Pregnancy yoga for constipation relief is in exercise

Posted byDanielle
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Constipation in pregnancy

What is constipation

The NHS state;”Constipation is when you find it hard to poo or you are going for a poo fewer than 3 times in a week”

Why do I get constipated when pregnant?

With your amazing pregnant body and baby getting bigger, the body slows down digestion meaning food stays in the intestines and stomach longer.

This leads to constipation and can lead to heartburn.

Our glorious hormone progesterone slows down the movement in the bowel.

In addition, the hormone relaxin, which name suggests its function, relaxes the internal organ movement slowing down digestive process.

Pregnancy yoga poses to relieve constipation

The number one yoga pose commonly known as wind relieving pose (Pavana Mukta) for aiding digestion and freeing constipation, is unfortunately not available in pregnancy due to the compression effect.

However there are many others that can help.

Here is a sequence that can free up constipation:

  • Childs Pose
    • Aids lengthening to the side body and creates space for your belly, to free up and loosen internal organs.
    • By being with your breathe, it encourages us to relax more and breathe deeper, which can really help with constipation.
  • Melting the heart
    • On all fours bring your chest towards the floor.
    • Your bums high your chest is low.
    • Use a cushion if required.
    • Breathe.
  • Purring cat to neutral spine pose
    • On all fours look in-between your hands creating length for your spine and space for your baby. This is neutral spine.
    • As you exhale, tuck your chin to your chest, arching the back gently into your purring cat.
    • Gently tucking your tailbone
    • Lifting your pelvis towards baby.
    • Inhale back to neutral and repeat.
    • Try 5 to start.
  • Stir the cauldron
    • Sitting on your birthing ball, or on the floor, create a circular motion with your hips.
    • Always in clockwise direction first for 5 circles. This will work with your natural digestion flow and help move your poo.
    • Each circle is one breathe. On the inhale, the pelvis tilts towards your back and as you exhale, the pelvis comes up towards baby.
    • This is one circle.
    • Move with your breathe and remember after 5 or 10 depending how much time you have, to move the other direction.
      • This pose is a go to in pregnancy and has so many other benefits for the body.
      • Loosening the hips which releases the back.
      • Supports us better to be in our breathe by moving with our breathe.
      • Helps us get in touch with our hips and pelvic floor muscles, all power houses for labour and postnatally.
      • Aswell as it helping constipation and digestion, it can also help heartburn and lengthen and relieve the back
      • It’s also a fabulous meditation and relaxation tool especially if you’re new to it as concentration is required at remembering the circle direction, breathing properly and counting how many times.
      • It’s a very useful exercise to do if feeling flustered.
      • Practicing this in the morning and last thing at night will keep you in your focus lane.
  • Goddess pose
    • Separate your feet as wide as is needed.
    • Turn your toes outwards
    • Squat no lower than knee height
    • Have your arms as you feel
      • Above to work the body harder
      • At shoulder height for focus
      • Lifting up (inhale) and back to shoulder height (exhale) for an extra cardio challenge.
      • Pressing forward as you exhale and releasing fire energy out.
    • Tuck your tailbone
    • Lengthen you back
    • Breathe
    • Allow your hips to open and movement to flow
    • Hold for 3-5 breathes
    • Come up by straightening your legs and see how you feel
    • Repeat as often as you like
Goddess pose
Goddess Pose
  • Warrior 2
    • Goddess to warrior 2 is a beautiful transition pose.
    • It also maintains our centre while stretching in opposite directions.
    • This creates space for our belly and baby with length.
    • Freeing movement by creating space within.
Warrior 2
Warrior 2 pose
  • Squat pose (Malasana)
    • Bring your feet as wide as you and your baby need and bring your bum towards your feet.
    • Put your elbows to the inner edge of knee and bring your hands together to your heart centre.
    • Push your elbows against your knees as they rotate out the way.
    • At the same time, think about pulling your chest forward and lifting your heart up.
    • By doing this it will lengthen the back and loosen the insides by opening up the internal organs.
  • Bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana)
    • Lying on your back
    • Bring your feet as close to bum as you can
    • Have your feet at whatever distance apart you and baby need
    • Lift the hips to the ceiling
    • Hold for 3-5 breathes
    • Lower gently
  • Against the wall
    • Forward fold
      • Walk your hands down the wall in line with shoulder height.
      • Look in-between your feet
      • Feel the length this pose gives to your back and belly.
    • Forward folds are tricky to do as our belly gets bigger and to be honest really not great for our belly putting weight or compression to its need for expansion.
    • Using the wall is a great alternative.
  • Shoulder opener
    • Against the wall
    • Place your right hand on the wall.
    • Give yourself an arms distance from the wall.
    • Walk forward until you feel the stretch.
    • Feel your shoulder and side body open and find space.
    • Breathe for 5 inhale and exhale
    • Swap sides
  • Butterfly
    • Sitting on the floor Or a cushion or block for height and length need.
    • Bring your soles of feet together.
    • Hold on to your feet as you move them up and down.
    • If your knees are high place a cushion/pillow underneath to support you better.
    • This pose can help constipation by opening up the hips, as well as many other, useful functions.

