Is it ok to do Yoga when pregnant even during the first trimester?
Yoga — with modifications — is a wonderful activity for most pregnant women. Please advise your girlfriend to check with her physician that yoga is appropriate for her. If your girlfriend is cleared to begin/continue a yoga practice during her pregnancy, there are several things she should take into consideration: 1. If your girlfriend was not practicing yoga regularly prior to her pregnancy, it is advisable that she not begin a new practice during weeks 11 to 14 of her pregnancy. (This is due to an increased risk of miscarriage during these weeks which may be exacerbated by the commencement of new physical exercise activities at this time.) 2. Pregnant women produce a hormone called relaxin which helps to stretch and relax the pelvis to make room for the baby. It also works on connective tissue elsewhere in the body. Pregnant women must take special care to practice GENTLE stretching as it is easy for them to overstretch and strain muscles during this time. 3. The growing baby needs
