Prenatal yoga is great for mama, but we often don’t talk about how amazing it is for your baby when you practice.

There’s this whole other person or in some cases persons inside of you soaking up exactly what you’re eating, drinking, feeling and doing. So, when you look at your pregnancy journey in that sense, you’ll see everything you do will impact your baby and there’s no better way to prepare them for birth and beyond than by starting a prenatal yoga practice.

So, let’s get right to it. What if I told you that there’s so much more to movement than supporting the health of you mama? Study after study shows that by engaging in healthy activities you’re improving the overall health of your baby too.
Here are five key ways you’re supporting your baby with your personal practice:

1. Improved Oxygen Supply
   How it helps: Prenatal yoga focuses on deep breathing and relaxation, which enhances oxygen flow to your body and, in turn, to the baby through the placenta.
   Health benefit: Better oxygenation supports the baby’s growth and development, including healthy brain and organ development.
   Yoga pose: Cat/Cow – Improves blood flow to the uterus, enhancing oxygen and nutrient supply for optimal growth.
2. Reduced Stress Hormones
   How it helps: Yoga promotes stress reduction by lowering your cortisol and adrenaline levels.
   Health benefit: Reduced maternal stress helps create a calmer environment for the baby, which may positively influence the baby’s temperament and lower the risk of premature birth.
   Yoga pose: Child’s pose – Helps regulate maternal stress levels, leading to lower stress hormones that can affect the baby’s development.
3. Healthy Birth Weight
   How it helps: Prenatal yoga promotes physical activity and better blood circulation, which supports optimal nutrient transfer to the baby.
   Health benefit: Babies are more likely to have a healthy birth weight, reducing risks of complications like low birth weight or developmental delays.
   Yoga pose: Wide legged forward fold – This pose opens the hips and stretches the hamstrings, which can relieve tension and improve circulation to the pelvic area, supporting healthy fetal development.
4. Enhanced Nervous System Development
   How it helps: Yoga includes mindfulness practices that foster a relaxed state, reducing fluctuations in heart rate and blood pressure.
   Health benefit: A stable environment supports the baby’s nervous system development, contributing to better regulation of stress and emotions after birth.
   Yoga pose: Downward Facing Dog – This pose improves circulation, including the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the baby, which supports nervous system development.
5. Easier Labor and Delivery
   How it helps: Prenatal yoga strengthens your pelvic floor muscles and improves flexibility, aiding you during labor.
   Health benefit: A smoother delivery process reduces stress and potential complications for the baby, ensuring a safer transition into the world.
   Yoga pose: Malasana squat – Facilitates alignment of your baby in the pelvis, reducing complications during birth.

Even though it may seem like it’s all about the baby, it’s about you too mama! Here’s what’s in it for you when you roll out your mat.

1. Improves Flexibility and Strength
   Health Benefit: Strengthens muscles needed for childbirth and reduces strain on joints, improving overall posture and balance during pregnancy. This helps reduce common discomforts like back pain and muscle tension.
2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety
   Health Benefit: Yoga incorporates breathing techniques and mindfulness practices that lower cortisol levels, enhancing mental well-being and promoting a sense of calm. This also supports better sleep quality.
3. Increases Circulation
   Health Benefit: Gentle yoga movements improve blood flow, which helps reduce swelling in the extremities (common during pregnancy) and ensures the baby gets an optimal supply of oxygen and nutrients.
4. Supports Better Sleep
   Health Benefit: Relaxation techniques help reduce physical discomforts and calm the mind, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, which is vital for mom’s energy and mood.
5. Promotes Connection with Baby
   Health Benefit: The meditative aspects of prenatal yoga encourage moms to focus inward, fostering a deeper emotional bond with their baby and enhancing overall maternal well-being.
6. Shorten Duration of Labor
   Health Benefit: Prenatal yoga can promote a quicker postpartum recovery by putting less strain on the body with the shortened labor time.

Okay, real talk. All of these beautiful benefits don’t mean a thing unless you’re consistent with your practice. You don’t have a lot of time? No problem! Your practice doesn’t need to be complicated or fancy. It can be as simple as five minutes of breathwork. So, start small with five minutes a day and work your way up to 15 or 30 minutes. You’ve got this mama, all of these benefits are just waiting for you to get started.

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Love & Gratitude,
Diona