Pregnancy yoga in Singapore: Pregnant mom practising yoga

Pregnancy is an exciting time when a woman carries and nourishes a life inside her. While it is established that pregnancy is an overall amazing experience, it can’t be denied that it also brings about a lot of emotional and physiological turbulence. This affects a pregnant woman’s psyche.

Putting on weight, getting body aches and pains and experiencing mood swings are only some of the not-so-nice things that a woman experiences while pregnant. Therefore, a pregnant woman may opt to do pregnancy yoga in Singapore to counter these negative effects. They might also be able to maintain balance, regain strength and master relaxation during pregnancy1.

Doing yoga while pregnant can be a safe, healthy and natural way of keeping you fit and maintaining your wellness during pregnancy. Yoga's different poses are commonly referred to as asanas. Yoga also helps you to relax and center your thoughts. This is so you’re better equipped to manage the physical and emotional aches and pains that you feel. 

Benefits of Pregnancy Yoga in Singapore

Prenatal yoga has tons of benefits not just for you as the expectant mother, but for your unborn child as well. It can prepare your mind, body and spirit for your upcoming journey towards motherhood.

Breathing and asanas are fundamental components of pregnancy yoga in Singapore. Learning how to be more mindful of how you breathe relaxes your body. It also makes you more attuned to its processes. Learning how and eventually having the ability to relax is one of the single most important benefits of pregnancy yoga2. This skill can ultimately help you through the stressful parts of pregnancy up to managing the actual childbirth.

Through its multi-faceted approach, pregnancy yoga in Singapore encourages relaxation, stretching, mental centering and focused breathing3. It can improve your sleep and it works well in reducing mental anxiety. It can also relieve stress and decrease the physical pains of pregnancy such as nausea, and back pains. The gentle stretching can also strengthen the muscles necessary for childbirth.

 

Poses To Try for Pregnancy Yoga in Singapore

Wherever you are in your pregnancy journey, there are a lot of different asanas to try suitable for each pregnancy trimester.

If you are in your first trimester, you can try doing the below poses4:

  1. Baddha Konasana, also known as butterfly wings. This pose helps you alleviate fatigue, improve blood circulation in your body and stimulate your adrenal glands;

  2. Tadasana. This pose helps you improve your posture, practice steady and mindful breathing and improve the strength and mobility of your feet, hips and legs;

For the second trimester, you can explore doing the below poses5:

  1. Vishnu Asana, or the side leg raise. This fun pose increases your flexibility and stamina.

  2. Urdhva Hastasana, or the standing upward stretch. This pose relieves stiffness in the back and boosts oxygen supply to the brain.

For the third trimester, these are some poses you can try6:

  1. Malasana, or the garland pose. This pose helps relieve the stiffness in your knees and thighs and increases your back strength;

  2. Ardha Titli Asana, or the half butterfly pose. This pose helps you prepare for labour and smooth delivery by stimulating the legs, joints in the hip and knees.

Try joining an online community of pregnant women who do yoga in your area. Sharing pregnancy experiences is always a good way to bring pregnant women together. These groups might teach you things you need to know, things that might help you improve your pregnancy yoga journey and make it all the more enjoyable.

Safety Should be the Priority

Every pregnancy is different. Although pregnancy yoga in Singapore may be recommended to some pregnant women, it'd be best for you to consult with your trusted doctor to check. Find out what kind and what level of physical activity is suited for your pregnancy.

If you are cleared by your doctor to do yoga, do your research on the different poses and talk to your instructor about where you are in your pregnancy. This is so that they can determine which poses are suitable for you.

Pregnancy yoga in Singapore can do wonders for you, not just during your pregnancy, but throughout motherhood. The skills you learn from doing yoga can be translated and used in everyday life. The ability to be calm and to breathe through a stressful situation is a life skill that every parent should have, and pregnancy yoga in Singapore is one good step to take towards having that.

Before proceeding with any form of physical activity, or if you are ever in doubt, please consult your doctor and check if they are suitable for you during your pregnancy.

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Expert resource
Dr. Raymond Choy Wai Mun
(MCR 18097A)
MBChB (UK), Aviation Medicine (Singapore)

REFERENCES:

  1. 15 Popular Yoga Asanas To Try During Pregnancy (2020). Retrieved on October 15, 2020 from - https://www.momjunction.com/articles/yoga-asanas-to-try-during-pregnancy_00396824/
  2. Prenatal Yoga Benefits (2017). Retrieved on October 15, 2020 from https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/baby-love
  3. Prenatal yoga: What you need to know (2019). Retrieved on October 15, 2020 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-yoga/art-20047193
  4. Yoga during the First Trimester of Pregnancy (2018). Retrieved on October 15, 2020 from https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/yoga-during-first-trimester-of-pregnancy-benefits-poses-and-tips/
  5. Yoga During Second Trimester of Pregnancy: Poses and Precautions (2018). Retrieved on October 15, 2020 from https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/yoga-during-second-trimester-of-pregnancy-poses-and-precautions/
  6. Yoga during Pregnancy Third Trimester (2018). Retrieved on October 15. 2020 from https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/yoga-during-pregnancy-third-trimester-benefits-poses-and-tips/