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The Benefits of Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga for
Bereaved Mothers
Whether you have taken yoga
before becoming pregnant or your growing belly has encouraged you to embrace
your inner yogini, studies have shown that prenatal yoga has a variety of
positive benefits both for mothers-to-be and their babies. According to an article published in the
Journal of the Indian Medical Association, children born to mothers who
practiced yoga during pregnancy were reported to have higher birth rates, less
risk of preterm delivery, and a reduced risk of intrauterine growth
retardation.[i] For mothers, in addition to a decreased risk
of premature labor, yoga during pregnancy can reduce stress, improve sleep,
ease pain, and assist in a more positive pregnancy and delivery experience.[ii] The physical postures of yoga are a great way
to prepare for birth and they provide a low-impact way to get back into shape
after birth; the mental exercises of meditation and relaxation can provide you
with focus during pregnancy and delivery, while the physical asanas can help
tone and strengthen the body for the marathon that is labor and life after
birth. Yet, there is a subset of pregnant mothers for whom yoga may offer many,
yet untold, benefits: bereaved mothers and mothers who are pregnant after a
loss.
Pregnancy loss, defined as the
loss of a child at any gestational age, and neonatal loss, defined as the death
of a child from birth through the first year of life, impacts a staggering
number of parents. As many as one in
three mothers will experience a loss. In
the U.S., approximately two million women will experience a miscarriage or
stillbirth, while almost 28,000 infants will die before their first birthday.[iii] For
these orphaned parents, the grief they experience can be overwhelming and their
sense of “parenthood” distorted. After loss, couples may experience long
lasting grief, which may be compounded due to a lack of family support or a
poor birthing experience. During a
subsequent pregnancy, mothers may suffer from depression, mood swings, and a
general sense of fear. They may approach
their pregnancy with indifference at times, intense anxiety, and may be unable
to enjoy the time of their child in-utero.[iv] In addition, mothers who suffer loss are also
at a risk for postpartum depression in the postnatal period surrounding a loss,
as well as after a subsequent successful delivery. Research has shown that clinical depression
is more common in women who have suffered a miscarriage than in women who have
not been pregnant, and the risk for depression greatly increases if there is an
associated perinatal loss or other trauma.[v]
For this subgroup of parents, yoga in the prenatal and postnatal periods can
help bond with a new baby, while assisting in the grieving process of a child
or children who have passed away. It can
also help a mother deal with feelings of inadequacy or anger at her body, and
may assist in working through depression and anxiety.
Postnatal Yoga
After Loss
Pregnancy is one of the most
exciting and wonderful experience in a woman’s life. When a pregnancy ends in
loss or a child dies within the first year of life, the grief can be
overwhelming. Parents feel alone in their sorrow and, many times, have their
sadness downplayed by those around them.
When birth trauma is present, these mothers may feel even more isolated.
As they work through their feelings of denial, anger, and sadness, they
struggle to cope with the same physical differences a mother with a successful
pregnancy experience is going through, yet they may not feel that they have the
same options of postnatal support that typical mothers have. A postnatal yoga
class that is open only to bereaved parents is beneficial to these mothers.
For many, the image of a
postnatal yoga class includes asanas that focus on bonding with the new baby; in
addition to this, there are many benefits of yoga for the new mother. After
birth, a mother’s body changes; after loss, the mother’s body still goes
through these changes and, often times, will prepare for a baby that is no
longer here. Depending on the delivery,
there may be new physical changes to adapt to as the body heals. The abdomen
muscles will need to be strengthened and the pelvic muscles must be toned. The
physical pains that can be associated with the postnatal period may be
magnified by the grief that accompanies child loss.
