6 Yoga Poses To Avoid During Pregnancy – with Modifications
Curious which yoga poses are safe during pregnancy? Here are six yoga poses to avoid during pregnancy and some easy prenatal yoga modifications.
It’s pretty obvious — yoga is my favorite type of exercise. It’s a total mind-body workout that leaves me feeling clear-headed, open-minded, and good all over.
It’s also really great for pregnancy. Studies show that moms-to-be who participate in prenatal yoga have a lower incidence of prenatal disorders, low birth weight babies, and lower pain and stress.
So I was really excited to continue my practice throughout my pregnancy. I didn’t want to move straight into traditional prenatal yoga classes, and I assumed that since yoga is so low-impact and modifiable for different levels of fitness, I wouldn’t need to change too much to keep up with my regular classes.
However, as soon as my first trimester ended and I really began to grow, I was confronted with many situations where I felt like a fish pose out of water.
When the class was doing ab exercises or anything belly-down, I would look around awkwardly then sit back into child’s pose. When everyone would twist into a revolved side angle or a twisted chair pose, I would freeze dumfounded in the pose I was just in. In the beginning, when I wasn’t too far along yet and barely showing, I felt even more out of place when classmates would stare strangely at me wondering why I was so out of sync.
Some teachers were great and gave me modifications. But some just ignored me and the repeated advice to “trust my body” didn’t help when my body was experiencing things I’d never felt before.
It took a while, but eventually, I learned what I could and couldn’t do and easy modifications so I could continue practicing along with the class.
For this week’s prenatal exercise series, I’ve teamed up with my friend, the lovely yoga instructor Shayla Quinn, to share with you guys six of the main yoga poses to avoid during pregnancy and what you can do instead.
Yoga poses to avoid during pregnancy
1. Revolved Side Angle Pose
Pretty much as soon as you see a bump, or beyond the first trimester, you want to stop doing exercises that require you to twist along the midline. Baby is trying to grow in there and you don’t want to cramp his space.
Modification: Supported Side Angle
Instead of doing revolved side angle, you can simply perform a regular side angle pose, opening up to one side. Use your bottom arm to support you instead of bringing the palm all the way to the ground. This will also help you open up the chest more.
Yes, you may get some weird looks from the neighboring mat when you’re facing them instead of the direction the rest of the class is going, just pat your belly and give them a wink!
2. Full Wheel
Full wheel actually isn’t completely off limits during pregnancy…if you’re used to doing it. If you are very comfortable in the pose and it is part of your regular practice, you can continue doing it until it no longer feels comfortable. For me, I did full wheel up until about 25 weeks before starting to modify.
However, every pregnancy is different. And again, this is not the time to push yourself to try new poses.
Modification: Bridge Pose
If full wheel is not in your practice or you simply don’t feel comfortable doing it, sticking with bridge pose is your best option.
Another possible option, which will give you a similar heart-opening effect, is Upward Plank. Just make sure you’re feeling strong enough to support the weight in your mid-section.
And remember, every day is different — what feels good one day may not the next!
3. Bow Pose
After your first trimester, it’s best to avoid lying face down. That makes any poses on your stomach a no-no. When your class is doing bow pose or other belly-down series, it’s natural to not know what to do — but you have options!
Modification: Camel Pose
Camel pose is a great alternative that allows you to get in a heart-opening stretch and work the back. To modify this, you can also place your hands on your lower back/butt for support.
4. Chaturanga to Upward-Facing Dog
Chaturanga to upward-facing dog is usually fine to do until late in your pregnancy, when the weight of the stomach may prevent you from keeping your pelvis raised. You may also find that the size of your stomach prevents you from completing a vinyasa sequence.
Modification: Chaturanga to Upward-Facing Dog on Blocks
To keep your belly from hitting the ground, perform the sequence on blocks. You can also come down on your knees if the weight is too heavy to support.
At some point, the stretching of upward-facing dog may be too much for your stomach and at that point, you’ll want to skip it and transition straight into downward dog from standing poses.
5. Forward Fold
It’s pretty obvious why you’d want to avoid a full forward fold during pregnancy, but this pose can easily be modifed.
Modification: Wide Leg Forward Fold
Simply spread your legs wide before coming down into your fold to give the belly room to relax.
6. Twisted Chair
Again, twisting at the midline should be avoided from about the first trimester on. However, you can still get in the benefits of this version of chair pose.
Modification: Wide Leg Chair with a Heart-Opener
To modify twisted chair pose, simply widen your stance and use the bottom arm for support across your knees. Raise the top arm to a comfortable position to open the chest a bit.
Another option is to simply remain in a regular chair pose while the class twists.
Common Prenatal Yoga Questions
Before you go, there are a few topics I want to address regarding common prenatal yoga concerns.
