Postnatal Yoga: Regain Strength & Reduce Stress After Childbirth

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Benefits of Postnatal Yoga
• Postnatal Yoga Poses to Try
• Breathing & Relaxation Techniques
• Safety Tips for New Moms
• How Often Should New Moms Practice Postnatal Yoga?
• Conclusion

Congratulations on your new baby! The "fourth trimester" is a time of magic, sleepless nights, and changes in your body. It's understandable that you are focused on your baby, but taking a moment for yourself to heal is one of the best things you can do for both of you. Here is where Postnatal yoga plays a big role. It isn't just about 'getting your body back', it’s about healing from the inside out and finding peace in the beautiful chaos of being a mum.

Postnatal yoga is a type of yoga that is made just for women who have just had a baby. These classes are different from regular vinyasa flows because they focus on rebuilding the pelvic floor, closing the diastasis recti (abdominal separation), and relieving tension in the shoulders and neck that comes from feeding and carrying a newborn.

Your body is in a special state after giving birth. Relaxin, a hormone, stays in your body for several months. This makes your joints more flexible, but it also makes them more likely to get hurt. Moving with purpose instead of intensity is what "safe recovery" means. If you start doing high-impact workouts again too soon, you could have long-term problems like pelvic organ prolapse or chronic back pain. Postnatal yoga is like a bridge that helps you safely get back into shape.

Benefits of Postnatal Yoga

The benefits of stepping onto the mat after childbirth go far beyond physical toning.

1. Physical Healing: It makes the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis muscles stronger, which are often weak during pregnancy and delivery.
2. Stress Reduction: Yoga lowers cortisol levels through mindful movement, which can help with postpartum anxiety and the "baby blues."
3. Posture Correction: If you always hunch over to feed or rock a baby, you might get "nursing slouch." Yoga stretches the chest and straightens the spine.
4. Better Sleep: When your nervous system is in balance, the quality of your sleep gets better, even if you only get a few hours of it.
5. Community: Joining a postnatal class, even online, can help you feel less alone by connecting you with other moms who are going through the same thing.

Postnatal Yoga Poses to Try

Once you have the green light from your doctor (usually 6–8 weeks postpartum), starting Yoga after childbirth with these gentle poses is perfect.

1. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

It wakes up the deep core without putting pressure on the abdominal wall.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. As you exhale, gently tilt your pelvis toward your face, flattening your lower back against the mat.
3. If you feel uncomfortable or too strained, use a Yoga bolster and Yoga blanket under the hips for the support.
4. Inhale to return to a neutral spine.

2. Cat and Cow Pose (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana)

It gently massages the spine and eases tension in the middle of the back.

How to do it:

1. Cow: Breathe in as you drop your belly and look up.
2. Cat: As you round your spine like a cat, breathe out and bring your chin to your chest.
3. If you feel any pain or discomfort in your knees use knee pads for more comfort.

3. Plank with Knees Bent

It builds functional core strength without the intensity of a full plank, which can be too much for a healing abdomen.

How to do it:

1. Get on all fours.
2. Walk your hands forward until your body is in a straight line from your head to your knees.
3. If you feel any pain or discomfort in your knees use knee pads for more comfort.
4. Keep your core "zipped up."

4. Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)

It provides a deep stretch for the chest and shoulders.

How to do it:

1. Sit comfortably on a Yoga block. Reach one arm up, bend the elbow, and drop the hand behind your neck.
2. Reach the other arm behind your back and try to clasp fingers.
3. You can use belt or towel if required.

Breathing & Relaxation Techniques

In postnatal yoga, how you breathe is just as important as how you move.

1. The Diaphragmatic Breath (Belly Breathing): Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your belly expand like a balloon. Exhale slowly through your mouth. This helps "re-knit" the core muscles and calms the nervous system instantly.
2. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani): If you only have five minutes, do this. Lie on the floor with your sit-bones as close to the wall as possible, place a bolster under the hips and rest your legs vertically against it. This encourages lymphatic drainage, reduces swelling in the ankles, and provides a deep sense of relaxation.

Safety Tips for New Moms

Your body has just performed a miracle—treat it with kindness!

1. Wait for Clearance: Before you start, always wait for your 6-week (for vaginal birth) or 10-week (for C-section) check-up.  
2. Listen to Your Body: If you notice more vaginal bleeding (lochia) after working out, your body is telling you to slow down.  
3. Watch for Doming: If you see a ridge or "loaf" shape sticking out from your midline while doing a core exercise, stop right away. This is a sign of diastasis recti, so you need to lower the intensity.  
4. Hydrate Yourself: Drink enough water. If you are breastfeeding, you need a lot more water. Keep a bottle close by!  
5. Don't do Deep Twists: For the first few months, don't do deep abdominal twists or very intense backbends that stretch the stomach too much.

How Often Should New Moms Practice Postnatal Yoga?

Consistency beats intensity every time. To reap Postnatal yoga benefits, you don't need a 90-minute studio session to see results.

1. The "Micro-Practice": Try to do it for 10 to 15 minutes, three to four times a week.
2. Be flexible: On some days, your "yoga" might just be taking three deep breaths while the baby sleeps. That matters!  
3. Include the Baby: If your baby won't let you put them down, try "Mommy and Me" poses where you use the baby as a (very cute) weight or lay them on the mat in front of you while you do Cat-Cow.
   

Conclusion

Postnatal yoga for new moms is a test of patience. Some days you will feel strong, and other days you might feel like your core has completely forgotten how to work. That's totally fine. You are not just healing your body by focusing on your breath, gentle alignment, and safe recovery. You are also making a calm centre that will help you be a more present and energised mother.