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This Sunday I went to my first prenatal yoga class. It’s an eight week course, with class once a week, every Sunday. I used to attend a Hatha yoga class every Sunday but I stopped going sometime last July, just before we started our IVF cycle. First it was because of the discomfort of my giant ovaries, then risk of ovarian torsion. Then I was gearing up for my transfer cycle, which ended up being 5 months after the retrieval. I think really I was just having a hard time keeping my head above water and yoga felt like one more thing I “had” to do. Though in hindsight, it probably would have been the best thing for me.
I didn’t want to return to my regular yoga class as it is not intended for pregnancy, and I don’t want to inadvertently do something that will cause me any injury (thought there was a woman in my class last year and she stayed all through-out her pregnancy). I was also being very careful about my physical activity through my first trimester, as I am a pretty sedentary person in the first place. But as I have been feeling my body getting weaker, and I am not as limber as I once was, it was time to get back into something.
The class was really good, lots of pelvic floor strengthening, stretches for back, spine, and opening of the chest. I am not so in tune with the spiritual side of yoga, but I love the way it makes my body feel so relaxed and open. It was a bit odd, as obviously it was only pregnant women in my class and I was probably one of the smallest “bumps” in the room (I wore a skin tight shirt just so I wouldn’t look like some looney-tunes pregnancy faker). I still didn’t feel like I really fit in, and because I am still relatively small I didn’t have any difficulties with the poses (probably some of my muscle memory coming back too). But it felt good, so I tried to just take it for what it was, an enjoyable yoga class that happens to be for pregnant women.
*Sorry Mel, I really suck at the “Micro” part of Microblog Mondays!
Infertile Girl in a Fertile World 
Exciting! I’m hoping to kick off my yoga practice again in the next few weeks. My best friend has also been going to yoga throughout her pregnancy. Due to her body type (long waisted), she’s still only got a small bump. I think we just need to embrace feeling/looking different at all stages of pregnancy. There is no norm for the female body! Embrace that you are there because you definitely deserve to be at that class!
I have some sort of weird bump envy, and feelings of unworthiness of pregnancy related things. But yoga was great, and my bump will grow each week. And soon I won’t be able to touch my toes lol!
Yes yoga seems easy now… But just wait!
Aweomse! I love yoga, I am actually dreading stopping it during my IVF cycle. I do hot yoga that is a pretty intense class so I know it’ll be a no go with huge ovaries. I’m looking to find a restorative yoga class but can’t find an evening one 🙂
Namaste!
Yeah, it feels really good to be back at it. I am hoping it will make pregnancy a little more comfortable for me, and perhaps ease labor and delivery. Namaste, all the best!
glad you enjoyed prenatal yoga! I really liked my class too; I think it depends if you are into the style of the class and the instructor. Do they have post natal class? I got to one an it is fun.
So far the class work was good, and the instructor wasn’t too “hippy dippy”, more about how each pose affects the body (which I like) but she’s just filling in for the first two weeks as the regular instructor is in India, so we’ll see what I think of her. I haven’t looked into post natal but I know there is a baby and mom yoga class that could be good.
My advice: Keep up with the yoga! I was pretty good about walking/working out/stretching/yoga in my first and second trimesters, but I’ve really slacked lately and now I’m regretting it. Walking is painful. Sitting is painful. My flexibility is shot. We don’t have classes or a studio around here, but I wish I would have at least kept up with youtube videos or something. Enjoy that small bump while you can still reach over/around it!
Yeah, I’ve got some YouTube videos that I hope to use as well, and once it is finally nice out I love to go for walks in our neighbourhood in our River valley so I’m hoping I can stay mobile and limber to make myself more comfortable to the end. We’ll see how that goes.
Keep small! Trim, trim, trim 🙂
I think it’s great that you’re doing yoga again. I do it 5 days a week in the morning. Though it’s hard to drag myself out of bed for it. Still, like you said, it strengthens the body and stretches the back.