A Free Guide to Yoga in Pregnancy

“It is not just the child that is born but the mother also. She never existed before”. Osho

Never is there a better time to commit to a yoga practice than during pregnancy. As you step into the unknown it’s so important to carve out some time to prepare physically, mentally and spiritually for the changes that lie ahead.

In our modern age pregnancy is an insanely noisy time as you are bombarded with information and opinion about pregnancy and birthing. With so many experts, blogs, podcasts and advice on demand it’s easy to doubt yourself and your inner knowing.

Your body is perfectly designed to have a baby and there is an innate wisdom that resides within you that will guide you there if you pause to listen.

Regular yoga practice provides a refuge to step back from the busy mind and information overload so that you can drop into a quieter space within. From here you can connect to your baby and access the quieter voice of your body that’s patiently waiting for you to connect and listen.

A prenatal yoga class with Sarah will cover breathing, physical movement and mindfulness meditation. Learning how to breathe deeply and fully is vital during pregnancy at a time of heightened emotions, anxiety and fluctuating energy levels.

Good breathing can play a vital role in managing the massive physical, emotional, mental and spiritual changes going on in your life as well as optimising energy levels, boosting immunity and helping you to focus.

The physical practice will help build strength and stamina along with embedding awareness of the pelvic floor by introducing exercises to build elasticity.

Classes are sequenced so that all of the postures are in some way a preparation for birth whether it be to ease the sensations of contractions or poses to engage your baby's head. As your practice becomes more familiar you can explore intuitively how your body likes to move and learn how to use the breath in postures to help you in labour.

Learning mindfulness and meditation techniques will be useful to soothe and prepare you emotionally at a time when sleep is erratic and fatigue takes over some days.

Resources

You can download a FREE shareable PDF of this and many other resources here and enjoy a full pregnancy yoga class with Sarah here.

Daily activities to help you in pregnancy can be found here and some info on mindfulness and birthing here.

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Sarah has been practising yoga for thirty years and teaching full time since 2011. Over this time she has developed a warm and compassionate style of teaching incorporating the therapeutic benefits of asana along with mindfulness practice. Her teachers are many and varied which is evident in her style. Sarah’s true passion in teaching is in the area of pregnancy and beyond as it makes her so happy to witness the powerful transformation of women at this time as they step into their role of motherhood.

Expect to have a lot of fun in her classes and be gently challenged with yogic philosophy and poetry woven throughout. Classes are welcoming for all trimesters.

https://www.sarahrushyoga.com

5 Things to Always Remember When Travelling and Pregnant

While pregnancy should never stop you from enjoying your holidays, it’s always helpful to stop and think about how best to handle your condition while away from home.

So, what are five things to remember when you’re travelling and pregnant?

1. Be honest about your limits

While travel has never been easier in terms of handling infrastructure, it is always important to remember that it can be gruelling for even the most able-bodied individual. Excessive walking or travel can put a strain on your body and strip some of the shine off even the most well-planned trip. Packing a well-broken in and comfortable pair of walking shoes is a must, as is choosing luggage or travel gear that is ergonomically designed and easy to carry.

If you are suffering as part of your trip, it is important to speak up about it and seek help. Suffering in silence carries its own risk and it’s better to take a rest day or check in with a doctor than risk inflaming joints or causing complications further down the line.

2. Planning gives you freedom

If you are booking in advance, remember that travel during your first and third trimesters can be a lot more challenging than during months four through to six. Taking the time to organise your travel can help you fit more into your holiday and not have to worry about complications around your pregnancy.

This can include making sure local food options are suitable, that insurance covers key trips and activities, and checking that you know where the nearest medical centre is in case of emergency. While this may sound daunting, taking the time to think about how best to schedule your holiday can make a pleasant trip into a memory you’ll treasure for a lifetime before starting the next chapter of your life.

3. Do less, enjoy more

When it comes to managing your travel while pregnant, it is important to remember that the less time you spend physically travelling, the better it can be. City or resort breaks can let you relax and unwind and minimising multiple-stop travel can help reduce the stress and strain on your body when it’s undergoing dramatic periods of change. If you do need to travel, choosing a location with a strong transport infrastructure and taking the time to plan additional time for journeys can take some of the strain out of your holiday.