Postnatal yoga after loss can
also be a factor in the risk of postpartum depression (PPD). Research suggests
that mothers after loss be monitored for the first month, as the risk of PPD is
high, regardless of the gestational age of the loss or maternal age.[vi]
In a society where loss can be overshadowed and the grief of losing a child can
be overwhelming, a postnatal yoga class can help a mother by bringing words to an
unspeakable situation; her pregnancy experience can be validated, her
child(ren) can be discussed openly, and her tears can be shared. Such a class
can also begin a new trust relationship between a woman and her body at a time
when she has such negative beliefs about a body that has failed her, her baby,
and her partner.
Prenatal Yoga
During a Pregnancy After Loss
Pregnancy after loss is an
extremely stressful time. Women who
experience high stress during pregnancy are at a greater risk of premature
delivery, postpartum depression, unplanned cesarean delivery, and low birth
weight infants.[vii]
Depending on when a mother’s loss occurred, whether or not the cause of the
loss is known, and the risk of loss in a subsequent pregnancy, expectant
mothers can find themselves full of anxiety and angst, unable to fully enjoy
the new pregnancy because of the heartache of their previous experience. Although research is lacking on the development
of the unborn child, there is much research advocating reduced maternal stress
in the prenatal period. The limited research available on antenatal child
development shows that the more relaxed the mother is during pregnancy, the
better child temperament and emotional regulation will be for the infant.[viii]
In addition, many mothers feel unable to fully bond with their new child while
pregnant, for fear that they will suffer a repeat pregnancy loss or neonatal
death. Because prenatal yoga focuses on building the bond between mother and
child, it can help create a bond when a mother is fearful of connecting to her
child during pregnancy. Yoga, with its proven result of improving mindfulness,
may provide a deeper awareness to mothers with insecure attachment and be able,
in the postnatal period as well, promote a more positive mother-baby
connection.[ix]
Although stress and fear are
common complaints of mothers who are pregnant after loss, these mothers also
experience the same physical discomforts of other moms-to-be. While meditation helps to calm the mind and
lessen their fears, the natural antidepressants effect of endorphins, released
during the physical asanas, can ease their physical discomforts. Mothers need
to prepare for the physical rigors of giving birth, as well as cope with the
physical discomforts, like back pain, nausea, and headaches, that pregnancy can
bring. Many mothers also struggle with
insomnia, and prenatal yoga can help promote and improve sleep.[x]
Preparing for labor is important
for all mothers, but in a situation where birth trauma occurred, it can be even
more vital to a positive, healing pregnancy experience. Whether the birth setting, delivery
interventions and method, or a combination of such with the loss of a child was
the trauma, if it is not resolved it can remain with the mother. It can result in severe physical disabilities
which significantly limit development and capability. It can result in
psychological and emotional trauma which determines the whole psycho-emotional
development of the individual.[xi] Prenatal yoga can help a mother discuss,
remember, and work through the trauma of her birth, while giving her a positive
expectation for a future delivery. Especially by utilizing relaxation methods,
yoga can teach a mother to listen and truly hear her body, and give her the
techniques to respond calmly. It can
teach the practice of birthing lightly:
making use of breath to control the muscles of the body and increase the
efficacy of contractions while the rest of the body remains relaxed.[xii]
Many mothers who are pregnant
after loss report a fear of attending "typical" pregnancy activities,
like childbirth education classes and prenatal yoga, thereby missing out on the
benefits. They feel out of place with "first timers" when they have
no living children at home, feel unable to share their previous pregnancy or
parenting journeys without discomfort (both for them and for their classmates),
and are afraid of how they will be perceived around, whom they view as,
“normal” pregnant women. Gearing a prenatal class specifically towards
mothers-to-be who are in a pregnancy after loss can allow them to not only
experience some normal pregnancy activities, but also give them the opportunity
to meet other mothers in similar situations.
Because many parents feel alone in their grief, this can be almost as
beneficial as the noted benefits of yoga and meditation.
