Question:

I am 20 weeks pregnant with my first child and would like to know which poses I can do at home to help prepare my body for labour and birth?

Answer:

I think this answer is largely dependent on how much (if any) experience the practitioner has.

Gentle vinyasa-style practice brings deeper breath awareness and meditation on surrendering to your changing body and allowing yourself to flow with the experience of pregnancy and labour will help, rather than attempting to be overly controlling of your body. Do respectful, intuitive practice.

Begin in pose of the child with knees wide, resting chest over a bolster if that is more comfortable. Keep your side body long, belly soft and pelvic floor switched on. Do modified sun salutations flowing from tadasana, feet apart, to uttanasana, stepping back onto all fours, then cat — cow sequence, then downward facing dog (three to five breaths), then walking forward, place your hands on your thighs to help yourself back up to standing.

It is helpful to come up head first here, particularly if you are experiencing low blood pressure, then moving onto some nice deep lunges with hands at your waist or reaching over head. Try a hip opening sequence to include a psoas lunge, then a gentle spinal twist, that is, right foot forward, left knee on the ground.

Turn right toes out wide, left hand on the floor, place right hand to right knee and twist to right side lifting right shoulder and ribs. Repeat on left side. This is a great posture to massage deep into the glutes and groin and gives your spine a lovely twist without any contraction on the belly.

Postures should include a few strong standing postures such as warrior one and two to ground into feet, drawing up strongly from the feet to prevent fluid retention; trikonasana, parsvakonasana and prasarita padottanasana, with hands supported onto floor or block.

Try also hip openers such as lunges (see above) and malasana, squatting (with support as your pregnancy progresses). Include some seated postures to encourage hips and groin muscles to soften and open — upavistha konasana and finally reclining over a bolster in supta konasana.

The increase in hormones such as relaxin in your body can encourage more flexibility, so take care not to overstretch into postures. Emphasise lengthening through your side body and pay particular attention to pelvic floor contraction in each of the postures. Use props to assist you in your practice, such as blocks, bolsters and chairs if available.

Duncan Peak — yoga expert
www.powerliving.com.au