Prenatal Yoga for Happy Moms and Babies

Can prenatal yoga help reduce depression during pregnancy?  A small pilot study published in Womens Health Issues (March-April 2015) demonstrated that a 10-week prenatal yoga program decreased the participants’ depression severity significantly.

This is an important preliminary study on depression during pregnancy since women may not find standard treatments for depression as acceptable during pregnancy.  Treatment of depression is especially important during pregnancy and the postpartum period.  Untreated depression in mothers can have a lasting impact on a child’s development, behavior, and long-term mental health.

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If you suffer from depression, consider yoga as part of your treatment plan.  If you are pregnant, a prenatal yoga class can help you feel better, stay conditioned, and prepare for labor and delivery.  Prenatal yoga classes also offer a special social support system for parents.

A Yoga Therapist can help you tailor yoga practice to help manage specific symptoms of depression as well as help you with other issues that may be present if you are pregnant such as nausea, constipation, back, neck and shoulder tension, hip pain, sleeplessness, and fatigue.

If you know someone who is suffering from depression, encourage them to seek out information about how yoga may be helpful as part of their treatment plan.