12 Benefits of Prenatal Yoga For Expecting Moms

Finding out you’re pregnant can trigger great times in a woman’s life. Pregnancy can change your day-to-day life, including what you eat, when you sleep, and how much you work. Of course, pregnancy can bring challenges such as nausea, cravings for unhealthy foods, swollen feet, depression, hormonal changes, and the stresses of life when a new baby is born.

All of these experiences are normal, and thankfully, yoga is a great way to get pregnant no matter what stage you’re in. Whether you’re new to yoga or a longtime practitioner, prenatal yoga has some amazing benefits—including reducing morning sickness, preparing you physically and mentally for labor, helping you connect with other like-minded moms, and more!

A chance for mom and baby to relax

Perhaps the most important benefit of prenatal yoga is that it gives you and your baby a chance to relax. Unfortunately, life doesn’t stop once you’re pregnant. Bills still have to be paid, you can keep working until the last months of pregnancy, sadly there is no “pregnancy lane” on the highway to get you out of your morning commute! Plus, the experience of growing up in your body naturally makes you feel more fearful and protective of your baby.

Prenatal yoga classes offer pregnant women a safe space to relax, move, relieve stress and feel truly nourished. A yoga teacher will remind you to leave all worries and concerns behind you and focus on making the class completely revolve around you. Yoga also has real, scientifically proven stress-relieving benefits. Regular yoga strengthens the vagus nerve, helping you shift from fight-or-flight mode to rest-and-digest mode. The more you practice yoga, the stronger your vagus nerve becomes. Over time, practicing yoga can actually help you reduce the effects of stress compared to someone who doesn’t practice yoga.

hanging out with other pregnant women

Remaining socially connected during pregnancy and after childbirth is very important for women—after all, friends are the ones who support us through good times and bad. In an article for Parents magazine, Suzanne Sonnenberg, author of She Matters: The Life of Friendships, said, “After you have kids, your life seems to revolve around the kitchen and the bathroom. Having a meal can be a big deal.” Healthy friendships can help remind you that you’re still human, even if you’re sleep-deprived and on cereal!

One problem pregnant women may face is that their group of friends may be in different stages of life or not have children at the same time. Taking a prenatal yoga class ensures that you meet other pregnant women and bond through shared pregnancy experiences. You can support each other, literally and figuratively, through physical asanas and bonding in a nurturing environment. After the baby is born, you can continue your relationship with other moms, and who knows, your child might even enjoy being a playmate someday!

reduce the chance of premature birth

One of the most common reasons women go on bed rest during pregnancy is a sign of premature labor. Preterm labor may be unavoidable for some pregnant women, but for others, it can be prevented by using yoga and other relaxation techniques. It’s not yoga teacher nonsense, either: Scientific studies show that reducing stress during pregnancy reduces the chances of having a premature baby. The American Pregnancy Association also lists yoga as a successful way to reduce the risk of preterm birth. This may be due to the lowering and stress-relieving effects of yoga and the proven breathing techniques of pregnancy.

Reduce morning sickness and other hormonal symptoms

Pregnancy yoga isn’t just for women with large, noticeable baby bumps. Women in early pregnancy can also benefit from pregnancy yoga. In fact, yoga is a great way to relieve early pregnancy symptoms. One of the many benefits of prenatal yoga is that it can greatly reduce morning sickness.

There are two reasons why yoga can help with morning sickness. The first is to synchronize the movement with the breath. This workout balances the mind and body. Although breathing is an automatic function, controlled breathing allows you to change your mental state and relax your body, which can reduce nausea.

The second reason yoga can help with morning sickness is because it balances hormones. Nausea is caused by the rapid hormonal changes in your body during pregnancy. Some heavy hormones are estrogen, progesterone, and relaxin. While these hormones are important because they help your baby grow and prepare your body for delivery, practicing yoga can distract you from side effects and help you feel more balanced.

Mood Lift and Other Psychological Effects

Exercise is known to improve your mood, and yoga is no exception. In fact, yoga causes your brain to release certain feel-good chemicals, such as GABA, more than other forms of exercise. In one study, researchers found that 12 weeks of yoga significantly increased GABA levels in participants’ brains, which led to a significant reduction in depression and anxiety.

Because pregnancy is a huge life change, it is important for women and