Yoga is a blessing in disguise for your body. But, you need to respect this art and its form by practicing it at the right time and the third trimester of pregnancy is a time during which you need to refrain from it. The third trimester is the growth stage in the life cycle of your child and thus, it demands special attention and care from you. So refrain from all the adverse effects that may haunt you and your child later.
Shavasana
It is fine if you lie down on your back in your first and even the second trimester of your pregnancy. But, the third trimester won’t be a suitable period for this posture because it would reduce the flow of blood towards the uterus and thus, would ultimately lead to reduction in growth of the hormonal balance which is created in the body during pregnancy. However, if you are in a position to practice shavasana while lying on one side, it would be recommended that you go for it. The doctors even advise the pregnant women to sleep on one side for a considerable period of time during the pregnancy. Thus, it is either better to avoid shavasana during the third trimester or practice it while lying on one side (preferably left side).
Bandh padamasana
This posture would push your abdomen inwards and this is the reason why you should not perform this during your third trimester. Unnecessary pressure on your abdomen may lead to serious problems like pain, unnecessary stress on the lower back and breathing problems. Bandh padamasana also involves the bending down of the body after folding of legs. This would put pressure on the spine and it may also lead to knee pain arousing because of its practice. When you hold the big toe of your right and the left legs from your right and left hands respectively, it would lead to pain in the waist side and this is another reason why it is not justifiable to practice this posture during the third trimester.
Sheersasana
Leave alone pregnancy, this posture of yoga is not even meant for frequent practice in normal day to day life. Hence, the thought of practicing this asana should not even roam around the circumference of your head. The uterus is in the growth stage during the third trimester and sheersasana would put pressure on the uterus and thus, would act as a hindrance in the growth of the uterus. Sheershasana also affects the flow of blood to the mind and this should be avoided during the third trimester to remain safe from the ill effects of blood pressure variations during this time. Another disadvantage associated with the practicing of this asana is the level of complexity involved in its practice. It needs the support of another person in the beginning and you learn to perform it without any external help gradually.
Ardha matsyendrasana
Ardha matsyendrasana is a posture that would require you to bend your legs and also the bending of spine. These twists of spine would also call for its stretching and this stretching of spine would lead to pressure on abdomen. Also, you may come across symptoms like spinal pain, pain in hips and knee pain. This pain would lead to an unnecessary pressure on the uterus which would ultimately hinder the growth of your child. Another disadvantage associated with ardha matsyendrasana is that it would involve inhaling and exhaling to a large extent. This is generally a requirement of nearly every yoga posture and this is the reason why it need not be practiced during the third trimester. The frequent inhaling and exhaling would put pressure on the abdomen and it would affect the uterus adversely.
Urdhva dhanurasana
Urdhava dhnurasana involves the maximum bending of your back and the bending of back would be an unfavorable step taken by you in your third trimester. The reason for this is simple. When you perform yoga postures that involve bending of the back, it calls for laying stress on the spine and would ultimately involve all body parts. When pressure is applied on the various portions of the body, there would be unnecessary elongation of the uterus and it may lead to a serious problem of dislocation of the uterus. The fertilized egg from the uterus may be dislodged due to this practice and this may even result in a prolonged pregnancy period. In some cases, it may prove even more fatal and the results may also include the loss of pregnancy.
Pada sanchalanasana
The movement of your legs is linked with the movement of the abdomen, in an indirect manner. When you practice any yoga posture that involves the movement of your legs (like the pada sanchalanasana in which you are required to raise and lower your legs frequently), it would ultimately lead to pressure on your abdomen. Thus, the third trimester is not a period during which the movement of the legs (frequent movement, to be more precise) should be encouraged. Also, the yoga postures that involve raising your legs in a cyclic manner, should be avoided so as to be safe from the ill effects of pressure on the uterus.