Being calm and relaxed helps with many things in life. Learning deep relaxation and breathing techniques through regular practice can help to shorten the length of your labour and reduce the sensations of pain.

Yoga can benefit you and your baby right through your pregnancy...

Movements and postures

• Encourage your baby into the best position for birth for a gentler, quicker and more comfortable birth 
• Help to keep your body in healthy alignment - particularly your spine which supports and lifts your uterus
• Movements to relieve specific problems like heartburn, back pain and swollen ankles during your pregnancy
• Healthily tone and stretch pelvic ligaments, encouraging elasticity for birth which can reduce tearing

Breathing techniques

• Help you breathe effectively through each stage of labour, making contractions more effective and keeping oxygen supplied to your baby throughout labour
• Help you to relax and sleep
• Bring your awareness into your pelvis and learn how to release
• Encourage full breathing, easing pressure on your heart and stabilising your blood pressure
• Tone your uterus, helping you to relax and contract effectively throughout labour
• Deeply learn breathing techniques so they become 'second nature' when you need them

Relaxation techniques

• Relieve pain during labour, so there is less need for pain medication
• Shorten your labour
• Less chance of intervention during labour
• Nurture and nourish you and your baby
• Reduce stress and tension, particularly the fear of birth which can inhibit labour, or stop its progress.
• Help to keep blood pressure normal
• Prepare for the birth and feel physically, mentally and emotionally rested

 There is nothing in the caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly

Richard Buckminster Fuller

"I told the midwife I had been doing yoga and she said that must be why I was so calm! And she continued to tell all the other midwives how calm I was. So I think the yoga must have really helped."

Lucy