The Baby and Toddler Guide

Yoga Can Help the No Baby Blues

Conceiving a child is a blessing. That blessing is bestowed in 5 out of 6 Canadian couples every year, but what about that 1 couple that can’t conceive so easily. For most people infertility is not a word they understand having children is natural progression in life. However for 15% of Canadian couples infertility is a daily struggle that can lead to depression, social isolation and divorce. The stress factor in women trying to conceive for more than 3 years is equivalent to a clinically depressed patient. There are many approaches that a couple can take to achieve a pregnancy, some require fertility Doctors and Clinics. Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) used in fertility clinics offer hope and are extremely successful but they can take a huge emotional toll on a relationship. Turning to natural healing modalities can be the best thing to help deal with the infertility journey.

Combating infertility stress is achievable with the help of Yoga and Meditation. It’s simple; Yoga teaches our bodies to function from a calm state. Yoga is a method of mind body movement that uses the breath as a point of meditation. We teach ourselves to slow down, turn inward and listen. We listen to how deep our breath is moving, and if we are under severe stress our breath is shallow and fast. We listen to our bodies and if our muscles are tense from stress factors we are limited in our range of movement. We become controlled by fight or flight responses. This fight or flight method of living for most of us is the norm. But for couples with infertility issues it creates a treadmill effect of deeper infertility. Stress shuts down the reproductive organs and tells the body it is not ready for a new life inside. Taking the time to practice yoga and mindful meditation begins to change the pattern of negative thoughts, replenishes the cells with oxygen and creates wholeness in mind/body/spirit allowing the infertile couple to open up to possibility and to face their challenge with grace and love.

As the journey unfolds a yoga practice provides the coping tools needed to manage fertility monitoring and help prepare the physical body for assisted reproductive techniques or in some cases a natural pregnancy can take place when the stress is under control. Before you know it a baby is on the way.

The next phase of life has begun and there are new challenges and stresses as the baby develops. Yoga once again is the answer to managing a healthy stress free pregnancy. Yoga poses encourage the body to stay strong and limber during the nine months and the breath used in practice will help prepare for labour.

Making the connection with Mind/Body/Spirit reaps great rewards. It teaches us to enjoy life in the present moment and to take control of our situations, here and now. We can embrace challenges with calmness and focus and turn any set back to unlimited possibility, even turn the “no baby blues” to “happy pregnancy news.”