The postpartum period is an important time in the life of a woman who has given birth, and it comes with both pleasures and difficulties. Yoga can be a very useful practice during this period, as it does not cause any harm and helps with healing and health improvement.
Physical Recovery
•Strengthening Core Muscles
It is important to note that pregnancy and childbirth put a strong stress on the abdominal muscles of a woman. The abdominal and pelvic muscles take a lot of strain during pregnancy, and new mothers will greatly benefit from regaining muscle strength in these areas. Some effective stretches are the pelvic tilt and the gentle abdominal crunches. For example, pelvic tilts entail lying on the back with the knees bent and the feet flat on the floor. Inhale through the nose and while blowing out the air, new moms can gently tilt the pelvis up making the back flat, which will help in strengthening pelvic and lower back muscles.
*Check with your physiotherapist about diastasis recti before starting abdominal crunches
• Improving Posture and Flexibility
Pregnancy as well as carrying and nursing a baby puts pressure on back and shoulder muscles. This discomfort can be reduced by practicing yoga, and some of the suggested poses include the cat-cow stretch. The cat-cow stretch enhances the spine’s flexibility while decreasing the back muscles’ tightness. Moreover, mild stretching in yoga also helps to relax the muscles and increase flexibility hence providing support in the healing process.
Mental and Emotional Well-being
Postpartum yoga can be a powerful tool for promoting mental and emotional well-being in new mothers. The practice incorporates deep breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques, which are proven to reduce stress and anxiety. This newfound relaxation can make a significant difference in a new mother’s ability to handle everyday challenges.
Furthermore, yoga has been shown to improve mood and combat symptoms of depression and anxiety, both of which are common during the postpartum period. By combining physical movement, focused attention, and deep breathing, yoga can create positive shifts in mental health. In addition to the benefits it offers to babies, yoga provides much-needed emotional support for many new mothers, helping them not only care for their little ones but also prioritize their own well-being.
Specific Poses and Practices
• Pelvic Tilts and Bridge Pose
Pelvic tilts are done while on the back with knees flexed, the pelvic is tilted up as one exhales. This aids in toning the muscles of the pelvic region and the lower back. The bridge pose is done by lying on the back with knees bent and then lifting the hips hence exercising the glutes, lower back, and core muscles.
• Seated Forward Bend and Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
The seated forward bend is done by sitting with the legs stretched forward and the hands touching the feet while bending forward to ease tension on the lower back and the hamstrings. The mother lies on her back and pulls her legs up toward a wall; it is a restorative position that can help alleviate anxiety, fluid retention, and proper blood circulation.
Yoga provides numerous physical, psychological, and social benefits for new mothers during the postpartum period; it assists with physical recovery after childbirth, improves their moods and emotions, and enriches the relationship between mother and child. Some of the techniques that are critical during the postnatal period include pelvic tilts, cat-cow stretch, and deep breathing hence, by practicing the protocol, new mothers can overcome many of the difficulties and problems that come with the process of motherhood and birth. By integrating yoga into a mother’s and child’s daily regimen, improved health, well-being, and overall quality of life might not be far-fetched at all.
Shared by : Dr. Swathi Reddy (PT), Consultant Physiotherapist and certified diet counsellor, and MIAP, Motherhood Hospitals, Bengaluru