- Headstands. Inversions are perfectly safe during pregnancy if they were part of your practice before pregnancy. Some instructors will advise you to avoid them during the first trimester, however, this is simply a precaution during this uncertain time. There’s no research to suggest that they are unsafe when performed properly anytime during pregnancy.
- Core work. Aside from crunching and twisting, many core exercises are safe during pregnancy. You want to avoid compressing your baby’s space, but exercises like plank and other isometric moves are totally fine.
- Lying on your back. I have a detailed post on this issue coming soon, but in the meantime, lying on your back is generally recommended against past about 20 weeks. I continued to lie on my back, however, well into my third trimester and research shows this is likely OK for most people. Talk to your doctor about it and do what is best for you.
I hope you enjoyed this post and that it cleared up any concerns you’ve had about prenatal yoga and provided you with useful tools to keep up your practice during pregnancy.
If you have any questions, please leave them below and I will do my best to answer them!
Exercise is important during pregnancy, but proper nutrition is paramount! Check out my Predominantly Plant-Based Pregnancy Guide for everything you need to know about a healthy diet during pregnancy including foods to fuel growth, what to avoid + 50 delicious recipes!
Looking for more prenatal exercise info? Check out these posts:
- 5 Pilates Exercises to Avoid During Pregnancy
- 10-Minute Prenatal Pilates Workout Video
- Best Free Online Workouts for Pregnancy
- 5 Healthy Activities + Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy
- DHA Supplementation During Pregnancy
- 5 Healthy Pregnancy Diet Tips
- Weight Gain During Pregnancy
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Weigh-in: Did you/are you practicing prenatal yoga throughout your pregnancy? Have you heard of any other yoga poses to avoid during pregnancy?
*Although I am a certified personal trainer, I am not a yoga instructor nor a doctor. Please consult your physician before trying any of these exercises and to make sure that it is safe for you to exercise during pregnancy.
Lorie says:
Just sent this to a bunch of my friends! This is an amazing resource. I’ve had women in my yoga classes up to 40 weeks and knowing the best modifications is so important!
Whitney E. RD says:
Thanks so much for sharing, Lori! I hope your friends find it helpful. 40 weeks and still going – that’s impressive!
Alisa Fleming says:
First, I think it is awesome that you are doing yoga so much while pregnant – it’s good for both of you from what I’ve read! Second, I’m not pregnant, but could use some of these modifications myself!
Whitney E. RD says:
Thanks, Alisa! It’s felt good to continue to move my body and stay flexible! And yes – these modifications can be helpful for anyone!
Maria says:
Hi! I have been doing yoga for all my life, now pregnant is scary to not know if you would hurt the baby. Thanks for the post! Is it safe in the first trimester to do pigeon pose, boat pose, flying pigeon and crow pose?
Abbie Gellman says:
What a great post! Would’ve loved to have this years ago when I was pregnant :-) This is super helpful for so many!
Whitney E. RD says:
So glad you found it informative! Thanks for the feedback, Abbie!
Charlene Pors says:
Great post filled with tons of useful information! This will be so helpful for moms-to-be, thanks for sharing :)
Kate C says:
Thanks for writing this. It’s super informative! There’s no reason to stop doing yoga during pregnancy, you just have to know how to modify a few poses.
Sarah Remmer says:
Great modifications! Thanks for sharing!
Jodi Robinson says:
I’m not preggers, but this is such a great informative post!
Catherine Brown says:
These are awesome potos! and such helpful information for ALL!
Linda says:
very nice article.Thanks for the information.
Melissa says:
I’m so glad I found this! I see a lot of contradiction around bridge pose. I’ve read that it’s not safe in the first or third trimester, so I’m not sure what to do during bridge! I’m only in my first trimester so I’m still figuring it all out :) the photos are super helpful. Thanks!
Whitney E. RD says:
So glad you found it helpful!
Joy says:
Shared this to my friends coz this was so helpful! Love their FEEDBACK.
Ndhaniya says:
This is great! I’m 39 weeks now and haven’t done an inversion in 9 months but next pregnancy (If there is one), I might keep them up depending on how I feel.
Am also a family physician and encourage my patients to keep staying active through their pregnancies, so it’s helpful to give them modifications for poses instead of just telling them which positions to avoid, especially when there might be conflicting advice from some teachers.
Ilissa says:
Hi there! I just stumbled upon this post as I am newly pregnant and just took my first yoga class since finding out. I avoided all that is mentioned here, but I did do some forward folding, both seating (as pictured) and standing (mountain pose to forward fold, halfway lift…). Is this detrimental or is it just not recommended/doable once you have a belly? Hoping I didn’t cause any harm. Thank you for your insights!
Jennifer says:
Same question. I did some twists today trying to strengthen my pelvic floor and now I have spotting. Yikes.
Liz says:
I stumbled upon this article when doing some research on safe yoga poses and I loved it! Wondering if you were able to write the article about lying on your back while pregnant? I have also heard that it is not recommended (even when sleeping) but I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this.
