Plan your pregnancy in the RIGHT way!

You must have heard how yoga is beneficial for pregnant women. As per a study, yoga eases pregnancy symptoms, creates more space in the pelvis, relieves tension in the birth canal, and relaxes the mind. Regular practice of yoga prepares you psychologically and physically for childbirth. 

Ever thought, do all yoga poses offer the same advantages? Also, the body’s requirement changes with different stages of pregnancy. In the second trimester, the centre of gravity starts shifting towards the right, so you should avoid poses that cause unnecessary pressure on the abdomen. So, you should be mindful about what yoga poses you should do and what poses should be avoided. 

Yoga Poses To Avoid In The Second Trimester

You should avoid yoga poses that reduce blood circulation to the uterus, stretch muscles too much, and creates undue pressure on the abdomen. Here are yoga poses to avoid in the second trimester:

• Belly-Down Poses: Yoga poses that include lying down on the stomach, such as  Bujangasana (Cobra pose) or salabhasana (locust pose), create unnecessary pressure on the baby. 
• Back lying Poses: After the 20th week of pregnancy, the baby and uterus grow. Poses that include lying on your back for more than 90 seconds, such as savasana (corpse pose), create pressure on the vein that carries blood from the lower body to the heart. It can also lower your blood pressure. 
• Core Exercises: Poses such as navasana (boat pose) and those compressing the abdomen should be avoided. You can do safe core exercises under the guidance of a yoga instructor.
• Extreme Backbend: Poses such as urdhva dhanurasana or chakrasana(full wheel pose) can cause overstretching of the back, leading to diastasis. 
• Extreme Frontbend: Poses such as matsyasana (fish pose) stretches abdomen and neck muscles. As the belly grows in the second trimester, the ligaments of the abdomen stretch. This pose further stretches them and can cause ligament pull.