4. How will it affect you?

No matter which doctor you ask, they will tell you every pregnancy is different. No-one knows your body like you and planning around unique complications can be helpful. This can involve avoiding sea travel if you suffer from heavy nausea, excessive packing or cramped travel for those with back pains, or ensuring that you bring a travel kit with you if you are at risk of blisters, injury or require specific medications.

5. Prevention is better than cure

Travelers always accrue a number of delays, setbacks, and injuries – knowing when to step and seek help from professionals or others is essential. Short term illnesses may be avoided by adhering to food hygiene rules but if illness, vomiting, or diarrhea lasts for more than a couple of days, be sure to contact your local hospital. This also goes for physical injury, or if you are feeling ‘down’ or unwell. Each pregnancy is a novel experience and anything that feels ‘out of the ordinary’ should always be checked out.

What I've Learnt

I’ve learnt that the thing I wanted most in the world is also the thing that challenges me the most whilst simultaneously bringing me huge joy.

During my first pregnancy I was so focussed on becoming a mama and it wasn’t coming easy and so I consumed my whole being with the pursuit of the 2 blue lines. From ovulation sticks, homeopathy, basal temperature monitoring, doctors appointments and googling way too much. I spent a lot of time believing it wouldn’t happen and when I allowed myself to believe I was focussing on the baby stage, it was crinkly bundle that I was visualising holding a baby in my arms not a kid with long limbs, opinions and a highly independent streak.

Mothering a 5 year old has been full of surprises at every turn. Maybe more of a surprise because I had spent so much time longing for a baby and I hadn’t dared to allow my mind to wander past this stage.

Here we are 5 years in and we’re clearly out of the true early years and things are really getting interesting. I’ve learnt that mothering a child means that I learn everyday, with you guessed it, her as my teacher.

The way she can tell you about yourself in one look, the way she is always listening, even when she looks like she isn’t and then will recite something back to you weeks later.

The way she copies you, sits in front of the mirror pretending to do her hair or make-up in the way you do and then says ‘for real’ in the response to a story, just like you do.

Or when you kiss her goodnight and she tells YOU that she ‘loves you to the moon and back’ or says ‘I’m glad I chose you to be my mummy’. Yep heart melts.

The way she holds up a mirror to everything you’ve ever thought about yourself in what you want for her and the way you examine and try to positively change the world in which she will grow-up in.

And yes whilst sometimes it can feel like pressure to get it right and being doing enough. I know there is no perfection. And most of all, that perfect is not what she needs from me, she just needs me to be me.

So as I sit here writing this, I have learnt that I’m stronger than I think, that I am infinitely more powerful than I had ever known and that I’m right where I need to be.

I wonder what the rest of mothering will bring from tween to teenager and beyond. And as my tummy expands with this 2nd pregnancy I have already learnt how different a situation can be, when you have the belief, the knowledge and the tools to trust and surrender.

Ultimately I’ve learnt that the learning never stops and that is the magic.

Umming and Ahhing About Booking Hypnobirthing Classes?

Here’s why you should jump in with both feet first!

I have many women who get in contact with me around 36 weeks of pregnancy, when they have finally finished work. I live in London and my ladies are mostly very busy and tired. They haven’t made the mental space and actual time to engage fully with their pregnancy and birth preparation.

When they get in touch I tell them, “it’s never too late to benefit from learning the practical hypnobirthing tools”. And I truly believe that. But there is only so much you can do with two weeks, or two days of practice!

What I don’t say is, that they deserve to put their baby, their new family and themselves FIRST. They deserve to take time out, to take time off. They deserve MORE.

Making time to prepare for your birth says I AM IMPORTANT.

Making time to prepare for your birth says MY BABY IS IMPORTANT.

Making time to prepare for your birth says MY FAMILY IS IMPORTANT.

And having a baby changes EVERYTHING. To keep your family unit together, strong, healthy and happy YOU have to change. You have to start putting yourself first.

If you start putting yourself first during pregnancy, you are forming the habits which will serve your family for life. Take time for a daily stroll. Go to yoga. Read a book, yes a real book! Pay to see an osteopath. Have a pregnancy massage. Slow down.

If you are thinking about hypnobirthing classes, stop thinking and invest in yourself. You and your baby deserve the best start you can get. So don't hesitate and book early!

Motherhood. No Thank You!

I’ve noticed something funny going on in my circle of female friends. These women are powerful and majestic. These women are on inspiring life journeys. These women I love.

