poses that involve twisting at the belly. Avoid jumping or hopping, and do not hold your breath. Poses that require you invert yourself or deep back bends should be avoided, too. Do not lie on your belly or your back, and try to avoid poses that work your abs. It’s also important that you do not try Bikram yoga, also called hot yoga. Read the rest of this entry »
Pregnancy and Stress – 5 Best Ways To Manage Stress During Pregnancy
Stress can be very harmful during pregnancy, though cannot be totally avoided in everyday life. As a pregnant woman high stress level can be major problem that affects every area of your life, which will in turn affect the growth and development of your unborn baby. You may be worrying what your labor would be like, how you will handle the pain, how your partner will cope and all the rest. Knowing the causes of your stressful feeling is powerful information, which means you can take action to make it less intense.
Negative Effects of Stress During Pregnancy
There are many negative side effects of stress during pregnancy. Studies show that high levels of stress can result to chronic anxiety, increase your heart rate, blood pressure, and also contribute to an increased risk of premature delivery or low birth weight babies. Remember that just as what you eat affects your unborn baby, so too does your high stress level and your emotional health. It is important that you minimize your stress and anxiety during pregnancy for the betterment of your baby’s growth and development.
Here are 5 simple ways to get you started in managing stress during pregnancy. You can even adopt many of these ways after pregnancy to ensure your stress level remains manageable. Read the rest of this entry »