Antenatal Yoga: What Not to Do During Pregnancy

Whether you're looking to practise antenatal, Vinyasa or Hatha yoga, it's important to get the green light from your doctor before starting any new workout routine. Even if you practised yoga regularly pre-pregnancy, it's not a bad idea to check in with your doctor, especially if you have complications.

Hot yoga, which is taught in a room heated between 30 and 40°C, usually isn't recommended during pregnancy, as it can raise your core temperature and cause foetal distress. But new research suggests that it may be safe for those who don't have any pregnancy complications and have already practised hot yoga pre-pregnancy, according to the American Council on Exercise.

"I always refer women to their healthcare provider", Love says. "For women who do practise hot yoga during pregnancy, I encourage them to drink more water and bear in mind that it's easier for you to cool down than the baby. It's about knowing your limits and when to ease off."

Kristoffer recommends that pregnant people steer clear of hot yoga completely and stick to antenatal yoga. "A prenatal class is optimal as not every yoga instructor knows how to modify for pregnancy", she says. "If you're new to yoga, review the studio's class list. Each studio defines each style in their own way, but "gentle" and "slow moving" are words to look for in the description."

Some backbends, like camel pose, can be helpful for massaging the lower back and promoting blood flow. During pregnancy, you can modify it by placing your hands on your lower back (not on your feet) and lifting through the heart, Love says.

But you should avoid deeper backbends like full wheel, unless you're in your first trimester and had incorporated them into your practice pre-pregnancy. And even then, you should tread carefully and be mindful of how it feels.

"It's a massive stretch of the abdominal wall. You don't want the placenta to detach from the uterus", Love says. "If it starts to feel uncomfortable, that's a sign that you should stop".

By the time you hit the second trimester, Kristoffer says you should avoid doing full wheel and other extreme backbends.

Kristoffer says it's probably best to lay off inversions, such as handstands, forearm stands and headstands, during the first trimester or as soon as you become aware of your pregnancy (there's no need to worry if you didn't know). During this time, many are dealing with nausea and fatigue, as well as heartburn, so doing inversions may not feel great.

The good news is that you can reintroduce them into your practice during the second trimester as long as you've been doing inversions in your practice prior to pregnancy, still feel comfortable doing them and don't have any pregnancy complications. Love recommends using a wall for support to prevent falls.

Downward-facing dog is a safe inversion you can do during pregnancy. You just have to widen your stance to accommodate your growing bump—the same goes for forward folds. But once you're 38 weeks, Love suggests taking a break from all inversions.

"At 38 weeks, I don't recommend downward-facing dog, because we don't want to change the flow of energy, which should be going to the pelvic floor", she says.

Both Kristoffer and Love like cat-cow for releasing tension in the spine, especially in the lower back.

"Cat-cow can also help encourage the baby to move downwards for labour and delivery", Love says. Just remember to hug your belly up and in to protect your baby.

Kristoffer calls goddess pose—which looks similar to a sumo squat with your legs in a wide-open stance—the ultimate labour prep, because it opens and strengthens all of the muscles required during labour.

Other poses Love recommends for building strength and stability are the standing warrior poses (warrior I, II and III), as well as garland pose (you may need to use a low chair or yoga blocks under your sit bones if you aren't able to squat to the floor) and tree pose, using a wall for support.

Yoga is an excellent way to stay active and healthy throughout your pregnancy, but it's important to tune into your body, so if something doesn't feel right, you can gently exit the pose.

"Listen to your body and respect its miracles", Kristoffer says. "You're growing another human, after all, and it's intense work. Rest when you need rest, hydrate before you feel thirsty, nourish yourself and make sure you are well-rested."

And as always, keep your doctor in the loop with how you're feeling and contact them if you're experiencing any red flags, such as bleeding, chest pain, dizziness or muscle weakness, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Don't be afraid to seek out professional guidance if you need help, whether it's an antenatal yoga instructor at a local studio or an online instructor who offers virtual sessions.

Poses that involve lying on your belly, such as cobra, bow or locust, should be avoided throughout pregnancy, as they place direct pressure on your baby. However, you still want to work on strengthening your core in a safe way.

If you've been doing high or forearm planks prior to pregnancy and are in your first trimester, you may be able to continue doing them. Then once you start growing a bump—usually in the second trimester—you want to think about hugging your belly up and in, creating a hammock for your baby, Love says.

But if you start seeing signs of coning, aka bulging in the middle of your abdomen, you'll want to stop doing planks altogether to avoid diastasis recti (ab muscle separation).

In the same vein, you'll want to avoid arm-balancing poses, like crow, because they increase abdominal pressure, Kristoffer says. For an alternative, Love suggests trying side planks and an elevated plank on the wall.

With a baby bump, deep twists and binds aren't recommended, but doing gentle, open twists might actually help you feel better and keep your spine healthy, Kristoffer says. "Twist to the open side with the baby rather than against the baby", Love recommends.

For example, do a low lunge with an open twist to your left side with your left leg forward and your right hand under your right shoulder. Reach your left arm up to open up the chest.

Kristoffer also likes seated side bends for pregnancy. "A woman's sides and lower back get so tight in pregnancy. Creating space in the side waist and lower back feels amazing at every stage of pregnancy."

Avoid poses that involve lying flat on your back, especially during the third trimester, as doing so can compress the vena cava—the vein that delivers blood to your baby—Kristoffer says.

"Instead, prop yourself up at an angle with blocks, bolsters or pillows. In Savasana (corpse pose), lie on your left side in a foetal position to encourage better circulation", she says.