How to modify your yoga practice in the 2nd trimester

In our last blog post we talked about ways you could modify your yoga practice in the first trimester to help account for some of those common aches, pains and discomforts that arise. As we look to the 2nd trimester, many folks consider this to be the honeymoon period. And for many people it feels that way...especially if they have experience nausea, morning sickness and exhaustion in the 1st trimester. That doesn't mean, however that the 2nd trimester is without its own new range of fun experiences to be had in the body. Here are some of the most common 2nd trimester complaints and how to modify your yoga practice to adjust for them:

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Gastro-Intestinal Slowing, Heartburn, and Indigestion
For many pregnant folks. the second trimester is when a lot of issues around eating start to arise. Due to the expanding of uterus, high levels of progesterone ad lower HCI and Pepcin and the relaxing of sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus due to relaxin we experience all sorts of fun things like heart burn, indigestion and a general slowing of our gastro-intestinal system. For many folks. this gets continuously worse throughout the duration of their pregnancy so start making adjustments now as you know you'll need them throughout. Here's what to avoid in your practice:

• Avoid poses like downward dog where head is below the stomach which can trigger heart burn.

Lightheadedness/Dizziness
Because the blood volume increases during pregnancy up to 40 – 60% by week 28, combined with a corresponding 10-15% increase in heart rate, lighteheadedness and dizziness are common to many pregnant folks. In a a physical practice that relies heavily on balance, here's what to do to modify your yoga practice:

• Rest if you get dizzy and it doesn’t pass (child's pose is a great option!).
• Come to standing slowly,  sometimes coming up on an exhale will help.
• Avoid a lot of ups/downs in class.

Congestion
Because of the increase in progesterone and the increased blood flow to mucus membranes many pregnant folks report general nasal congestion in their pregnancy. This condition is known as pregnancy rhinitis. While there's not a specific yoga practice you can do to help with this, there is a practice that is part of the overall practice of Ayruveda, the sister science of yoga which can be helpful:

• Neti pot (first time with a neti pot? here' s a great how to).

Sacral Pain
Because of relaxin’s (this the super handy hormone that helps to soften tendons and ligaments which helps prepare the pelvis and hips to open for the birth of baby but can also put our joints and ligaments in a precarious place during our pregnancy) effect on the SI joint, which can cause it to loosen and become less stable pregnant folks will often find increased pain around their SI joint. Also at this point in pregnancy we may begin to notice postural shifts in the low back due to increased load of baby which will also increase this pain. Here are some ways to modify your practice to address the sacral pain you experience:

• Be mindful of one legged poses:
  • Opposite limb extension: rather than lifting the extended leg off the floor, you might choose to keep foot on floor or bring focus to squaring pelvis to the floor if lifted
  • Balance poses: may hurt on one side, but not the other, only do the side that doesn’t hurt.
  • "Regular" yoga classes will often cue squaring the hips in Warrior I, this can aggravate sacral pain. Let the hips remain as open as they need to be to keep the sacrum happy.

Low back pain
You may recall this from the first trimester, and lucky us! It carries through in the 2nd (and 3rd trimester). In the second trimester, the change in the body’s posture as baby grows bigger often aggravates the low back. In addition, our friend relaxin loosens the supporting ligaments and tendons around the pelvis which can also cause the back to work harder. On top of this, the loss of abdominal support in the front keeps us from supporting our low back. Here's what to do:

• Revisit the poses from the 1st trimester.
• Work on retruiting more front body support when baby’s weight is pulling on the back:
  • For example, in hands and knees, imagine hugging baby toward the spine, this will recruit obliques which will provide support for the pull of baby toward the floor.

Muscle cramps (legs especially)  
Due to the increased weight of pregnancy which puts pressure on the legs plus the decreased blood flow to the legs (and for some folks nutritional deficiencies as well). Some pregnant folks experience muscle cramping, particularly in the calves .For some folks this shows up after exercise, when they're dehydrated and for many folks this shows up at night. Nothing like jumping out of bed with a debilitating calf cramp and then trying to get back to sleep! Here's how yoga can help:

• Calf stretches: start in hands and knees and extend one leg straight behind with the toes tucked. Push weight into the heel.
• Pedal the feet in downward dog.
• Avoid pointing the toes in poses as this can trigger cramping.