Practicing yoga can help in improving the production of breast milk in lactating mothers. Yogasanas improves blood circulation, stimulates the pituitary gland, aids the secretion of prolactin and increases production of breast milk. The postpartum phase is one of the most crucial phases in a woman’s life. Woman’s body goes through a number of changes both physically and emotionally. During this period, mothers should take proper care of themselves. So, they can rebuild their strength back. In breastfeeding, mothers have always experienced stiffness over neck, shoulder and back.
These yoga poses will counteract their hunched over feeling by emphasizing moving your shoulder down and back and reopening your chest. However, any form of yogasanas should be started only after getting a go ahead from a gynaecologist to assess if birthing injuries like a c-section, episiotomy etc. are healed. Onlymyhealth editorial team spoke to Dr. Ritu P., Naturopathy department, Kaivalyadhama, to know about yogasanas for breastfeeding mothers.
Yogasanas For Breastfeeding Mothers
1. Marjariasana
This asana is excellent for improving flexibility of the spine.
• Come down to form a table where your back represents a table top and hands and feet represent the legs of the table.
• Look ahead straight so that your spine goes little down towards the floor.
• While exhaling, gently press the middle part of your spine backward towards the ceiling and press it with your hands. Curl your head inwards and mind the distance between your knees. Do not bend your hands.
• Now while inhaling come back to the table position.
• Now again curl your spine backward.
• Repeat this pose for 10-15 times.
• While breathing deeply, come back to the original position with your torso straight.
Also read: World Breastfeeding Week: 5 Questions That You Might Want To Ask A Gynae About Breastfeeding
2. Adhomukhaswasanas
This asana will provide a complete rejuvenating stretch and helps to ease stiffness in the back of the legs and stretches back and shoulders. Helps with better circulation.
• Hold yourself on the floor mat, on your hands and knees. Keep your hands a bit frontward to your shoulders and spread your palms.
• Fold your toes while exhaling, and raise your knees a little away from the floor.
• Keep your knees a bit bent while you straighten the arms to stretch your torso.
• Straighten out both legs and push against the floor trying to open the chest while you hold yourself in a position.
• Repeat this pose for 05-10 times.
3. Bhujanasana
This yogasana helps in strengthening the spine and managing lower back pain.
• Lie down over your stomach with your legs stretched behind, with toes on the floor and chin resting over the mat.
• While inhaling, raise your body taking support of your forearms placed parallel to each other.
• Press your pelvis on the ground and raise your head and chest.
• Repeat this pose for 10-12 times.
Also read: Breastfeeding Helps Strengthen Infant’s ‘First Thousand Days’, Says Lactation Expert Dr Baweja
4. Paschimottanasana
This asana is restorative posture which helps in corrective alignment of the body. Helps in proper stretching of your chest, spine and neck and strengthening the legs.
• Sit with your legs stretched out straight frontwards, keeping the spine straight and toes stretched towards you.
• Take a deep breath in, elevate both arms over your head and stretch upwards.
• Breath out, bend forward using the hip joints, and move your chin toward the toes. Keep your spine straight focusing on moving forwards towards the feet, instead of going down towards the knee.
• Keep your hands on your legs, as far you can reach, without forcing.
• Breathing in, left your head slightly and lengthen your spine.
• Breathing out, gently move the navel towards the knees.
• Repeat this movement 2 to 3 times.
• Drop your head down and breathe deeply for 20-6- seconds.
• Stretch your arms out in front.
• Breathing in, with the strength of your arms, come back up to the sitting position.
• Breath out and lower the arms.
• Repeat this pose for 10-12 times.
5. Vipreetkarni Asana
This asana is very effective in maintaining the normal hormonal balance for normal production of Breast milk.
• Lie down on a flat surface. Lie down on a flat surface. Position your body in a way that your tailbone is at the base of the wall.
• Move your hips as close as possible to the wall, then walk your feet up the wall till your body forms an L shape.
• Make adjustments so that the yoga pose helps in relaxing. Keep a pillow under your head or a towel under your back.
• Repeat this pose for 10-12 times.
6. Nadishuddhi Pranayama (Anulom Vilom)
Pranayama followed by Relaxation techniques can help ease stress and calm the mind.
• Sit in a cross-legged pose and close your eyes.
• Use your right thumb to close the right side of your nostril. Deeply inhale through your left nostril and exhale from the right nostril then inhale from the right nostril and exhale from the left nostril.
• Repeat the process for up to 10-20 rounds.
All image credits: Freepik
