Yoga for Birth Spring Course
Gentle practices for pregnancy pain relief!
Pregnancy Yoga in Macau
My classes will help improve your confidence in your ability to give birth
Why yoga in pregnancy is so beneficial
Prenatal or pregnancy yoga supports your body to stay active in a safe way during pregnancy, it is in fact highly recommended when you’re expecting a baby. Additionally, practicing prenatal yoga also helps to alleviate aches and pains, very common during this period, especially in the shoulders, lower back, hips, and thighs. A study has found that regular yoga practice during the second and third trimesters can improve substantially the well-being of moms to be, by reducing a variety of physical discomforts, including varicose veins and ankle swelling.
But apart from the physical postures, yoga has plenty to offer. If you are experiencing feelings of anxiety, fear, and worry, yoga provides coping strategies to ease these complaints. Guided relaxation, meditation, and breathing techniques to calm the mind are among the practices that are normally incorporated into a yoga class to promote emotional balance. If you’re calm and relaxed, you’re allowing yourself to enjoy this precious moment in your life, and you’re also generating a healthy environment for your baby to develop.
Mindfulness practices such as meditation in pregnancy help reduce anxiety,
depression, and improve your sleeping quality.
Understanding Fetal Positioning and how it can shorten labor
Optimal Fetal Positioning (OFP) is a theory developed by a midwife, Jean Sutton, and Pauline Scott, an antenatal teacher, found that the mother's position and movement could influence how her baby lay in the womb in the final weeks of pregnancy.
Many long and difficult labors result from malpresentation, where the baby's position makes it hard for the head to move through the pelvis, so changing the way the baby lies could make birth easier and faster for mother and child.
The occiput anterior position is ideal for birth - it means that the baby is lined up to fit through the mother’s pelvis as easily as possible. The baby is head down, facing mom’s back, with his back on one side of the front of her belly. In this position, the baby's head can easily flex, allowing his chin to be tucked into his chest so that the smallest part of his head will enter the cervix first. This optimal position is known as Left Occiput Anterior or LOA.
Daily movement can create room for baby’s best birth position
Some specific yoga poses and movements give baby room to move so he/she can rotate into the ideal position for birth.
These poses will open up space so baby can move without restriction in the pelvis, and release tension and tightness in muscles, ligaments, soft tissues, and joints, especially during the third trimester to enable a shorter and easier birth experience at the term of pregnancy. It can be achieved naturally through regular yoga practice and attention to good maternal positioning in daily life.
Prenatal Yoga Course
WHAT TO EXPECT
-
Practice suitable and safe yoga poses to support your changing body.
-
Gain self-confidence and understand the development of your pregnancy.
-
Learn tools like meditation and visualization to help you cope with physical and emotional changes.
-
Learn how to create room for baby's best position for birth.
-
Breathing techniques to cope better with labor pain.
-
Pelvic Floor strengthening exercises
-
Enjoy a long Savasana with a guided relaxation to nurture yourself.
-
Connect with your growing baby through guided meditation.
-
Reduce back and leg pain.
-
Gain understanding of useful childbirth education information.
-
Small groups, customized attention, meet like-minded moms-to-be.
REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
-
Start Yoga after 14 weeks pregnant.
-
Your doctor’s written consent.
Couples Preparation For Birth private session
The couples session is an opportunity for expectant parents to prepare for the big day as a team. Gaining self-knowledge with your partner about how your body works will strengthen your bond and build confidence to meet the challenges that might arise during labor.
The two-hour private couple session with Margarida Luz will be tailored to meet your specific needs. The session is offered face-to-face in Taipa, Macau, or online via Zoom.
In this session, you will:
-
Practice how to properly breathe in labor
-
Master proven coping practices to meet the challenges
-
Learn the specific ways partners can best support moms in labor: massage techniques and holding space
-
Know the roles of the partner
-
Understand the pre-signs that labor starts and how to measure the contractions
-
Replace fear and anxiety with knowledge
-
Practice active birthing positions with your partner to bring comfort during the stages of labor
When you experience the affection, attention and touch of your partner during the long hours of labor, you will easily be more relaxed and surrender to the process. Your baby will definitely benefit from it.
“My husband and I took the private session with Margarida, and we found it very informative, engaging, and empowering. The class gave us a real sense of the practical side of things, different breathing techniques, and positions from early labor to birth. She gave clear instructions on how to work with my partner through every stage of the process and the togetherness and relaxation we felt during the session was great. I would definitely recommend Margarida, she is very professional and reassuring in the whole process with tools that work wonders even in a very short time.”
ARAI SILVA
@yogapregnancymacau