Won Over

Every week, I become less skeptical and more gung-ho about my prenatal yoga class. Truth be told, I was skeptical only after the first class; now that I’ve been going for a few weeks, I’m won over. First, I’m happy to be able to do yoga at all with a belly. I know there are girls who do regular yoga and Pilates almost the whole way through (I’ve seen them), but I know myself, and I’d be worried the whole time about doing something painful to my round ligament or another tender area. So a lower-stress, lower-intensity class is perfect.

Second, the yoga itself, led by a woman who teaches childbirth preparation classes at local hospitals, is supplemented by tons of information about “positive positions” for labor, specific positions you can do for specific types/stages of labor, etc. At first, I couldn’t imagine executing a yoga pose during labor. Now, I’m getting excited about trying to use what I’m learning when the time comes (assuming nothing unexpected happens, which, obviously, isn’t something I can really assume, this being childbirth). Sometimes, when we’re doing a pose like tree or warrior II, our teacher points out that, when it comes to labor, the pose isn’t good for anything except freaking out the nurses. That always strikes me as funny.

Third, the non-labor information I get from class is easily as valuable as the yoga itself. I always try to get to class early so I can talk to or listen to the other pregnant women, whether the subject is baby gear, baby development, or what have you. Most are first-time moms, so it’s nice to hear other people’s points of view.

So, prenatal yoga! And then, after October, postpartum yoga with the baby. It’s a whole new world.

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