These women are really, really, really putting off birthing their babies. And by putting off I mean, there isn’t even a twinkle in their eye! In fact they are actively recoiling away from motherhood. And that’s the thing, it’s not that they are afraid of pregnancy and birth. No. That’s not it at all. They are reluctant to embark on that big, transformational voyage into the unknown. Into Motherhood. Motherhood has become the elephant in the room as the clock ticks through their thirties.

And I’ve been thinking about that lately, about why they want to delay? Why they want to soak up every last minute of decadent childlessness? Why they don’t want to diverge off their own singular path. Why they aren’t ready to give up the capricious freedoms. And I’ve answered my own question in three sentences.

Hmmm. This isn’t going how I had planned…

So what is it that I really want to say to all those magnificent women out there? The ones who think about having children and feel intrepidation. The ones who develop a cold sweat when they come with me to do the school run. You know who you are!!

I want to say this.

Motherhood is like opening up a room in your mind that you never knew was there. Motherhood is like the universe expands. Motherhood is like jumping off a bridge and finding you have wings.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

I’d love to hear your biggest, most beautiful surprise about motherhood, please comment below x

5 Tips for Positive Birth

Being a dreamy 25 year old student I went for the stereotypical hippy option, a pain-relief free homebirth on the living room floor. Using hypnobirthing breathing techniques and plenty of youthful naivety I had an incredibly powerful and positive birth experience. It put me on the road to where I am now, somewhat older, slightly wiser and considerably more grounded. What I learned from giving birth is that women are shape-shifting superheroes and are much tougher than we seem! Our bodies completely transform in birth and open up like blooming technicolour flowers.

These days I am a midwife working in a busy South London birth centre and a hypnobirthing teacher. I love my work passionately and feel lucky to have found what feels like a calling, something I never imagined I would find. A large part of my job is preparing parents and especially first time mums for their births. Now if you have had a baby or been with a birthing woman you will have your own take on what birth is, how it feels and what advice you will give to your friends when it’s their turn. From what I’ve seen every woman will have a strikingly individual experience and what would be a heavenly natural homebirth for one can be painful and traumatic for another.

Here are my TOP FIVE TIPS to have a positive birth experience, no matter which way you decide to birth your baby:

1. I’ve noticed that the women who stay active in their pregnancies tend to have easier births and quicker recoveries. This seems pretty obvious - of course if you are fit and healthy your body will work more efficiently. But this isn’t so easy when you are nine weeks pregnant with raging morning sickness that lasts all day and all you want to do is lie on the sofa with your duvet eating malted milk biscuits! When you get to your second trimester and have a little more energy get active again. Walking, swimming, pregnancy yoga and pilates are all fantastic.

2. Stay relaxed. Easier said than done when you have a two year old causing all kinds of crazy in the kitchen cupboards! Especially now that she has just figured out how to climb up and open the ones you didn’t think you would need to child proof. If you already have little people who need your constant attention, relaxation may mean you take ten minutes out at the end of the day to lie down quietly and do some breathing. Or find an obliging chap to give you a good long foot rub. Make time for yourself you deserve it!

3. Many of the women I see are very anxious and fearful about birth and pain. They are often very well informed and have definitely watched plenty of ‘One Born Every Minute’. To a certain extent you can choose what you fill your life up with so immerse yourselves with healthy, happy birth. Watch some beautiful water births on YouTube, talk to your friends who have had good experiences and read anything by Sheila Kitzinger, Ina-May Gaskin or Michel Odent.

4. These days most women will make a birth plan, a long wish list cherry picking all the best bits. I think it’s great to be well informed and know what you want! I have also noticed that from time to time babies don’t read the plan and have ideas of their own. How dare they! I recommend that you also write a ‘birth tweet’ (not that this should be published of course). A tweet has space for only 140 characters which is about two sentences. This enables you to condense down the essence of what is really important to you. This would be mine ‘We want our baby to be born in a calm, peaceful and loving environment’. Give it a go!

5. Can you guess my last top tip? Of course it’s hypnobirth. Having supported hundreds of birthing women and used hypnobirthing myself I know how well it works. Hypnobirthing provides the knowledge and understanding of normal birth, combined with relaxation techniques to keep you calm and in control no matter what happens. I have supported a couple who used hypnobirthing during an elective caesarian, the calmest I have ever attended!

Once you have had a baby you may suddenly realise how epic every woman who has ever gone before you really is. Something that your children may also realise about you when they finally grow up and stop climbing up the kitchen cupboards!