Can you do yoga in early pregnancy?

If you’ve just found out you’re pregnant, you may well be wondering whether it is safe for you to start, or continue, practising yoga in your first trimester. After all, pregnancy yoga is a highly recommended form of exercise during pregnancy.

However, if you are to trust your quick Google search, or looking into all these online pregnancy yoga classes that have suddenly popped onto your social media feeds, it would seem that you shouldn’t really start before you are in your second trimester, or before 14 weeks or 16 weeks even for some studios.

 But does that mean that yoga isn’t safe or beneficial during the first trimester? Is yoga in early pregnancy a big no, no? Or equally, can you continue to practice and exercise like you did before you got pregnant?

In this blog, I debunk these myths and share my perspective on what I think is good to do and avoid in early pregnancy.

What this is really about

The main sad fact we have to consider here is that, unfortunately, approximately 1 out of 4 women will experience a miscarriage, and the vast majority of these miscarriages will happen during the first trimester. Despite the fact that all but a few of these miscarriages will NOT be linked in any shape or form to something that a woman did (or didn’t do) – including any form of exercise or yoga practice - for liability reasons, yoga studios and most instructors do not want to run the risk of being associated with a miscarriage, and so open their classes to women from their second trimester only.

What are the facts?

However, what research tells us is that there is actually no evidence that practising yoga in the first trimester can be harmful. Additionally, neither the NHS nor the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) make any mention of the first trimester as a risky period to exercise. They also recommend that women stay active throughout pregnancy, as long as they listen to their body, adapt and ‘don’t bump the bump’.

So is exercise and yoga in early pregnancy ok?

My personal stance is that, far from being dangerous or unadvisable, practising yoga in early pregnancy can actually be hugely beneficial. It can help you deal with the common exhaustion, sickness/nausea, stress and anxiety of these first few months. It also provides a space and opportunity to process these huge news and transformation to come, at a time when most women are often offered no real support until their 12 week scan, whilst being told the first trimester is the most critical time of their pregnancy.

However, because the first trimester is a sensitive time for you, your body and your baby, I I believe the first trimester calls for an ADAPTED type of practice. One that supports the implantation and development of the placenta, supports your well-being at this often exhausting and uncomfortable time, and respects all the changes that are happening in your body, even if there is no ‘bump’ to show for it as yet.

What yoga practices are recommended early pregnancy?

At this stage, you want to focus on something gentle and mostly restorative, especially so if you’re new to yoga or exercise and if you’re low on energy:

• Grounding and centring practices, to develop awareness of postural habits, and help balance emotions and feelings when hormones are running wild!

• Easy movements and stretches from all fours, seated or lying position, such as the Pawanmuktasana series 

• Breathing practices to calm the mind and gently increase breathing capacity

• Restorative poses like supported child’s pose (using a bolster to support the chest) or legs up the wall

• Relaxation, Yoga Nidra, and empowering imagery/visualisations and affirmations

What yoga poses should you avoid in the first trimester?

If you already have a yoga practice, or familiar with yoga, here are some of the key poses and practices that you want to avoid:

• Any pose that compresses the belly: prone poses (lying on your front) like cobra and upward facing down, forward folds, closed twists and child’s pose without taking the knees apart. I personally also recommend to avoid sitting in staff pose/dandasana as this still compresses the lower belly even if it doesn’t feel like it does!

• Gentle or stronger inversions, which you won’t probably fancy if you’re feeling nauseous or easily faint anyway

• Any breathing practice that requires holding the breath: each breath you take is a breath for your baby as well, and you don’t want to interrupt the flow of oxygen to the placenta in any way.

If you would like to explore these supportive practices with more guidance, have a look at my online series Welcome to First, a 3-week pregnancy yoga series dedicated to the first trimester.

For more personalised support, don’t hesitate to get in touch to learn more and discuss your options.

Don’t let your first trimester get in the way of keeping your body moving and staying comfortable!