Are you looking to avoid all the unnecessary interventions and are set on having a natural childbirth?
Then this article is for you. Learn all the different ways that prenatal yoga for natural childbirth can benefit you and your delivery goals.

Does Prenatal Yoga Help With Labor?

Yes! Studies have shown that prenatal yoga can reduce labor time, increase the mother’s pain tolerance, reduce the risk of cesarean section, and help her recover faster after birth.

Plus, yoga helps strengthen and stretch muscles that are key for a quick delivery, like the hips, legs, abs, and arms.

Stretching often through yoga will also stretch and loosen the pelvis, pelvic floor, and psoas muscles. All of which are crucial during the birthing process.

It has also been shown that women who practiced yoga during pregnancy had babies with a higher birth weight.

How Yoga Can Help You Have A Natural Childbirth

Yoga can definitely help you achieve your goal of a natural childbirth in a variety of ways. It keeps the body and mind healthy and prepared for the feat of labor.

Read on to find out all the magical reasons why yoga for natural childbirth is your ticket to success.

Pain Tolerance

One of the key advantages of regularly practicing yoga might be the fact that yoga has been proven to increase one’s pain tolerance threshold. This is key for labor, which you might have heard, can be incredibly painful.

In one study, women who practiced yoga regularly were asked to rate their pain from 1 to 10 while dilating to 10cm, those who practiced yoga had a consistently lower average pain level.

It’s thought that yoga can rewire our brains through regularly holding uncomfortable poses or deep stretches. So in labor, if you are actually experiencing less pain, you are less likely to ask or need an epidural.

Muscle Strength

Giving birth is literally like an Olympic sport, you will be using every single fiber in your body to push the baby out. Having more muscle strength and tone will make the task easier and faster.

Yoga not only stretches out the body but tones and strengthens all the muscles that are important for giving birth, like legs, glutes, abs, and arms.

Stretched And Prepared Hips

Most people think of stretching when they think of yoga. This is because no matter the style of the yoga, there is always great stretching involved.

If you are practicing prenatal yoga, there will be a focus on the hips and pelvic area; you will stretch all the muscles encompassing the pelvic region, front, back, and sides.

This will ensure that your hips are literally relaxed and “open” for birthing.

Exercise

Being physically active during pregnancy is absolutely fantastic for the mother as well as the health outcomes of the newborn baby.

Studies show that women who exercised during their pregnancy had lower rates of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean birth.

By practicing yoga, you are getting the necessary amount of physical activity needed for these benefits.

Breath

Every birthing class includes a section on how to breathe. Breath is such an important part of our everyday lives but it becomes so much more important during labor.

A major part of yoga is to literally connect your body’s movements with your breath. By practicing this overtime you will become hyperaware of your breath and learn how to utilize it.

Plus, there are many different breathing techniques to learn that are specific to yoga like ujayi breath, lion’s breath, and box breathing that can be used during labor.

Stress Reduction

Yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety in a variety of ways. Everyone loves that blissful “yoga high” at the end of class.

Pregnancy can be a stressful time, so having a practice that makes you feel at ease will make the journey easier for you and your loved ones.

Reduced stress during the pregnancy is beneficial for the baby too.

Mindfulness

Yoga can help us become more mindful in our regular lives. This can be very useful for pregnant people as we go about our days.

Sometimes it is hard to remember what to eat or not to eat, and all the other rules that come with being pregnant. Being more mindful can help us make the best choices possible for ourselves and our babies in our day-to-day decisions.

Body Awareness

Another great benefit of yoga is increased body awareness. Studies have shown that people who practice yoga have better body awareness and a better mind-body connection allowing them to stay in the present moment.

This can benefit birthing women by allowing them to really tune in to their body and have the most natural, and magical childbirth.

Increased Circulation

Poor circulation is something common in pregnancy and can result in swollen ankles or feet. Exercising and getting the blood moving through the body can help alleviate these common ailments.

Goal Orientation And Intention

At the start of most yoga classes, the instructor will ask you to set an intention. This intention-setting is a common theme throughout yoga because it’s a way to bring mindfulness and keep us focused on what we would like to achieve in our lives.

This goal-setting is particularly useful when setting our minds on having a natural birth. Pregnant women can set this goal for themselves at any time during their pregnancy, and be reminded of their goal every time they step onto the mat. This will make them more likely to achieve the goal.

Sense Of Community

If you attend prenatal yoga classes in your community, you will be able to connect with other people on the same journey as you. This can help you find support both during and after your delivery.

This sense of belonging and understanding can boost overall emotional well-being.

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How Often Should I Practice Yoga For A Natural Delivery?

Trying to incorporate prenatal yoga into your daily life should be a stress reducer, not a cause of anxiety. So start with a schedule that works for you.

Yoga once a week would be sufficient to reap the benefits (in addition to daily exercise like walking.) However, studies show that at least 3 times a week will bring the most benefits in regards to yoga for natural childbirth.

Whatever works for you, make sure to get the go-ahead from your OBGYN first and always listen to your body. Pregnancy is a time to relax and prepare the body, so make sure not to push yourself too hard during any type of exercise.

Where To Find Prenatal Yoga Instructors

When looking for a prenatal yoga teacher or class, you want to choose someone who is certified to teach prenatal yoga. This is because there are some yoga moves that shouldn’t be done or should be approached differently by pregnant people.

You can search online in your local area, just be sure that the teacher has a prenatal yoga certificate.

You can also use Yoga Alliance registered teacher search tool and add the filter RPYT (registered prenatal yoga teacher) to see prenatal yoga teachers in your area.

Classes can be on a private one-on-one basis or through a group class.

Another great resource would be to ask your OBGYN, Doula, or Midwife for prenatal yoga instructor recommendations.

How Yoga Helped Me Achieve A Natural Childbirth

I gave birth to a healthy baby boy in 2021 via natural vaginal birth. I was not induced and I did not use any pain medication or epidural. I attribute this success to being totally set on the goal of having a natural childbirth from the beginning, being educated about childbirth, and staying active and healthy through yoga and other exercise.

I would say yoga personally helped me have my natural childbirth due to the way it kept my body open and stable during so many of the changes that take place during pregnancy.

I suffered from piriformis syndrome during my pregnancy which felt like sciatica pain. Sometimes walking or even standing would make it worse. But every time I stepped on the mat to move or stretch, the pain eased and I felt instantly better.

I also never suffered from varicose veins or swelling in my extremities, something I also attribute to yoga.

Most importantly of all, I could not have had a natural childbirth if I did not take the time and effort to educate myself. By taking the time to read this blog post or any pregnancy books, you are taking your pregnancy and labor into your own hands. You are giving yourself the knowledge and information you need to make the best decisions for YOU.

So in the heat of the moment, someone you don’t know or trust is not making the decisions about you or your baby, you are! Seek our natural-minded pregnancy books or websites to read as much as you can about the child-birthing process.

I would also highly recommend taking the time to create a detailed birth plan. This is a sheet of paper you print out and give to the nurses and doctors highlighting exactly what you want and don’t want to happen to yourself and the baby during delivery.

Don’t make the mistake I did, and leave off “no student visitors” from your birth plan!

Start Yoga For Natural Childbirth Today No Matter Where You Are!

If you have been thinking about starting prenatal yoga for natural childbirth, it’s never too late. It really doesn’t matter where you are in your pregnancy journey, as long as you are feeling healthy and have the green light from your doctor, there are plenty of reasons to start prenatal yoga today!