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| Hello again after a LONG absence from the forum!! (Being a full time student again has kept me pretty busy. . . I think it's much more exhausting when you're a little bit older!)
I'd like to hear some of your personal experiences with continuing to teach classes throughout pregnancy. I'm pretty comfortable with the do's/don'ts of yoga and pregnancy as I have been teaching prenatal yoga and pilates for a few years now.
I'm more interested in how you continued to handle your regular classes. I've got some beginner classes as well as some power yoga classes. The power yoga people seem perfectly fine with only verbal cueing throughout the class. Beginners, however, tend to need to see a posture or a specific alignment correction before working on it themselves. As the belly grows, the alignment for me looks different than how it should look for them.
Anyway, I wanted to share the news (and HUGE surprise
 ) of the blessed event with you folks on the forum, reconnect after a long absence, and hear some personal accoutns of teaching various types of classes during pregnancy.
(By the way, I have the blessing of my midwife to continue any/all activities that feel comfortable, within the parameters of ACOG safety guidelines. She even gave me the green light to keep up with my running if I feel so inclined. . . . which I really can't imagine even having the energy for right now!!) |
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| well, first, instead of asking a midwife--or any other person for permission--for anything during pregnancy, ask yourself for goodness sakes! you know what is best for you and your baby's body. preaching over, congratulations!
as for the rest, you could ask an experienced student or teacher-in-training to come and model for you during classes if you think that's important. it's probably the easiest way to handle the situation throughout the pregnancy. |
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| oh, and perhaps check out: lalecheleague.org and unassistedbirth.com |
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| I was going to suggest something alongs the lines that Zoebird mentioned, having a more seasoned student in the class demonstrate the moves for you. They could get to take the class for "free" and be up there with you, showing the poses.
Congratulations!
Carole
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| Thanks ladies! I did actually have to go the "use an experienced student to demonstrate" route during the first trimester. Some poses just made me feel sick or weak at first.
I have willing volunteers in most classes. I suppose I'll have to pull someone in (and work out some kind of trade) to get a "model" for my beginners.
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| If you feel too much to demonstrate in the yoga classes, you probably need to rest. Teaching is not a good idea for you now. Now I am in my six-month, I can still demonstrate all the postures of Ashtanga Primary Series without any modification. anyway, the body condition is different. You already feel sick and week in some asanas. It is not good for you. Maybe you need stop. |
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| Oh what a wondeful blessing is bestowed upon you. Fabulous. The most amazing time in a woman's life!
I am, however, a little concerned about the concept of running while carrying child.
This is alarming. I wouldn't expect a midwife to have a yogic perspective on what is appropriate for a pregnant woman. But this is a quiet time for the mother. A nurturing time. It's not a time for running or heating the body. I'm not suggesting inactivity. I'm merely suggesting that there are some energitic specifics for the first, second, and third trimester of pregnancy (from the yogic perspective) and I'd not take kindly to a running advocate (or an Ashtanga practice for that matter). |
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| Purnayoga, I tend to agree with you about respecting the different energy requirements of each trimester.
My midwife is of the philosophy that in a healthy pregnancy, the mom can continue physical activity "at or near" the level of pre-pregnancy activity (which, in my case, would include running if I chose since I was an avid runner pre-pregnancy). Although I have remained active, I certainly haven't felt it was appropriate for me to run. My personal yoga practice was REALLY toned down during the first trimester, but I have picked up the intensity a little bit in the second trimester.
Surprisingly, it's pretty common for prenatal caregivers to give the green light for runners to keep on running, with restrictions. I've known many long distance runners who kept running but just had to cut their distances down. (I personally think my knees, hips, and back are going through enough right now without the added pounding of running!) |
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| Well with the first trimester of pregnancy focusing on containment (as opposed to opening in T2 and T3) it would be tough to make a case that running assists in this containment. But that's a yogic view and ovbiously, as you say, not of the midwife ilk.
As I understand it, connective tissue is going through some pretty interesting changes relative to elasticity, which also would not bode well for running.
I'm pretty sure there are mothers who did and do lots of this sort of thing for as long as they can during pregnancy. I'm just not so sure I could advocate it with a clear conscience.
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Expert Yogi
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| I have known many runners who thought they would run through pregnancy. The reality usually is that they stop much sooner than they expected they would. Over about 30, I would think it would be really, really hard on the pelvic floor muscles, something women don't think about until they are experiencing problems later in life. I did have one pregnant student take me to task about all the modifications I was making her do. She said "I'm going to soccer practice right after this, you know!"  |
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| tourist - 2006-07-24 12:31 PM
I did have one pregnant student take me to task about all the modifications I was making her do. She said "I'm going to soccer practice right after this, you know!"
Tourist, I've observed the same thing in classes. Some women just refuse to slow down. It's very strange to me. I tell them "how" and "why" with the modifications, and urge them to follow modifications, but I know they'll just keep doing exactly what they want to anyway. It's a little frustrating at times!
BTW, I agree about the pelvic floor trauma, and I am (just a little bit) over 30. Because of that I've been incorporating more Pilates-based work into my prenatal personal practice to really focus on the deeper muscles and on the pelvic floor. For me, just taking things one day at a time, enjoying slowing down a bit, and enjoying the experience. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| I think we did a bit of over-kill on the "pregnancy is normal, not a disease" thing in the 70's. Everybody bought into the idea that women could have their babies while working the fields and just jump up and go back to work. It was a MYTH!  The women that I know who have had their children later in life have had a b*tch of a time with pelvic floor issues and things like bladder prolapse. One friend, who had 3 children and at least one miscarriage within about 5 years, starting at about 35 just had to have her whole insides reorganised because everything - EVERYthing was prolapsing. Not pleasant. There is this feeling that having children later is fine as long as you do prenatal tests for genetic disorders. Not so - it is much harder on the mother physically. And I think they will discover in the next few years that all with genetic disorders, women's health, fertility issues etc. it is generally better, safer and easier to have children before 30. Generally. My own kids are 23 and 25 and I see no reason whatsoever that either of them are ready to have kids, although I think they are in the ideal age range. Of course, this is the first generation to really take advantage of planning their families (my generation was a little half-hearted about it) so it is really a whole new ballgame. |
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| Yes but having children is expensive and many of us in our 20's are still trying to pay off student debt, pay for our studies, trying to climb the career ladder, ... It's not really viable.
Also, it kinda scares me too 
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Exactly, DD. That's where my kids are now. It will be interesting to see how it all evolves. Another issue that occurred to me the other day is that their children will have to deal with aging parents at a much younger age themselves. If mom is 40 when she has her child, the child will only be 25 when she is 65 - dad is often (especially these days with multiple marriages) much older and if that generation extends their adolescence like the current 20-somethings have done they will be emotionally very "young" to have to cope with all the various thigs that many of my friends are currently dealing with in their 50's and 60's. All quite fascinating to me. I should have been a sociologist so I could study it all |
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| Obviously we bipeds are set up to procreate earlier in life rather than later, anthropologically speaking.
What is very interesting about yoga and pregnancy is that Pattabi Jois has said "NO' ashtanga during pregnancy. And yet I am told there are often pregnant women in Ashtanga classes.
Now if Pattabi says "no Ashtanga" during pregnancy, perhaps that soccer mom might listen.
And yet again we come back to the energetics. A beautiful time in a woman's life, a time for repose, introspection, nurturing herself and therefore her fetus. And yet there's "Doer Ego", those insistent women not aware of or respecting this incredible blessing...
You can only tell them.
They will do what they do.
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Teaching throughout Pregnancy
