Pregnancy is the process whereby the life of a baby begins within the mother's womb and progresses up to the stage when it is safe to expose the baby to the outside world. Pregnancy brings extensive change in a women's life. Pregnancy is a very precious and important event in a woman's life where the complete care of both mother and child is utmost important. Prenatal care, even before planning pregnancy, helps in safe conception as well as delivery of a healthy infant and prevents the complications of pregnancy. From the moment of conception, the mother’s body begins to transform in many ways to accommodate the new life nurturing within her. As the baby grows and develops, mothers need to adjust both physically and emotionally. Pregnancy related discomforts due to anatomical and physiological changes can be stressful to women. They have to understand and recognise that these symptoms in motherhood stage are temporary and that there are ways to cope up them. Failing to understand this basic fact may affect the development of the fetus and henceforth the total health of the child. During The later stages of pregnancy, a mother has to prepare for labor and childbirth. And after the baby arrives, a mother has to begin the transition to life as a parent of the newborn.
Mother plays a major role in shaping the family, society and the nation. Health of mothers is important as they have several responsibilities both at social and domestic fronts. She has to perform multiple activities in the kitchen, home, office and thus the health of women is of prime consideration.
Simple steps like regular medical check-up, regular exercise, healthy eating can be helpful for mothers in maintaining good health. Apart from biological intervention, social and psychological support is equally important. At this juncture, Yoga is recognized as one of the effective systems of healthcare to manage the motherhood problems.
Women's health during pregnancy also includes prevention of obesity, which also helps to avoid problems like cardiac diseases, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep disturbances, infectious diseases, malnutrition etc. Females experience more episodes of illness than males and are less likely to receive medical treatment. Nutritional status of women and girls is compromised by unequal access to food, heavy work demand (mental and physical), special nutritional need (such as iron, calcium); Thus, females are more susceptible to illness. Especially, the poor women are trapped in vicious cycle of ill-health, exacerbated by child bearing and hard physical labor. Women's health is bound up with social, cultural and economic factor that influence all aspect of their lives and consequences are born by women themselves.
Pregnancy experiences crucial state of changes in a women's physical, mental and emotional levels as they face different kind of problems at this stage like mental irritation, distress, vomiting, nausea, lower backache and so on. A sound positive effect upon baby may be seen with the baby if mother undergoes regular Yogic practices.
Objectives of Yoga for Pregnancy:
1. To make awareness about certain Yogic practices during pregnancy.
2. To overcome the complications occurring in pregnancy.
3. To disseminate the knowledge and understanding of Yogic diet and lifestyle in
pregnancy.
Need of Yoga during Pregnancy
During pregnancy period body undergo various changes, which create stress on mental as well as physical levels. Yoga practices help to maintain a healthy mind and body in pregnancy. Yogic practices for pregnant women, to increase strength, flexibility and endurance of pelvic floor muscles needed for childbirth. It also helps to develop proper breathing and more comfortable labor. Yogic practices help to:
1. Reduces stress level.
2. Improves the quality of sleep.
3. Increases the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles around the pelvic region.
4. Decreases lower back pain.
5. Decreases nausea.
6. Decreases carpal tunnel syndrome.
7. Decreases headaches.
8. Reduces risk of preterm labor.
9. Lower risk of intrauterine growth restriction (condition that slows the baby’s growth).
