Can yoga balls help with childbirth?

Pregnant women belong to a relatively special group of people. Many female friends dare not do some strenuous exercise when they are pregnant. But now there is a saying that pregnant women can help the chance of natural delivery by doing some yoga exercises before giving birth. However, many friends still have some doubts about this statement and dare not try it easily. So, can yoga balls help natural delivery?

During pregnancy, many pregnant women experience swollen hands and feet. In severe cases, they may even look like a big balloon from a distance. This is because after a woman becomes pregnant, the progesterone level in her body begins to increase to help the embryo implant firmly. But progesterone also increases the concentration of sodium in the urine, which causes edema. The deformation of appearance is often difficult for beauty-conscious mothers to accept, but prenatal yoga can enhance blood circulation and metabolism in the body, reduce edema during pregnancy, and give mothers a good appearance.

The main function of yoga during pregnancy is to strengthen the pelvic muscles and increase the strength of the lower body, so that pregnant women have enough strength to support the growing belly and thus reduce the burden on the knees. Leg cramps are also caused by weight gain, which increases the burden on the calf muscles, causing painful contractions in the calf and foot muscles and leading to cramps. These discomforts can be relieved through yoga.

Pregnant women yoga can also increase cardiopulmonary function, promote blood circulation and metabolism, and reduce fatigue caused by increased oxygen demand during pregnancy and asthma caused by breathing difficulties.

Many mothers suffer from esophageal reflux or constipation because their uterus presses on the gastrointestinal tract as their baby grows in their belly. Many yoga poses for prenatal women can promote gastrointestinal motility, help with bowel movements and gas discharge, and relieve bloating and constipation problems.

The fetus is connected to the mother's blood, so proper exercise by pregnant women is also beneficial to the growth of the fetus. The enhancement of maternal blood circulation also increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, promoting the development of the fetal brain and body.

In addition to eliminating physical discomfort, yoga-based breathing management can help pregnant mothers learn how to control and slow down their breathing, and meditation can help them eliminate the stress that may be caused by pregnancy, relax their minds, and calm their emotions.

So, what are the taboos for pregnant women to do yoga?

Taboos for pregnant women to do yoga

Backbend movements. This type of movement can make the lower back, which is already under a lot of pressure, even more vulnerable. So don't do it. Even if you can do it, you can only do simple chest expansion exercises.

The action of dropping the abdomen to the ground is also absolutely not allowed.

All abdominal training movements are bad. Because pregnant women's abdominal muscles are already under great pressure, abdominal exercises will cause greater burden. It may even cause a split in the rectus abdominis, making the lower back support even worse.

Deep twisting movements should also be avoided. You can only do simple rotation of the shoulders, neck and upper chest.

Never do a handstand. Because during pregnancy, a woman's bulging abdomen has caused the chest cavity to shrink, and standing upside down will further compress the chest cavity. If you still do inversion during the third trimester, it may cause malposition of the fetus, so be careful.

Lying postures are not recommended after the second trimester because they can compress large blood vessels.

When doing breathing exercises, make full use of possible breathing space but do not emphasize abdominal breathing or overly contract the abdomen.

When standing, always remind yourself to keep your feet parallel. Avoid the outward eight standing position. This causes greater burden on the lumbar spine.

The above is an introduction on whether yoga balls can help with natural childbirth. When women are pregnant, their hormones change and they will secrete a lot of "relaxin" at normal times, making pregnant women more flexible than usual. Therefore, pregnant women must not stretch excessively when doing some exercise, as this can easily lead to strains.