Author Name:
Julie Krausz

Biography:
Julie first began work with Active Birth in 1982 and developed a passionate interested in birth and everything related. In 1988 – 92 she trained as an Active Birth Childbirth Educator and Yoga Teacher specialising in yoga for pregnancy and the post-natal year. She is an accredited member of YogaBirth, the Active Birth Association and Birthlight, with over 14 years teaching experience. She has lectured abroad and also incorporates her experience as a breathwork and massage therapist. Julie is the mother of two boys, both born at home in water and she has a keen interest in complementary medicine, particularly where it is relevant to pregnancy and labour. Julie currently teaches Birth Preparation in Queen’s Park NW6 and Battersea SW11, in London, where she provides holistic support to women during the childbearing year.

Article:
If you are looking for ways to stay fit and healthy during your pregnancy then joining a pregnancy yoga class will have many benefits for you. You are highly recommended to stay as active as possible during your pregnancy and yoga plus walking and swimming are generally considered the best and safest forms of exercise.
Doing yoga regularly can also help reduce many of the discomforts pregnancy may bring, such as lower back ache, leg cramps and constipation. One benefit frequently mentioned by women doing yoga is the improved night’s sleep they get after the class. A good yoga class may also incorporate advice and information on movements and positions during labour, and by practising the breathing regularly it becomes second nature, so that by the time you are giving birth it will be an effective way to help you relax.

The ideal time to start a yoga class is when the first trimester is over and you are getting your energy back. If you have already been practising yoga for some time, then make sure you listen to your body during those first 13 weeks, especially if you feel very tired. It is advisable to cut back on anything too strenuous and get plenty of rest.
Joining a class where everyone is pregnant will also give you an opportunity to get to meet other pregnant mums and this can be so important in our culture, where we may rarely meet other pregnant women and have the time to get to know them. Being able to share with other women going through the same eventful life changes is very supportive and many women are still friends years later.

Breathing is an integral part of a good yoga class. Attention to your breath while in the yoga postures helps to focus and calm the mind. Concentrating on the natural rhythm of your breathing allows your body to relax and this release of tension creates a sense of ease and wellbeing. The same focus of attention will also help you to stay centred during your labour and its very simplicity makes it wonderfully helpful during the birth process.

Some of the practical and physical benefits from doing yoga for pregnancy classes can include:

- strengthening your back and improving your posture to reduce back-ache
- stretching to improve circulation and relieve stiffness.
- improving your breathing thus bringing more oxygen to the baby
- gaining greater strength, more flexibility and improved muscle tone
- reducing tension and stiffness in your muscles and joints
- an awareness of the importance of your pelvic floor and how to strengthen it
- improved energy.

A few yoga for pregnancy teachers are also trained in Childbirth Education and may offer Birth Preparation Courses. These are a very valuable source of information for you and your partner and well worth attending if you both want to be fully informed about labour. It is also well worth attending classes on breastfeeding!


Precautions:
Try and make sure the teacher is properly trained in yoga for pregnancy. The organisations listed below have reasonable levels of training in this specialisation.

Don’t force anything or do anything that hurts. If it doesn’t feel right, miss it out.
If you feel dizzy, unwell, nauseous and yoga makes it worse – check with your midwife/doctor.
If you have any pelvic problems, such as Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, make sure the teacher knows about the symptoms and if they don’t understand the condition find another teacher.

Useful contact organisations:

YogaBirth organisation: www.yogabirth.org
All teachers fully trained, many offer Birth Preparation and Post –Natal as well.

Birthlight organisation: www.birthlight.org
Offers yoga for pregnancy, baby massage, baby yoga, aqua-natal yoga.

Active Birth Centre: www.activebirthcentre.com
Good standard of training.

British Wheel ofYoga : www.bwy.org.uk
Some teachers have done the pregnancy module.

Information on Symphysis pubis dysfunction (pain in the pubic joint):
www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk

To contact Julie Krausz for more information on her classes and workshops:
Email: julies.childbirthclasses@virgin.net