Brittany says:
This was incredibly helpful! Thank you!
Michelle says:
I am so glad I stumbled upon your post. I just found out I am pregnant at a time in my yoga journey where I’ve seen the most growth. I did not want to give it up but was willing to if it wasn’t safe for baby. Seeing this was really encouraging. I’ve practiced in heat (~98 degrees) for the last two years. Did you continue with heat or stick to non-heated classes? Thank you :)
Whitney E. RD says:
No, heated classes are not safe during pregnancy – I actually talk about it in my post “5 Healthy Things That Are Not Healthy During Pregnancy.” Congrats on your pregnancy!
Kim says:
Thank you so much for this post! I’m undergoing fertility treatments and people (including instructors, sometimes) really don’t understand that, while I have similar limitations to a first trimester pregnancy, it’s not the same! It’s not; I don’t have a baby growing, I have ovaries full of extra eggs that I’m trying not to get twisted. :p Anyway, your post gave me some great new modifications and I really appreciate it!!!!!
Whitney E. RD says:
I’m so happy to hear that! Good luck!
Jen says:
Is cobra okay for first trimester? What about child’s pose and happy baby?
Whitney E. RD says:
Yes all of those poses should be ok for the first trimester – always consult with your doctor though!
Sarah says:
This cleared up so many questions for me! I’m 18 weeks along and I’ve had many of those moments of sitting in class wondering, what should I do now, not knowing what modifications would work. I’m excited that headstands are still fair game though!
Megan says:
I love this! What about boat and canoe poses?
Chelsea says:
I do boat (30 weeks along) but I modify by holding onto my outer thighs to lessen the demand on my abs but still use all those little stability muscles.
Lisa Nichols says:
THANK YOU!!! It is hard to find good information about this and I reallllllllly miss my yoga practice. : )
Stephanie O'Brien says:
This was super helpful as first trimester knocked me off my routine of health and fitness because I felt so crappy. Now in the second trimester I’m eager to get back to my old habits. These modifications made me feel better about continuing yoga, empowered with knowledge. Thanks so much!!
Whitney E. RD says:
I’m so happy to hear that! Way to make it through the first trimester mama!
Deborah says:
As a yoga instructor I loved reading your post. I had a lady rocked into my class last week who was 7 months pregnant and wanted to try yoga for the first time! We made all the modifications that you suggested ensuring that she and the baby felt comfortable in the class and that the other students still had their usual energy hour. Thank You, your website is great x
Rathna says:
I did forward fold in my first month (for continuous 7 days – 3 sets each day) before I realized I was pregnant. Now I’m in my 7th week of pregnancy and I’m feeling cramps. I’m worried what would have happen to the baby. Can you please let me know if everything is good
Anna says:
All sounds great, thanks for posting! Only thing I’d be careful of is plank, I’ve seen research that indicates it contributes to diastasis recti xo
Alli says:
Thank you so much for this article! I appreciated the illustration of all the modified poses, and not having to sit through a 15 minute video. The summary of photos at the bottom of the post was extremely helpful!
Nicole Touma says:
What brand are the crop tops you both are wearing in the yoga modification post? They are so cute, and now that I’m pregnant I’m finding it hard to do yoga in a non-crop top.
Whitney E. RD says:
They’re from Alo Yoga!
hauser says:
This is great thanks for writing about it, very helpful!
Deepika R says:
I have spent very stressed few hours after a prenatal yoga class and wanted some advice.
I am 20 weeks pregnant and I did a zoom prenatal class with Stanford children’s hospital yesterday. The class had around 15 mins of lying down poses like bridge, pelvic tilts, happy baby with rocking, supine figure 4, supine figure 4 with twist and Happy baby again. I was directly on the mat on the floor for this time.
The instructor was of the opinion that since we are moving even though supine, it is ok to do these poses. Are those poses safe?
Whitney E. RD says:
Lying on your back is safe for most women for shorter periods of time. If you start to feel dizzy, then you know there’s a problem and you simply need to roll to your side.
Nala says:
Hi! I am just about 6 weeks as I write this. Is it generally safe to continue with all the poses as usual at 6 weeks?
Melissa says:
This post was very informative. I am currently 12 weeks pregnant and have been wondering what poses I should avoid or modify. Thank you so much for providing the modifications. I look forward to incorporating them into my practice!
Julia H says:
I do not agree with several of these poses! Sure you CAN do plank while pregnant, but you’re unnecessarily loading the core, especially as your belly gets larger this leads to diastasis! Camel is a great pose, but not in the full expression you’re showing here. And you could do inversions for sure, but your balance is off in pregnancy, especially as you get larger which can cause falls. Most certified prenatal yoga teachers would not recommend this pose.
Bonnie F. Morgan says:
Hello! I am writing this after only around six weeks. At six weeks, i play geometry dash lite and is it typically okay to continue doing all the postures as usual?