Pregnancy Yoga.
But with a difference.
Hello & Flow Pregnancy
It sounds cliché, but my pregnancy yoga classes are so much more than just a yoga class.
Expect safe movement teamed with birth preparation and connection with other mums-to-be all in a relaxing environment giving you the chance to unwind.
I do everything in my power to prepare you with tips/tools to help you through your birth - these include breathing techniques, positions, advice, visualisation, relaxations and many others too. Every week finishes with a specific pregnancy/birth related discussion or talk too. These cover anything from how the uterus works, to birth biomechanics, elements of hypnobirthing, to tips to sleep better, the forth trimester, how to get baby in a good position, how to learn to trust your body, positioning ideas for labour, epidurals, preparing for c-section births and inductions the list goes on!
Prepare for birth
Meet other mums to be.
I know that having a group of other mums going through the same thing makes everything better. This can be during pregnancy, in the newborn days - or once they get to toddlerhood and beyond!
I know - because I've been there. (Still am!) To have someone there that just 'gets it', that understands and can relate, that you can just 'be' with in whatever form that takes. It validates what you're feeling, makes you feel more human and lights you up from the inside.
This is why all my classes include a chance for a natter, a designated time to chat to the other mums-to-be around you (but not in cringe small talk kind of way!) Each pregnancy yoga class has its own class WhatsApp group too so that you can all connect and share stories along the way, Another important thing is that my pregnancy yoga classes are all booked as block bookings to help everyone feel comfortable and a nice community feel to build throughout the classes.
All of this is designed to help you connect and create your little mum tribe to build you up when you need it most.
Fill up with positivity.
I do everything I can to boost your confidence going into birth. Each class is filled with tonnes of wisdom and positivity to equip and empower you to hopefully have the most wonderful positive birth, however that may look to you - csections/hospital births/inductions/home births all included! I am a firm believer that knowledge and confidence is power. I follow up with links and connections to resources and local experts so you can delve deeper and get more personalised support if you need it. Think perinatal specialist physiotherapists, hypnobirthing instructors, doulas, pregnancy massage, perinatal mental health teams, independent midwives, lactation consultants, tongue tie specialists, chiropractors, osteopaths - the list goes on.
Relaxed Atmosphere
I work really hard to ensure each and every one of you feel as relaxed as possible during my classes, the atmosphere is very low key and we always have a giggle at some point. You DO NOT need to have done yoga before - the vast majority of ladies coming are very new to it too. Being a slightly sweary mum of 2 who likes her wine - I am far from your stereotypical hippie, super bendy pretzel of a yoga instructor! Please do not worry if you’ve never set foot in a yoga class before - or if you're not flexible at all! My Hello and Flow yoga classes are so easy to follow and achievable from wherever you are at.
What to Expect
Breathe & Move
Each class features breathing techniques and yoga postures safely designed to help you navigate your way through pregnancy and birth. The postures are straightforward and easy to follow with adaptations for different stages/abilities.
Based on my Yogabellies pregnancy yoga focused yoga teaching qualification, pregnancy corrective exercise specialist and birth biomechanics training - the postures/movements are all aimed at helping your body manage the changes it is going through, helping you ease aches and pains along the way, whist preparing you for labour and birth, but beyond this too into your postnatal recovery.
Common pregnancy challenges like pelvic girdle pain, a low lying placenta, carpal tunnel, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, sciatica are all understood and catered for.
The pregnancy yoga breaths are fantastic tools you can use during birth whether you have an induction/cesarean/assisted/home/water - however it looks!
Relax
Everything about this class is designed to help you find a little piece of calm during a sometimes otherwise overwhelming time.
Expect beautifully laid out rooms with fairy lights, candles and essential oils in the air to help you feel at ease as soon as you arrive. You’ll experience easy to follow breathing and gentle flowing yoga also teamed with your breath to help calm your nervous system, and gorgeous guided relaxations at the end of every class to really help you switch off and unwind.
My classes are also booked in blocks to allow everyone to get comfortable in the space and a nice community feel to build in the room. You get a chance to share and chat, realising that what you’re experiencing is not unusual and you’re not alone in feeling a certain way. Crazy pregnancy dreams, random emotional outbursts, insomnia, swollen ankles, constant tiredness, anxiety, being overwhelmed by buggy/carrier/car seat choice, unsettled toddlers at home are just a few examples of such things!
Prepare
At the end of class I spend a few minutes discussing a topic surrounding pregnancy/birth/motherhood. This is all aimed to help arm you with the knowledge and confidence to give you the best chance of having an empowering and positive experience.
Nuggets of additional info are peppered throughout classes too so I can cover as much as possible.
We cover practical things like preparing for the postnatal ward, things you can control when having a csection, how to prepare for an induction but also more physiological things, like how to push baby out to protect your pelvic floor, how your uterus actually works, birthing hormones and ways to do your pelvic floor exercises correctly. Birth biomechanics (ie how your pelvis actually moves during labour and why this is important), tips for managing PGP (Pelvic Girdle Pain), what to look out for in those early post-partum days as signs of pelvic floor dysfunction…I could go on - essentially I try and cram in as much info into each pregnancy yoga class as I physically possibly can!
Are you craving some time for you? A chance to forget about the world and bond with that baby growing inside? Perhaps you’re looking to move your pregnant body but don’t know how to do so safely? Or you might be looking to meet other likeminded mums to be?
My Hello & Flow Pregnancy Yoga classes can provide you with all of that.
Hello & Flow Pregnancy.
Pregnancy Yoga Classes running on:
Tuesdays 6.30pm @ The Zebon Centre, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire
Wednesdays 6.30pm @ St Peter’s School, Farnborough, Hampshire