Mom and Baby Yoga Poses
If you’re looking for a way to bond with your baby, and get in some light exercise at the same time, then mom and baby yoga may be just what you need. This gentle form of yoga is designed for new mothers and their infants. It can help improve your overall health and well-being, as well as your baby’s. Try this list of poses with your new baby today, even if you are recently postpartum.
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What are the Benefits of Mom Doing Yoga with Baby?
There are many benefits to mom and baby yoga.
- It can help increase your energy levels
- improve your mood
- ease postpartum depression
- improve digestion (which is sluggish after birth)
- can help you sleep better
- helps relieve stress and anxiety
- can help you regain balance after birth
- it can help you lose weight postpartum
- tone your muscles
- and improve your flexibility.
If you’re looking for a way to bond with your baby, and get in some light exercise at the same time, then mom and baby yoga may be just what you need. This gentle form of yoga is designed for new mothers and their infants. It can help improve your overall health and well-being, as well as your baby’s.
How Does Doing Yoga with Mom Benefit the Baby?
Mom and baby yoga also has many benefits for the baby.
- It can help soothe a fussy baby
- ease gas and colic pain
- improve sleep patterns
- and provide stimulation for the baby’s senses.
When Should I Start Doing Yoga with My Baby?
You can start doing mom and baby yoga as soon as you feel ready after your baby’s birth. Yoga is not like other forms of exercise, while it CAN be very intensive it absolutely does not have to be! Read on to learn the types your should be doing and avoiding.
You can start yoga within days to weeks after giving birth. But this is not for everyone.
- If you had a c-section, wait until you get your post-op clearance.
- If you had vaginal tearing wait until your stitches heal.
- If you have any other serious complications or pains it may aggravate (some it will make better) please wait.
What is great about yoga is it can be at any level that you wish.
How do I Start Mom and Baby Yoga?
If you are a complete beginner to yoga, or even if you have done some yoga before it is best to join a class. That way you will learn the basic postures and how to do them correctly and safely.
If there are no mom and baby classes near you, or you can’t get to one for whatever reason, there are plenty of online classes and youtube videos available.
If you have done yoga before and are familiar with some of the moves then you can follow right along with my images and descriptions in this post.
What to Avoid When Doing Mom and Baby Yoga
There are a few things to avoid when doing mom and baby yoga.
- Don’t push yourself too hard, this is meant to be a gentle form of exercise.
- If you feel pain in any of the poses, stop and rest.
- Don’t hold your breath while doing the poses, breathe normally throughout.
- Wear comfortable clothing
- Start with hatha yoga. Which will focus on breathing and holding one pose at a time.
- Don’t start with another form like Vinyasa or Bikram yoga immediately postpartum. (If you are past the immediate postpartum recovery period go right ahead.)
What Equipment do I need for Mom and Baby Yoga?
For yoga, you don’t have to use anything. But it is a lot easier with a yoga mat. A yoga block and even a yoga strap can be a huge help also. If you don’t have these things, don’t worry, they are pretty cheap to acquire on Amazon or anywhere else too.
Gentle Mom and Baby Yoga Poses to Try Right Away
These are some of my favorite yoga poses to do with a brand new baby. You are usually pretty sore and achy in the immediate postpartum recovery period. Between broken sleep, near constant breastfeeding, bending over changing diapers, and basically being in new and awkward positions constantly it can really do a number on your body!
Starting these gentle yoga poses and doing it with baby to bond is a great idea to work into your daily self care as a mom. (Because if you don’t make doing that a habit, it is really easy not to at all.)
Also you can choose to baby wear while doing mom and baby yoga as well. But you aren’t able to do any bent over or lying or crouching poses, so I find that restrictive most often.
RELATED: The Best Postnatal Workout Plan for Recovery and Weight Loss
Tree Pose with Baby
In tree pose, you stand on one foot. You then put your other foot up on that thigh. You can hold your baby close to you in this pose. If you are having trouble balancing, put the foot that is on the ground against a sturdy object like a wall or a chair.
Warrior I with Baby
In warrior I, you step one foot back and lunge forward. You normally then put your arms up over your head, like you are reaching for the sky. You can do that if babywearing, otherwise you can hold baby close in this pose or hold them on your thigh as your torso should be facing directly forward for this pose.
Downward Facing Dog with Baby
This is a great all-over stretch for the entire body! Start on all fours. Hands should be shoulder-width apart, and knees hip-width apart. Tuck your toes under, and then lift your hips up and back into the air, so your body forms an upside-down “V”. Lay baby on the mat under you for this pose.
Warrior II with Baby
This is very similar to Warrior I (especially if you are just holding your baby as the main difference is the placement of your hands). If you are babywearing get into the same lunge pose as Warrior I, with your front toes pointing forward and your back foot facing the side and then outstrech your arms pointing forward and backward.
If you are holding your baby the only difference between this pose and Warrior I will be that your torso is now pointing sideways. This does not make this a pose not worth doing as well, even slight variations in poses will stretch and strengthen additional muscles.
Side Plank with Baby
This is a fairly simple pose to do with baby. You can do this on your forearm or your hand, whichever you are more comfortable with. Start by lying on your side, then prop yourself up onto one forearm or hand. Feet should be stacked on top of each other.
Lift your hips up into the air so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. If this is too difficult, you can lower your knees to the ground. You can place baby next to you on the mat.
Goddess Pose with Baby
This is a great hip opener for after pregnancy and delivery. You start in a wide stance, with your feet about 3-4 feet apart. Then you bend your knees and lower your hips down towards the ground as if you were going to sit in a chair. Hold baby close on this pose.
Wrapping Up Mom and Baby Yoga Poses
If you are looking for gentle yoga poses to do with your new baby, the ones listed above should give you a good starting point. All of these poses can be done while wearing your baby, holding them close, or laying them on the mat with you making it easy to bond and stretch at the same time. Remember that even slight variations in pose will work additional muscles and offer different benefits, so feel free to experiment!