Gentle exercises to help constipation in pregnancy

Movement creates aid for constipation.

Pregnancy is an ideal time to maintain health and wellness for you and your growing baby.

The more we move the more we free up constipation.

Gentle common pregnancy exercises include

  • Walking
  • Swimming
  • Dancing
  • Treading water
  • Prenatal water aerobics

Breathing exercises to help constipation in pregnancy

  • Alternate nostril (nadi shodhana)
    • With your thumb on your right nostril, index finger on forehead and pinky of left nostril side, inhale through your left nostril close the nostril with pinky finger and exhale through right nostril. Inhale through right nostril, exhale through left nostril. This is one round. Repeat 9 rounds.
  • Saaaa breathing
    • Belly Breathing longer and deeper will support constipation, length and encourage relaxation to our nervous system.
    • The deeper you breathe in, breathe out a little longer.
    • Add in the ssssaaa sound on the exhale.
  • ⚠️ You’re not pushing the air out and contracting the belly hard. Instead it is a gentle hug to your baby, via your abdominals as you saaaaa sound on your exhale.

Foods that can help constipation

I found this great informative article for a more in-depth read https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/constipation-remedies

Foods rich in water help ease digestion and free up constipation.

Soups and smoothies are a great example, others are

  • Mint is fabulous for digestion anything minty, tea, leaf, sweets.
    • Funny story I once ate a whole packet of polos as a teenager not realising the natural laxative effect. My, did my bum know it.
  • Vitamin C drunk with an iron supplement helps reduce constipation.
  • Drinking plenty of water supports our body to flush out toxins and increase movement.
  • Eating more fruit and veg high in water content can help ease constipation .
    • Melon especially watermelon, peaches, oranges, lettuce, cucumber, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, courgettes, tomatoes are some examples of foods, full of water plus vitamins and minerals.
    • I sometimes think if fruit and vegetables came with a nutrient chart, people might start becoming more aware at how naturally boosting and great they for our body to eat more of.
  • Celery seems to be a bit of a green stalk goddess at its bodily boosting functions. Aswell as being packed with water. I found this awesome article which goes into more detail https://www.hellomotherhood.com/article/493612-is-celery-bad-for-pregnant-women/
  • Soups and Smoothies
    • Both great for increasing ease of digestion and bodily movement.
    • Packed with vitamins and minerals that our body needs.
    • Super quick and easy to make.

Tips to remember for constipation

Our body works in a circular direction.

Visualise a clock stuck to your belly facing out ways.

Our food goes in at 12, goes into our stomach at 2 passes down into the small intestine at 4, and continues into the pancreas and liver before venturing into the large intestine and hopefully pooing successfully without constipation.

I’ve included a medical article on the digestive process for a more in-depth read https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/your-digestive-system

By working with your circular moving body and rubbing your belly in this directional motion, it can encourage digestion and pooing capability.

Medicines to help constipation

There are three known safe medicines pregnant women can try:

Please consult your midwife before trying

Tools to help constipation

These products below can alleviate constipation

This post may contain affiliate links which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products I love and feel will benefit my readers.

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Published by Danielle

I am a certified yoga teacher and have been practicing yoga for over 12 years. I have an honours degree in Sociology whereby I carried out research into peoples eating habits. Fitness and food are my forte. Become a mum in 2015 I combined everything I continue to learn and started  Exercise Anytime Anywhere