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Aw, thank you!
I am only 5 weeks right now. But I did a practice the other day, right before I found out I was pregnant and included shoulderstand, plow, and full wheel. These felt amazing, especially wheel seemed like exactly what my back needed. Do I really need to stop practicing these right away? I imagine in a few short months they won’t eek so good, so can I get them in now? Thanks!
Hello and congratulations!!!
During those first weeks, you should be more than OK with your regular practice as long as your pregnancy is developing without any issues or complications. If they feel good, I would totally practice them, gradually easing into milder variations.
I would advise starting to avoid Bow pose and Locust either now or in the coming weeks. Since in them, your lower belly remains on the floor and your entire body balances on it, it could cause too much pressure and may not feel good. In Upward Bow/ Wheel your belly faces up, so you should be OK. Be mindful of how you are feeling and if anything feels off, back off and lower your intensity, especially as your pregnancy progresses.
As your belly grows and your abdominals expand, I would tune down the intensity of backbends as it can bee too much for the abs and connective tissues. However, there is no need to completely eliminate them, mild backbends can provide a nice relief from increased pressure you may have on the back. You can do Up Dog or even modify Cobra with a pranayama bolster or a rolled-up blanket under your hips. If Camel is in your practice, perhaps, you can keep a modified version of it with your hands on the lower back rather than going all the way down.
Keep in mind that all that is general advice and everyone’s individual practice is different. What works for one person may not necessarily be the same for someone else. The best is to really listen to your body and do what it needs and wants.