Not everyone glows during pregnancy. For most expecting mums, it is a mix of excitement, exhaustion, and a body that feels less and less familiar. The further along you get, the more uncomfortable things become. Yoga positions for expecting mums are one of the simplest, most accessible ways to ease that discomfort and settle a busy mind.
Prenatal yoga keeps you moving without overdoing it. It supports your changing posture, relieves tension in your hips and lower back, and helps you breathe through the harder moments. Whether you have never stepped on a mat or you practise regularly, these four poses are safe, gentle, and genuinely useful.
Always check with your midwife or GP before starting any new exercise during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. Raising Children Network has clear guidance on safe exercise during pregnancy worth reading before you begin.
Four Yoga Positions Worth Trying During Pregnancy
1. Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
This gentle spinal movement is one of the most relieving poses you can do during pregnancy. Start on all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. On an inhale, drop your belly, lift your chest and tailbone. On an exhale, round your spine toward the ceiling and tuck your chin to your chest. Move slowly and repeat for 8 to 10 breaths.
Cat-cow relieves lower back tension, improves spinal flexibility, and encourages baby into a good position, particularly in the later weeks.
2. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
Stand with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot in slightly. Bend your right knee so it sits above your ankle. Extend both arms out to the sides at shoulder height and gaze over your right hand. Hold for 5 breaths, then switch sides.
Warrior II builds strength in your legs and hips, which carry a lot of load as your belly grows. It also opens the chest and encourages deeper breathing. Use a chair for support if balance feels unsteady.
3. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Sit on the floor and bring the soles of your feet together, letting your knees fall out to the sides. Hold your feet or ankles and sit tall. If your hips feel tight, sit on a folded blanket to tilt your pelvis forward. Hold for 1 to 2 minutes with slow, steady breathing.
This pose gently opens the hips and inner thighs and can help ease the pelvic discomfort that many mums experience from the second trimester onward. It is also a grounding, calming pose if your mind is running overtime.
4. Child's Pose (Balasana, Modified)
Kneel on the floor and bring your knees wide apart to make space for your belly. Sit back toward your heels as much as feels comfortable, then extend your arms forward and rest your forehead on the mat or on stacked fists. Breathe deeply and hold for as long as feels good.
Modified child's pose gently decompresses the lower back and creates a moment of quiet rest. It is one of the few poses that feels better the further along you are.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
- Avoid lying flat on your back after 20 weeks. It can compress a major blood vessel and reduce circulation.
- Skip deep twists and any poses that compress your belly.
- Move slowly between poses. Your joints are more mobile during pregnancy due to the hormone relaxin, which means it is easier to overstretch without realising.
- If anything causes pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath, stop immediately.
Looking after your body during pregnancy matters just as much as looking after your mind. That invisible load of planning, worrying, and preparing can weigh heavily. If that resonates, this honest look at the mental load of motherhood is worth a read.
Looking After Yourself After Baby Arrives
Prenatal yoga builds a foundation of body awareness that carries straight into postpartum recovery. The breathwork, the hip opening, the mindful movement , all of it becomes useful again once your baby is here and your body starts healing.
If you are thinking ahead to that recovery period, our postpartum essentials collection brings together everything designed to support mums in those early weeks. Comfortable, practical, and made with real recovery in mind.