Postnatal Yoga
After a Successful Pregnancy After Loss
Previously, in discussing how
prenatal yoga may influence the mother-baby bond during pregnancy, it is
possible that because of the prenatal connection, a more caring infant-mother
bond is created post-birth that will facilitate healthy child development.[xiii] However, there are more benefits to a
postnatal yoga class after a successful delivery. Many parents feel that their
new baby overshadows the memory of their child(ren) who died. Family, without
malice or ill-intent, may gloss over their previous pregnancy or child(ren)
with phrases that can be hurtful or by ignoring their loss(es) at a time when
many parents need the validation of their parenthood even more. With perinatal
loss, many parents already feel a sense of exclusion because, for most, the
only people to really "know" their child(ren) who died were the
parents themselves. In addition, because
many people may expect bereaved parents to "get over" the death of
their child(ren), especially in light of a new baby, their grief and mourning
may be stunted.[xiv]
This could have a negative impact on their parenting, increase the risk of
postpartum depression, and negatively effective the relationship of the parents
together.
Postnatal classes specifically
geared towards those who are parenting after a loss can help by further
facilitating the bond between the mother and her new baby, while also
validating her feelings of loss that are intertwined with her feelings of
fulfillment in light of her new child.
The grief of perhaps never holding the child(ren) who died, or of never
being able to experience typical mother-child behaviors, can be worked through
during the asanas and meditation, and rather than having feelings redirected
onto the new baby, the individualism of the new child can be embraced as a
public acknowledgement of that child’s older sibling(s) helps the grieving
mother work through her feelings.
After the Yoga
Class
It is important to realize that
the grief never goes away; a new child doesn’t replace a child who has died and
the parent of a child who has passed away is still a parent with feelings that
need to be validated and a grief that needs to be accepted. Prenatal and
postnatal yoga are one of many lifestyle choices that can help grieving parents
come to a place of acceptance with their loss and facilitate a positive
integration of their loss(es) and grief into their lives, while preparing them
for the physical and emotional challenges of bringing a new baby into the world. When caring yoga instructors incorporate
bereaved mothers into their scheduling of prenatal and postnatal yoga classes,
they can share the benefits of yoga with a subgroup of parents who may need it
most and be unable to find comfort in a traditional prenatal or postnatal
class.
[i] Narendran,
S., et al. Efficacy of yoga in pregnant
women with abnormal Doppler study of umbilical and uterine arteries.
Journal of the Indian Medical Association. 1/2005 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16008324
[ii] Neumann, Devon. Prenatal yoga: the right choice for mother
and baby. Grand Valley State
University. 1/2011.
http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1088&context=honorsprojects
[iii] American Pregnancy Association. Statistics. 2012.
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/main/statistics.html
[iv] Lamb, Elizabeth. The impact of previous perinatal loss on
subsequent pregnancy and parenting.
Journal of Perinatal Education.
Spring 2002. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595109/
[v] Andor, Csilla. Postpartum mood disorders after perinatal
loss. The Fourth Trimester. 2007.
http://www.fourth-trimester.com/postpartumdepressionperinatal.html
[vi] Kleinman, Karen. Pregnancy loss
and depression: understanding the trauma of fetal loss. Psychology Today.
2/29/2012.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/isnt-what-i-expected/201202/pregnancy-loss-and-depression
[vii] Meinzer, Chet
and Toriggino, Marisa. The effects of prenatal yoga on the unborn child,
attachment style, and mindful parenting: a call for research. The Yoga Garden.
2010.
http://www.yogagardensf.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/EffectsOfYogaOnUnbornChild.pdf
[x] Harms, Roger, et al. Prenatal
yoga: what you need to know. Mayo Clinic. 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prenatal-yoga/MY01542
[xiii] Meinzer, Chet and Toriggino,
Marisa. The effects of prenatal yoga on
the unborn child, attachment style, and mindful parenting: a call for research.
The Yoga Garden. 2010.
http://www.yogagardensf.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/EffectsOfYogaOnUnbornChild.pdf
[xiv] Callister, Lynn. Perinatal loss:
a family perspective. Journal of
Perinatal Neonatal Nursing. July-Sept
2006.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16915054
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