If you’re a mama-to-be, there’s some good news in regard to your yoga practice! A new study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology says that three new poses are safe for women to do during pregnancy.
Pregnancy Yoga benefits both the mother and fetus. However, some poses are off-limits to protect the baby’s health. This new study shows that pregnant women can practice poses previously considered unsafe.
The Study
The study, conducted by Dr. Rachael Polits and her team at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, focused on 25 healthy pregnant women. Dr. Polis was curious to see if yoga had any effect on the fetus as she could not find any studies that supported it.
The 25 women in the study were all in their third trimester and had experienced uncomplicated pregnancy without high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, or other complications.
Each woman was guided through her yoga class, which consisted of 26 yoga poses, including twists and standing poses. To reduce the risk of falling, inversions such as Headstands and Handstands are avoided. The class was monitored for the fetal heartbeat, and women were scheduled to have follow-up appointments 24 hours later.
The Results
Dr. Polis reported that all women in the study tolerated asanas very well and that they did not experience contractions or bleeding.
The study’s authors included three poses not normally included in prenatal yoga classes, including Downward Facing Dog, Happy Baby, and Corpse Pose.
In prenatal classes, Happy Baby and Corpse Pose are usually not taught to women in their third trimester. All women in the study tolerated these poses well.
Dr. Polis said that although the results are promising, they are still preliminary. As always, if pregnant, talk to your OB/GYN about prenatal yoga and listen to your own body to determine what it needs.