YOGA IN PREGNANCY Yoga with its dictum of moderation and with its vision of a complete integrated human being has plenty to offer to a mother-to-be and a young mother.

Common Discomforts during Pregnancy and suitable yogic therapies

MANY OF the common discomforts during pregnancy may have a psychological basis. Some of these discomforts might occur or might not occur. There is no need to be alarmed by them. Many times the mind plays a role.

Heartburn:

This is a mild form of indigestion and may be caused by internal crowding as the baby grows and takes more room'. It is advisable to stand up and carry out deep breathing exercises when heartburn strikes. This will expand your rib cage giving your digestive system more room to function.

Constipation:

Hormonal changes during pregnancy bring about this condition.

• Relaxation, plenty of exercise, adequate fluids, well balanced diet with sufficient roughage and regular practice of Asanas are preferable to consumption of laxatives.
• Cooked dried figs and fresh peaches, dates and raisins are the best natural laxatives. Other foods with laxative properties are pure unrefined oils, papaya, chickoo, guava, oranges, sweet lime, bananas and other seasonal citrus fruits.
• Have a fixed time for your bowel movement. Avoid gas forming foods like beans, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, onions, radish and turnips.
• Eat at regular intervals of four hours and drink a glass of lime juice or fruit juice between meals. A glass of warm water early in the morning with or without lemon juice and honey helps.
• Avoid tension as it too contributes to constipation by con¬stricting the muscles. Daily practice of Asanas is the best pre-natal prevention of constipation.

Varicose Veins:

These are enlarged leg veins that lie just beneath the skin. The extra weight gain of pregnancy puts enough additional pressure on the legs to aggravate this condition.

• Try resting in Shavasana frequently with your feet propped up 14 to 20 inches.
• Wearing elastic stockings in the morning can prevent the leg veins from filling up.
• Vitamin C helps in strengthening the capillary walls. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits and green capsicum or green pepper and Guavas. Avoid prolonged standing (i.e. for more than 1/2 hour) in one place.
• Walking is the best exercise for preventing varicose veins. Schedule your day's work in such a way that you alternate periods of work and rest. This will help in preventing prolonged standing. Tendency of finishing work at a stretch and then resting for a long period should be avoided. Avoid constipation too.

Stretch marks:

Since the skin stretches during pregnancy, marks sometimes appear on the abdomen and the thighs. The skin should be rubbed regularly with oil or a Vitamin E ointment. Heat the oil and, massage the skin of the breast, abdomen, hips and the thighs once or twice a day.

A scratchy feeling is obvious when skin enlarges but it should be attended to by a vigorous massage with the palm of the hand so that the warmth generated by the massage reduces the scratchy feeling.

Always cut your nails short. If you scratch, it leaves a permanent mark on the body and no cream can then help you. Avoid scratching with nails or any sharp object on breast, abdomen and hips.

Pigmentation patches:

Sometimes discolouration appears on the face in the form of patches. These generally go off after the delivery. Do not worry about them. It is a passing phase.

Sleeplessness:

Conscious relaxation is recommended when unable to sleep. Sometimes the sensation of the growing womb causes back¬aches and discomfort in the pubic region causing sleeplessness.

Breathlessness:

As the pregnancy advances the slightest exertion may bring on a feeling of breathlessness in some women which initially could be due to minor emotional problems; later on, it is caused by greater movement of blood away from the heart and lungs into the growing womb. Also, the diaphragm pushes on the lungs as the womb expands. This causes breathlessness. So try to do more diaphragmatic breathing.

Ligament pains:

The ligaments that hold the womb in place stretch as the womb grows. Sometimes when the pull is rather excessive small amount of bleeding in the ligaments produces sharp pain. However, the ligaments are resilient enough to settle down on their own.

Do not sit in one position for a long time. The moment pain is felt, change the position. Do not panic. Don't treat this pain as pain; it’s just a pull and will pass off.