Why Partners Should Join Prenatal Yoga

by Micheal Chi

“There are no limitations to the mind except those that we acknowledge.” – Napoleon Hill

You are at home, feet up on the table. Your fingers are tiddling between X and O on the Playstation, while your spouse is in the kitchen, creating a human inside her. Maybe it is time to take your feet off the table and get into parenting now!

In the journey of delivering a newborn, unspoken societal norms have classified many tasks towards an individual of the relationship. And perhaps, while you are keen to support, you’re unsure how to go about doing them. But believe it or not, you can play any role to support your spouse, in any way you want, by undoing the societal knots and values ingrained in you and embrace others that you’ve yet to acknowledge. 

We, at Sugarmat, are all about pushing the envelope, embracing new ideals, cultures, perspectives, and having them flourish onto the products we bring to you. And in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we would like to nudge you towards embracing Prenatal Yoga as a together thing, for perhaps that is the biggest ‘Thank You’ you can give to your spouse in embracing this journey ahead.

It’s our journey

In perhaps the biggest statement one can deliver to one’s spouse, joining a prenatal yoga class goes beyond merely exercising. It is a symbol that participants are keen to witness and support each other in the challenges and transformation of the physical body during pregnancy and wanting to be able to understand and support the other, beyond the mat, through this chapter. Doing prenatal yoga together also serves as a quality bonding activity before the baby is delivered, to share energy with each other in a safe space.

Understanding your spouse’s challenges

As you participate in prenatal yoga, you will notice how in certain postures, your spouse might have challenges, and her practice becomes limited owing to wide-ranging factors such as, lower spine overarching, increased weight in the belly, increased flexibility or a high nausea and fatigue level. Being able to observe your spouse’s movements allows you to better anticipate actions to take to ensure safety and provide support. These are endearing moments and a symbolism of a committed relationship.

Being a broken recorder

During the prenatal class, you are likely to hear the teacher harp on preventive, and protective measures, especially key ones to be aware to ensure your spouse is ready for the best possible delivery. Likewise, these reminders and mantras are likely to rub off you by participating in a prenatal yoga class, and soon you will become that recorder, always wanting the best for your partner to be well-nourished and prepared. Know that you will be on the right journey to becoming a vintage recorder.

Being the pillar

In every partnership, the foundations must be strong to remain sturdy in changing climates. Joining a prenatal yoga class enhances your dependability to go the extra mile for your partner. You are playing a major role by inserting yourself into an environment, that might be unfamiliar to you, but one that builds your spouse’s trust in you. During the pregnancy phase, your spouse is likely to sway on an up and down emotional seesaw. You might want to come up with the solutions to fix the problem. But as with yoga, sometimes the solution is never necessary, and the moments too shall come to pass. All it might require is for you to be the unwavering pillar, that listens, and let the waves crash unto you without reacting, and things would start looking up.

Preparing yourself for delivery

Pelvic girdle, epidural, perineum, optimal fetal positioning, and much more are about to enter your vocabulary! It might be confusing, intimidating even. But the great news is that it will be given so much more sense when the prenatal teacher starts to introduce these terms gradually. Learning of these terms, and how they affect the delivery, and support the pregnancy helps you become prepared for D-Day and beyond. After all, who doesn’t like a well-prepared person, who is always ready to support?