Natural childbirth training, such as Lamaze, relies heavily on breathing techniques, and so does yoga. Relaxation is also a major factor in both childbirth training and yoga. This makes prenatal yoga practice a great idea because it will support your childbirth training.

Your body changes throughout pregnancy in some ways that don’t show as well as ones that do. For instance, as you move into the second and third trimester, hormones begin to make your leg and hip joints limber up. Also, the added abdominal weight puts pressure on the blood vessels in your lower back so that you often can’t lie comfortably or safely on your back for very long during late pregnancy. These physical symptoms require you to avoid certain poses as pregnancy progresses.

Fortunately, many yoga positions are very helpful to your changing body. For instance, the pelvic tilting done in the cat stretch is good for your lower back and abdomen. Here’s how to do a cat stretch. Get on your hands and knees. Inhale deeply and slowly while lowering your chin to your chest. At the same time, arch your back like a cat. Hold a few seconds. Release your breath slowly and deliberately while letting your back drop down until it’s swayed like an old horse and your face is looking up. Repeat several times.

When doing yoga, always move slowly, relax into each position. Never bounce deeper into a stretch, and never stretch to the point of discomfort. Yoga should feel good.

Another stretch move that is good throughout pregnancy is squatting. If you are planning a home birth or a delivery in another setting that offers you freedom to choose your position, you may find that a deep, relaxed squat is the best position for you to give birth. In fact, it’s such a good position, it’s possible to deliver a baby too quickly and cause tears to the cervix or perineum if your pushes are not controlled.

To practice squatting, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and lower yourself as far as you can. Don’t come up on your toes. Stay flat on your feet. You will feel the stretch in the thigh and knee joints. Don’t go so low it hurts. Practice a few seconds each day, increasing in depth and duration as you go. You may come to find this a comfortable position for doing tasks such as weeding the garden.

After birth, your body can benefit from yoga postures, too. The poses that stretch the neck and shoulders are good for those times you tense up from carrying the baby and from nursing in a cramped position. The poses that rock the pelvis will help you gain strength again in those hard working abs. Yes, yoga is a natural for moms before and after the birth.

It is very small percent of women that can walk out of the hospital wearing and outfit that they wore before they got pregnant. This is due to many factors that occur during the pregnancy. The woman’s starting pregnancy weight, the amount of weight that she gains, where she gains her weight, her physical fitness, and how she carries her baby can all contribute to how soon a new mother will fit back into her pre-pregnancy clothes.

The recommended average amount of weight gain during a pregnancy is 25-35 pounds. This is adjusted to reflect a woman’s weight when pregnancy begins. If a woman is underweight for her height her doctor might recommend that she gains a few extra pounds. If she is overweight her doctor might suggest that she not gain quite as much weight as what is recommended. If a woman starts out at a thin or average weight, it is likely that because of the weight she will gain and the places she will gain it (probably belly, butt, thighs), that she will not be able to slip right back into her pre-pregnancy clothing. Not only will getting back into pre-pregnancy clothes be a long time coming, but some women might even continue to look pregnancy for a month or two after giving birth.

Women generally gain weight in their butt and thighs, and this is no different during pregnancy. Not only do their hips spread making room for the uterus and baby, but many women pile up excess pounds on the lower half of their body. Because of this, even if a woman is lucky enough to lose her pregnancy belly immediately, it isn’t likely that she will fit back into her designer pre-pregnancy jeans anytime soon. Women who start off a pregnancy greatly overweight are likely not to gain much weight at all, and may never need maternity clothing. For those that do they will probably be able to fit back into their pre-pregnancy clothes very quickly.

Besides the extra padding a woman acquires on the bottom half of her body during pregnancy, she will also get bigger on top. In preparation of breastfeeding a woman’s breasts begin to grow immediately upon getting pregnant. Even if a woman chooses not to breastfeed, her breasts will still be larger throughout pregnancy and afterwards until her milk dries up. Because of this, many time shirts will not fit, or button up shirts will pucker when buttoned.

All hope is not gone. A woman can help increase the rate of how quickly she bounces back to her pre-pregnancy figure by taking care of her body during pregnancy. A woman who exercises and eats a healthy diet throughout pregnancy will have a healthier, stronger body after pregnancy. In many cases these women are back in their pre-pregnancy clothes immediately, or within a matter of a couple of weeks.

How you carried your baby also relates directly to how fast you are back in your pre-pregnancy clothes. Some women will carry their babies all out front. These are the women other pregnant women are jealous of because they have a cute, perky belly, and from the back do not look pregnant. While these women will still gain weight in the normal areas, carrying their baby out front often makes it look like they haven’t gained weight at all. When the baby is born and the woman’s uterus contracts her belly often looks like it went away overnight. While this woman may not be able to fit into her sexy, tight jeans, she can probably wear a looser pair of jeans, or other loose fitting pre-pregnancy clothing from before she got pregnant.

Some women carry their babies around their sides versus all out front. When this happens there is often time extra padding left over after the baby is born. This side padding will make it hard for a woman to fit into many pairs of jeans, shorts and skirts for several weeks after her pregnancy. Until the uterus shrinks and the skin tightens up, a woman may find herself grabbing the maternity clothes more often.

It isn’t hopeless by any means. Most of the time a new mom will eventually get back into those favorite pre-pregnancy jeans, and the nice dress to go out to dinner with her partner. For the rare few it will happened immediately, or within a couple of weeks of giving birth. For others it may take several months. If she is determined though, any woman can do it.

Soft spots are placed where the skull has not completely closed at birth. The anterior fontanel is about two inches wide and may not be closed completely until your baby is 18 months old. The posterior fontanel is only about a half inch wide and will be closed by the time your baby is three months old, much earlier than the anterior soft spot.

Soft spots are present for several different reasons and are very important in terms of your baby’s health. First and foremost, having a gap in the skull allows the head to change shape making it easier for your baby to come down the birth canal. This is why some babies are born with a cone shaped head.

Second, the soft spots allow room for your baby’s brain to grow during the first year of life. During this time your baby’s brain will grow very rapidly and it needs to have somewhere to grow. If the skull was closed there would be no way for the skull to stretch and expand.

Another use of soft spots by doctors is to check your baby’s hydration level when your baby is sick. Most of the time the fontanel will expand and move when your baby laughs, cries and breathes. When your baby is sick however and get dehydrated his fontanel will sink into his head. If your baby has a depressed fontanel, call your pediatrician and ask him what you should do.

There is nothing special you have to do to take care of your baby’s fontanel. You mainly have to make sure that you are careful around that spot since there is in essence, no protection covering your baby’s brain in that spot. Wash it gently and be sure not to let any older brothers and sisters accidentally push on it while playing with their new “toy”.

If you think there is anything wrong with your baby’s soft spots, or feel that they might be closing too soon, be sure to ask your pediatrician at your baby’s next well-check, or call your pediatrician to ask him. Most of the time everything will be fine, but it is better to be safe than sorry, and that is what he is there for.