5 Prenatal Yoga Poses To Stop Pregnancy Aches and Pains

Here are things you can do to reduce your discomfort

Dr Jeff Livingston
BeingWell

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Janulla IStock by Getty

Growing a human being inside your body is not always the most pleasant experience. A growing baby, wiggling around inside your abdomen combined with the hormonal effects on muscles, ligaments, and tendons, makes pregnancy uncomfortable for many women.

Prenatal yoga improves fitness, strengthens muscles, and increases flexibility to alleviate the discomforts of pregnancy. Prenatal yoga improves some of the pregnancy pains and also relaxes the mind.

Why do pregnant women have aches and pains?

  1. Posture. The center of gravity shifts during pregnancy. As the belly grows, the curvature of the spine changes to accommodate the “passenger.” The spine curves inward to adjust to the added weight at the front of your body.
  2. Ligaments Two hormones, relaxin and progesterone, cause muscles and ligaments to relax. These physiologic changes are crucial to allow vaginal delivery but also lead to pregnancy discomfort.
  3. Pelvic floor muscles A layer of muscles supports the organs inside the pelvis. The pelvic floor muscles hold the bladder and rectum in place but come under stress as the uterus expands. The pelvic floor becomes…

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Dr Jeff Livingston
BeingWell

Obgyn, Husband, Father, & Entrepreneur. Writing about Women’s Health, Parenting, and Self-improvement. CEO of MacArthurmc.com & founder of Medika.life