Everything You Want to Know About Yoga for Conceiving
A staggering 48.5 million couples globally experience difficulty conceiving. Medical care providers have designed various infertility treatments, like medication, IVF and surgery, to help couples successfully conceive.
But there is one more infertility treatment that has been around for many millennia before these modern solutions came into existence – yoga.
We understand how couples can use yoga for conceiving a healthy baby, and in this article, we explore conception and pregnancy yoga.
How does yoga impact pregnancy?
Yoga does not have a direct impact on a person’s fertility. However, yoga affects other organs of the body and stimulates hormone production, which in turn affects conception and pregnancy.
Comprehensive research into 87 studies shows how women with infertility have improved conception outcomes when they practice yoga regularly.
Here is a breakdown of how yoga can benefit individuals at different stages of their fertility.
Yoga and the menstrual cycle
Yoga not only has the ability to relieve menstrual cramps and muscle stiffness, but it can also ensure a regular menstrual cycle.
Poses like cobra, bow, downward-facing dog and butterfly can balance and stimulate the endocrine function, which ultimately controls the hormones responsible for regular menstrual cycles.
People with regular menstrual cycles have an easier time conceiving.
Yoga and female fertility
Some common reasons for infertility in women are increased physical stress, anxiety and depression. Additionally, depending on their lifestyle, they either do too little or too much physical activity.
Yoga has been observed to alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms, increase physical strength and flexibility and bring down stress. Together, these have been observed to contribute to higher conception rates.
Research shows that 63% of a study group consisting of 100 women struggling with infertility became pregnant after three months of yoga and pranayama.
Yoga and male fertility
Around 20% of infertility cases are a result of male infertility, with 1 in 20 men having low sperm count and 1 in 100 having zero sperm count. Pregnancy yoga techniques can also help address male infertility by promoting a higher count of healthy sperm.
Hormonal changes to the body as a result of yoga have been observed to reduce sperm DNA damage.
Yoga allows men to incorporate physical activity within an otherwise sedentary work-home life. The poses also stimulate better blood flow to the male reproductive organs, which improves the health of the sperm.
Yoga has also been found to increase male libido, giving couples more opportunities to conceive naturally.
Yoga and conception
After sex, women can perform yoga to improve their chances of conception and implantation.
Through yoga exercises, the uterus and ovaries are stimulated. The womb warms up and receives more oxygen and nutrients through the improved circulation to the pelvic region. Both physical and psychological stress levels go down, and hormones are balanced.
All of this creates a conducive environment for successful conception and implantation.
Yoga helps the body feel lighter and reduces insomnia, helping women sleep better. Rest is integral to successful conception.
Yoga and pregnancy
Yoga can also be done after conception and during pregnancy. It will continue to strengthen the expectant mother’s body and help ensure a safer and pain-free birth.
It will also improve the quantity and quality of oxygen and nutrients that reach the foetus through the mother.
Yoga during pregnancy can reduce the number of assisted vaginal deliveries and improve foetal health. This, in turn, has been found to reduce the number of pre-term deliveries and the need for emergency C-sections in some countries.
Can breathwork and meditation supplement pregnancy yoga?
Yes, they can.
Both breathwork (pranayama) and meditation can support yoga in relieving stress and getting the body ready for conception and pregnancy. But it’s important to do breathwork that doesn’t increase pressure on the abdominal muscles.
Gentle breathing and short stretches of meditation can supplement yoga during pregnancy.
Consult the experts at Birla Fertility & IVF about fertility and pregnancy related questions today
Birla Fertility & IVF is a premier gynaecological and fertility centre. Our doctors have tremendous experience in helping men and women find the best treatments to aid with conceiving.
Our medical professionals have observed the fertility benefits of yoga and can recommend safe yoga techniques that you can implement to increase your chances of conception. Our state-of-the-art fertility clinic also provides a variety of other fertility solutions that can complement yoga and help you conceive and birth a healthy baby.
Learn about yoga for conceiving and take the first step towards a safe and successful pregnancy with Birla Fertility & IVF.
1. Does yoga help improve fertility?
Yes, studies show that yoga does improve both male and female fertility by helping people
- balance their hormones organically,
- reduce stress levels,
- get more rest,
- stimulate their reproductive organs,
- improve the flow of oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body, and
- strengthen and give flexibility to the uterus, pelvis and lower back.
Practising pregnancy yoga poses daily for 30-45 minutes is helpful in increasing the chances of successful conception. Start with 2-3 times a week for 15 minutes and increase to 5-7 times a week for up to 45 minutes.
Practitioners must drink plenty of water and also follow a robust nutrition plan according to their fertility doctor’s advice.
2. Is it safe to do yoga when a woman is ovulating?
Yes, it is.
Ovulation occurs when a mature egg is released by the ovaries into the uterine tubes and where it awaits fertilisation. During the 12-24 hours of ovulation, women must perform gentle, restorative yoga. Pressure should not be exerted on the belly, and more focus should be given to poses that relieve physical and mental stress.
When doing pregnancy yoga, it’s important to avoid poses that might affect the stomach, uterus and lower back. Here are a few yoga poses to avoid during pregnancy:
- Standing/seated/kneeling backbends.
- Intense front bends and crouching.
- Lower body twists.
- Poses that need clenching or expanding the abdominal muscles.
- Inversions (like upward-facing and downward-facing dog).
- Wheel or modified wheel
3. Which yoga exercises are best for conceiving?
Some of the best conception and pregnancy yoga poses are as follows:
- Cat-Cow
- Bridge
- Seated or reclining butterfly
- Seated forward fold
- Forward bending
- Shoulder stand
- Puppy
- Garland
- Hand under foot and bend forward
- Extended triangle
- Frog
- Lying down and leg up the wall
- Reclining bound angle
- Knee tuck and roll on back
It’s important for women to pay attention to their bodies and understand what they need. If a pose feels too challenging, it should be modified or abandoned.
Yoga has also been found to help women who’ve experienced a miscarriage. While there is no direct link between yoga and healing from miscarriage, these exercises can help people manage the after-effects of miscarriage.
Certain yoga poses can help the womb recover from the trauma of a miscarriage by stimulating the flow of oxygen and nutrients. These poses include the following:
- Grounded/laying crescent moon
- Reclining bound angle
- Child’s pose
- Gentle twists
These poses can improve the woman’s chances of a successful pregnancy next time. Additionally, yoga helps reduce anxiety and sorrow at the loss of a pregnancy, relieving the individual of any stress that may prevent conception next time. However, don’t just watch videos to learn yoga. It is necessary to practice under a professional expert only.
