Catherine Stefanie Jordan: 09/01/2014

First Flutters

Usually between 16 and 22 weeks for first-time moms. They will not feel like real kicks or jabs just yet, since baby still has plenty of room to move around. Early movements are very gentle and subtle. You may only notice them if you are sitting or lying quietly. They are also harder to discern if you are overweight or your placenta is anterior (on the front of your uterus, near the stomach). Plus, these early kicks can be infrequent. You might feel something tomorrow and then nothing for a few days. By the time you hit your third trimester, baby's moves may be more predictable. He will usually be most active right when you are trying to go to sleep.

The feeling when I first experienced the flutters is indescribable, towards the end of 19 weeks. I attribute the late notice due to the layers of fats I have. It was the evening I came back from the detailed scan, confirming the gender of our baby boy. I was lying in bed and felt little waves beneath the bump. Got me all excited and told dear about the little one's movements. That was the one and only for the day. With each passing week, the flutters became more frequent and obvious. At 23 weeks, I can feel baby on a daily basis and believe at times it was baby's hiccups that I felt, regular pulsing at one particular spot. It is such great joy to lie in bed everyday after I get off work, to connect with my boy and feel him responding to me by kicking or jabbing. There are times when the movements are too great or at the wrong positions which may cause discomfort, but I am glad to be assured in this way of his well-being and existence despite the pain he caused. It worries me when there is lesser or no movements during the day that it is relieving to have him turning and kicking constantly just when I am about to turn in at night.

Pre-Natal Yoga

Hot yoga is my only form of regular exercise since 2009, at least once a week. I would highly recommend it to friends who want to lose weight or keep in shape. It was really hard for me knowing that I could no longer go for hot classes during pregnancy as it can cause dangerous overheating. First trimester was extremely unhealthy for me as pre-natal classes are recommended from second trimester and did not want to risk going for normal yoga classes, going into poses that I am not supposed to. So glad when I reached 16 weeks pregnancy and started going back to my once a week yoga routine. Resumed my membership with True Yoga which I suspended upon confirming my pregnancy. They have 2 pre-natal classes every weekend at Pacific Plaza, Sat / Sun 12:00-01:00pm, conducted by Jane.

Pre-natal yoga is a safe form of yoga that helps to improve the general flexibility of the body and to strengthen the pelvic muscles, which is the core muscle used during delivery. It improves blood circulation in the body and also stimulates the organs and glands. This helps to reduce high blood pressure, which some expectant mothers may experience during pregnancy.

Benefits

When paired with a cardiovascular exercise such as walking, yoga can be an ideal way to stay in shape during your pregnancy. It keeps you limber, tones your muscles, and improves your balance and circulation, with little, if any, impact on your joints.

Swelling and inflammation is caused by water retention and decreased blood circulation. Since yoga helps promote blood circulation, it is effective at preventing and reducing the common swelling of the ankles, feet and hands during pregnancy.

Lower back pain is a common complaint during pregnancy. Regular prenatal yoga practice stretches the muscles of the lower back and strengthens these muscles and the spine. This reduces muscular tension and improves posture which alleviates the back pain.

To adjust to the physical demands of the pregnancy, birth and motherhood, yoga provides the mother’s body with physical and emotional stress relief throughout the pregnancy. Achieving a more balanced hormonal system, pregnant mothers can maintain a greater sense of well being through breathing and relaxation exercises that calm both the body and mind.

Provides natural relief from common pregnancy discomforts with no external application of medication.

Mothers who practise pre-natal yoga also learn various breathing techniques which help them relax. This is vital for expectant mothers as the process of pregnancy may be rather stressful for the mind and body, especially when her hormonal patterns may be irregular, causing her to suffer from mood swings. Pre-natal yoga postures and breathing techniques will help expectant mothers to relax, and indirectly, helps the foetus to relax since mother and child are so intimately connected. The right breathing techniques also makes sure that the foetus gets complete oxygen flow.

The breathing technique known as ujjayi requires you to take in air slowly through your nose, filling your lungs, and exhale completely until your stomach compresses. This will come in handy as you face the physical demands of labor, birth, and motherhood. Learning how to do ujjayi breathing primes you for labor and childbirth by training you to stay calm when you need it most. When you're in pain or afraid, your body produces adrenalin and may produce less oxytocin, a hormone that makes labor progress. A regular yoga practice will help you fight the urge to tighten up when you feel pain, and show you how to relax instead.

Pre-natal yoga helps the foetus to develop healthily as different yoga postures help the expectant mother to stretch her body, and thus, preparing the expectant mother’s body for the labor process.

Tips

With regards to pre-natal yoga, mothers-to-be must take care to avoid certain yoga postures, especially those that are strenuous, or those which may affect the abdominal region. Pregnant ladies are advised to do the exercises to the best of their ability and not to over-strain themselves. If they find difficulty in doing the postures, they can use the various props to assist them, such as the pillows, straps, blocks and chairs. It is also advised that they do the postures slowly, without sudden jerks as they might hurt themselves. Avoid lying flat on the back, to keep blood flowing properly to the uterus. Lying on the back can put pressure on inferior vena cava, the vein that returns blood from the legs to the heart, which can cause dizziness, shortness of breath, and nausea.

Do not attempt to do a headstand or shoulder stand and skip positions that stretch the abdominal muscles too much, such as deep forward and back bends as well as deep twists. Bring in a bottle of water during class to hydrate yourself.

Best Poses for Pregnancy

Cobbler's or Tailor's pose (baddha konasana) : Helps open the pelvis. Make sure your "sit bones" are well grounded on the mat or blanket (gently pulling the flesh on each side of your bottom out a bit will help you find the right position). Place pillows or rolled-up towels under your knees to avoid hyper-extension of your hips.

Sit up straight against a wall with the soles of your feet touching each other.
Gently press your knees down and away from each other, but don't force them apart.
Stay in this position for as long as you're comfortable.

Pelvic tilt or Cat-Cow : Relieve back pain, a common problem during pregnancy.

Get on your hands and knees, arms shoulder-width apart and knees hip-width apart, keeping your arms straight, but not locking the elbows.
Tuck your buttocks under and round your back as you breathe in.
Relax your back into a neutral position as you breathe out.
Repeat at your own pace.

Squatting : Relax and open the pelvis and strengthen the upper legs. As you start to feel heavier in pregnancy, use props such as yoga blocks or a few stacked books on which to rest your bottom. Focus on relaxing and letting your breath drop deeply into your belly.

Stand facing the back of a chair with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed outward. Hold the back of the chair for support.
Contract your abdominal muscles, lift your chest, and relax your shoulders. Then lower yourtailbone toward the floor as though you were going to sit down on a chair. Find your balance — most of your weight should be toward your heels.
Take a deep breath and, exhaling, push into your legs to rise to a standing position.

Side-lying position : Good resting pose for the end of a practice.

Lie on your left or right side with your head resting on your arm or a blanket.
Put a body pillow or blanket roll between your thighs to give your hips some support.

Other good poses during pregnancy :

Try the standing postures Warrior I (virabhadrasana I), Warrior II (virabhadrasana II), and Tree (vrksasana). These poses help strengthen your joints and improve your balance. Warrior poses can also ease backache and sciatica.

Downward-Facing Dog (adho mukha vrksanasana) can energize your whole body, but it is best not to do this position in your third trimester. Your yoga instructor may recommend variations on any of these classic poses.