Om
Last night I had my first pre-natal yoga class. It was NOT what I was expecting. I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. I guess I had somehow thought that pre-natal yoga would be sitting around chanting "Om" and rubbing your belly while doing a couple little stretches and kegels. Ha! I was pleasantly suprised and completely wrong! While the class was a little scaled down to accomodate growing bellies and the safety of some poses during pregnancy it was a good workout / stretch and I am feeling the burn today. I can already feel the change in my posture and my shoulders burn from multiple Downward facing Dogs and we did squats so my thighs should be feeling the pain tomorrow. I am looking forward to my next class!
The part that didn't suprise me was the instructors predisposition towards a natural pregnancy, labor, and delivery. She spoke often of the beauty of motherhood and is a licensed doula. While she voiced her preference and gave her reasons I didn't feel that she was pushing her decisions on the rest of us or judging those who choose to have an epidural and delivery by an MD rather than a midwife.
I enjoy having this class to balance out the clinical aspect of my pregnancy. I see the doctor every two weeks and have had multiple ultrasounds and I wouldn't turn any of that down but it's difficult when you talk in such clinical and medical terms to go "Oh yeah, this is a baby not a medical anomolie". It's nice to remember that what is happening isn't just a medical condition, it is beautiful, it is life, it is amazing and the yoga class is just what I need to keep me on the side of amazement rather than medical. At least until I can feel her moving on a regular basis.
My parents will laugh when they read this as I used to scream at the pain of having my toenails clipped, but I seem to have a high tolerance of pain and I am going into this hoping for a natural birth but I will not be afraid to ask for an epidural when the time comes. I just don't want to go in asking for it and wondering if I could have done without it. I want the experience of child birth, I want to feel what it is to bring a life into the world....well, you know, until it hurts too much and then I can stop feeling that pain and start feeling the amazingness of modern medicine.
The part that didn't suprise me was the instructors predisposition towards a natural pregnancy, labor, and delivery. She spoke often of the beauty of motherhood and is a licensed doula. While she voiced her preference and gave her reasons I didn't feel that she was pushing her decisions on the rest of us or judging those who choose to have an epidural and delivery by an MD rather than a midwife.
I enjoy having this class to balance out the clinical aspect of my pregnancy. I see the doctor every two weeks and have had multiple ultrasounds and I wouldn't turn any of that down but it's difficult when you talk in such clinical and medical terms to go "Oh yeah, this is a baby not a medical anomolie". It's nice to remember that what is happening isn't just a medical condition, it is beautiful, it is life, it is amazing and the yoga class is just what I need to keep me on the side of amazement rather than medical. At least until I can feel her moving on a regular basis.
My parents will laugh when they read this as I used to scream at the pain of having my toenails clipped, but I seem to have a high tolerance of pain and I am going into this hoping for a natural birth but I will not be afraid to ask for an epidural when the time comes. I just don't want to go in asking for it and wondering if I could have done without it. I want the experience of child birth, I want to feel what it is to bring a life into the world....well, you know, until it hurts too much and then I can stop feeling that pain and start feeling the amazingness of modern medicine.
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