Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training Tip Of The Week: Yoga Poses To Avoid When Pregnant
Yoga Poses To Avoid During 1st Trimester
(0-14 weeks)
Twists (can cause or aggrevate extreme nausea).
Any poses which over-stretch the lower abs (can prevent the fertilised egg from embedding in the early stages).
Standing still for any length of time (reduce blood pressure can cause dizziness and fainting).
Strenuous poses.
Yoga poses to be avoided in the 2nd trimester
(12-28 weeks)
Lying suppine the legs straight when the bump begins to swell (can cause compression of vena cava, affecting blood return from legs, causing dizziness and restricting blood flow to the baby).
Yoga poses to be avoided in the 3rd trimester
(29-40 weeks)
Anything strenuous (don’t hold poses for too long).
Lying supine (even with the legs bent, unless a small cushion is placed under the right hip).
Deep squats (may affect the optimal foetal position).
Squats (if the baby is breech).
Yoga poses to be avoided at all times
Jumping (too much stress on the cervix).
Double leg lifts (too much stress on the abdominals/lower back).
Back bends (too much compression on the lower vertebrae).
Over stretching (ligaments & tendons soften during pregnancy but will not rebound if over-stretched, causing uneven wearing of the cartilage later in life).
Inverted postures (can cause compression of the placenta, which may interrupt the flow of oxygen to the baby. Can also be problematic with high blood pressure).
Holding the breath (restricts flow of oxygen to the foetus).
Pregnancy Yoga Lesson Plan Kit™
This tip comes from the Pregnancy Yoga Lesson Plan Kit.
