Expectant mothers at Acacia Studios prenatal yoga class with instructor Sheila Otieno. Doing squats with the feet out as wide as the yoga mat with toes facing out on the edges of the mat, thighs and knees wide, helps the baby to move down and open the hip area. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA
What you need to know:
Prenatal yoga is a great way for expectant mothers to work out their bodies and also prepare mentally for childbirth.
“Maintain that tree pose for one, two, three, four. At your own time move your left foot back then your right foot into the downward facing dog. Stretch your back and thigh muscles, remember to smile and breathe,” Sheila Otieno tells a class packed with pregnant women.
Unlike other yoga classes, the movements at Acacia Studios in Westlands, Nairobi are slow paced and the trainer is patient enough to let all the women get the moves right at their own pace.
Plank position
While some are first time mothers, others are experienced and are looking to keep fit over the nine months. Sheila moves around the class adjusting each participant into the perfect pose in a caring way. It is hard to tell the experienced from the first timers.
We start the more complex moves like the warrior pose after doing about 15 minutes of warm-up stretches.
She guides us back to a plank position on the yoga mat. Next, she instructs us to lift the upper body into the upward facing dog position.
I am a bit sceptical that some of these women who are well into their second and third trimesters will be able to lift the bellies off their mats.
They prove me wrong and seeing others do it so effortlessly makes me push myself harder. After one hour the class ends and every mother starts bonding with their unborn child while lying on the left side, the right arm cupping the lower belly while the upper side is warmed by the gently placed left arm.
“Speak to your baby, let them learn their first language, mommy’s language, listen to the movements and enjoy the wonder of the new life that you are creating inside you,” Sheila says, reminding us to breathe and slow our heart rates.
The cordial Namaste ends the class.
Sheila, a trainer at Acacia Studios has been teaching yoga for the last 10 years. Her area of focus has been moves for the relaxation of the body and mind.
She teaches expectant women, mothers and their newborns as well as getting young children to practice basic yoga.
Prenatal yoga, she says, is a great way for expectant mothers to work out their bodies and also prepare mentally for childbirth. Yoga can also help alleviate the pressure in the lower back.
“Practising yoga while pregnant improves sleep, reduces stress and anxiety, increases the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for child birth,” she explains.
Six weeks
The perfect time to start prenatal yoga classes is six weeks after conception when the baby is firmly implanted in the womb. For women who have had assisted conception like through in vitro fertilisation (IVF), starting yoga classes at 10 weeks is more advisable.
Thitu Kariba, a prenatal and post-natal fitness instructor who combines yoga, zumba and hypnobirthing says prenatal yoga complements the Lamaze classes that teach women how to breathe effectively during labour.
“It can allow you to increase your flexibility during pregnancy even more to assist in opening up the pelvis to prepare for delivery,’’ she says, adding that even women who have not done yoga before can take the prenatal classes provided they stick to a fitness regime and get approval from doctors.
A strong pelvic floor muscle enables a woman to carry a baby more comfortably during pregnancy and helps both the mother and baby during labour and delivery. Breathing, Sheila notes, is something people don’t think about as it is mechanically carried out by the body yet it plays an important role during delivery.
Breathing well helps to relax the body and take one’s mind off labour pain.
“The constant reminders of deep breaths during prenatal yoga kind of build it into your subconscious to do it effortlessly when the time for delivery comes,” she says.
One way to ensure that women are comfortable in their prenatal classes is ensuring they wear the right gear.
Loose fitting T-shirts or vests and tights are normally preferred and should not be tight around the belly or ankles, restricting blood circulation. Depending on the studio culture, one might opt to wear shoes or socks.
Before enlisting in the class, one has to provide a doctor’s contact in case of emergencies. Caution is key and when in the class, pay attention to your body as it can tell when overdoing the yoga workout.
Njahira Gathara Kipowski, a personal fitness trainer, says the kind of moves suitable for prenatal yoga are dependent on how fit the woman is.
Pelvic tilts
“I would recommend pelvic tilts that help alleviate low back pain, lunges to strengthen the legs to deal with the extra weight and exercises that support spina flexion to keep flexibility in the lower back and hamstrings which is also compromised during pregnancy,” the fitness trainer says.
Njahira advises that especially after the pregnancy “pops” (becomes evident), women should avoid any exercise that causes crunching of the abdominal muscles to lessen the likelihood of abdominal separation.
As prenatal yoga is more personal, it is important for women to find qualified instructors.
“Look for someone who is passionate and cares as opposed to someone just looking to pay their bills. Pregnancy is a funny thing, so it is important to look for someone you actually like,” Njahira says.
