Prenatal Yoga Precautions and Contraindications

Below is a guide of Yoga Precautions and Contraindications during Pregnancy.

This is not an exhaustive list, please seek the guidance of a trained and experience prenatal yoga teacher under the guidance of your healthcare provider.

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Prenatal Yoga Precaution and Contraindications

1. Breath retention and/or strong, forced breathing
   
   Reason: Affects oxygen to the fetus
   Yoga Movement or Pose: Kapalabhati breathing/breath of fire
   What to do instead: Alternate nostril breathing

2. Advanced poses the challenge and build heat
   
   Reason: Stress to the mother and fetus, overheating
   Yoga Movement or Pose: Any poses that are vigorous and/or new to the pregnant practitioner
   What to do instead: Stay within your edge. Pay attention to your breath. If your breathing feels shallow and labored, you have gone too far.
    

3. Poses that engage and/or stretch the rectus abdomens muscles
   
   Reason: Can cause stretching and/or tearing of abdominal muscles
   Yoga Movement or Pose: Supine leg lifts, boat pose, plank pose, chaturanga, crow pose
   What to do instead: Side lying poses

4. Front extensions
   
   Reason: Can over stretch abdominal muscles
   Yoga Movement or Pose: Camel, wheel, upward facing dog
   What to do instead: Gentle backbends from the upper back, neck and shoulders
    

5. Inversions
   
   Reason: Decreases blood flow to the uterus, can cause dizziness. Lack of stability in the abdominal cavity can result in injury
   Yoga Movement or Pose: Headstand, handstand, shoulder stand
   What to do instead: Supported legs up the wall
    

6. Prone poses (on belly)
   
   Reason: Uncomfortable, not advised for safety of baby
   Yoga Movement or Pose: Cobra, bow, sphinx
   What to do instead: Tabletop, cat/cow

7. Closed twists
   
   Reason: Too much pressure on abdominal cavity
   Yoga Movement or Pose: Revolved triangle, revolved side angle, seated closed twist
   What to do instead: Modified open twist
    

8. Hot Yoga
   
   Reason: Overheating can cause miscarriage and/or birth defects
   Yoga Movement or Pose: Bikram, Moksha
   What to do instead: Prenatal Yoga

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Other helpful hints and tips:

• Move slower through your practice
• Pay attention to your breath
• Use props (blocks, bolsters, straps, pillows, and blankets)
• Take hip width or wider stances
• Reduce the width of feet in wide legged stances
• Take breaks as needed – child’s pose or comfortable seat
• Drink lots of water
• Listen to your body!!!

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Acknowledgement: This list was adapted from MamaNurture Contradiction Yoga During Pregnancy.