Introduction
Pregnancy is a state wherein women experience significant biological changes and stress, as well as specific psychologically and physical needs. Hence the need to handle the several physical, mental, emotional, and painful conditions that develop during pregnancy and birth. The mother’s well-being and life quality are vital for good pregnancy outcomes; psychoeducation, self-soothing strategies, and meditation are especially significant during this transitional and important time. Mother levels of stress during pregnancy have been linked to a slew of detrimental outcomes for the fetus and future growth.
For example, fetal stress is a major risk for detrimental effects on the nervous system of fetuses, and children. Gestational stress is linked to a variety of negative developmental outcomes, including behavior patterns and decelerated maturation in fetuses, changes in newborn stress regulation and behavioral responses to panic, mental abilities and emotional problems in infants, and decreased brain volume in regions involved in the cognitive activity in children. [1] Furthermore, prenatal mother anxiety and stress may be risk factors for kids in the future, such as the development and poor performance of the body function. [2]
It is hypothesized that mother stress could impact fetal growth during critical periods by activating the placental stress mechanism which results in decreasing oxygen level and in the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone. As a result, in order to promote life quality and promote baby health, it is essential to handle maternal stress and aid expectant mothers with coping methods for the inescapable problems and changes that happen during pregnancy. Exercise helps alleviate anxiety as well as other pregnancy-related disorders like gestational hypertension, edema, musculoskeletal problems, emotional instability, pains, and weight. [3] Regular exercise while maternity was often thought to be risky, and it is now generally believed as harmless and recommended as part of standard maternity care.
Yoga and pregnancy
Yoga is a remarkable activity that was initiated in ancient India which coordinated mind-body and has been increasingly been recognized and is used as a healthcare system in western countries for a variety of neurological, immunological, psychiatric, and pain issues. Yoga is originated from the Sanskrit term “yug,” meaning “to join”; very broadly, it entails working toward a common goal of oneself and improved health. Yoga is an integrative practice that incorporates breathing exercises (pranayama), physical poses (asana), and meditation (Dharana and dhyana). Moreover, cognitive training is the practice to achieve physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual peace.
Yoga is governed by five sheaths of life (koshas) which include the physical body (Anna-maya-kosha), the energy body (Prana-maya-kosha), the mind-body (Mano-maya-kosha), the higher intellect body (Vijnana-maya-kosha), and the bliss body (Ananda-maya-kosha). Any instability in these sheaths may result in illness-like discomfort. The five sheaths of life connect with each other. As a result, everything which impacts the mind may later spread to the body. Yoga practice has five components that are utilized to promote inner balance. The method used in this study demonstrates how the actions required in each of the five elements of practice can affect maternal comfort, labor pain, and delivery outcomes.
Yoga asanas are the initial element of yoga practice. This helps pregnant women improve their overall strength, improve their flexibility, and increase their tolerance and energy. [4] Furthermore, asana practice alters hormone secretion from the endocrine as a result of stress exerted to the glands during specific postures. This approach enhances suppleness and the ability to relax and deliver body awareness and detect areas of stress and imbalance. Chanting om, the second element of yoga practice includes the pronouncing of the sound series which are helpful to build vibrating and pulsating energy that activates the chakras in the body.
This technique also has an influence on the nervous system and can lead to the discharge of emotions from the body (sukha). Breathing awareness, the third element of yoga practice, operates at the prana-maya-kosha. Breathing patterns during labor will emerge on their own if she cultivates them during her pregnancy, resulting in a state of altered consciousness. These breathing exercises can help women keep relaxed and calm. [5] In addition, it also enhances oxygen supply, which helps to preserve the fetus’s well-being and assist easier delivery. Yoga Nidra, the fourth element of yoga practice, induces deep relaxation. Shavasana helps in deep relaxation and works to relax the body and help focus in preparation for the next pose. This posture permits energy to start flowing through the body for the goal of healing and nutrition. Lastly, Dhyana, or meditation, is the fifth element of yoga practice. It is the state in which the mind gets focused and concentrated while also feeling deeply relaxed.
Melzer et al. stated that daily exercise provides fetal significant benefits that eliminate concerns, and they advised at least 30 minutes of physical activity helps to prevent problems such as gestational diabetes complications. [6] Mind-body techniques promote overall health, reduce stress, and develop self-awareness, such as yoga, which may be effective in overcoming both the physiological and emotional sides of pregnancy. [7]
Many similar methods, like meditation, helps to reduce anxiety and cortisol levels which is an endocrine marker responsible for laboring. Relaxation treatments for labor pain have also grown in popularity as women push for changes to typical therapeutic strategies such as analgesics and anesthesia, which can be intrusive and have adverse side effects for both the mother and the baby. Labor pain is an unpleasant and multifaceted feeling that changes based on specific perceptions of and response during labor are impacted by social, neurological, and physical factors. [8]
Practitioners should utilize an interdisciplinary approach to pain treatment in labor, incorporating both pharmaceutical and nonpharmacological techniques that can be adjusted to specific needs. Competence, coping ability, and self-efficacy are thought to be necessary for a happy labor experience, and prenatal maternal anxiety is found to be inversely related to pre-labor efficacy for delivery and labor pain. [9] Yoga helps to alleviate some of the depressive emotions linked with pregnancy. [10] It is critical to assess its impact on maternal depression, anxiety, pain, stress, and other factors. Maternal yoga can help women adjust to the spontaneous yoga-like positions that are commonly used during labor and delivery. [11]
When the agony of labor exceeds a person’s typical pain tolerance, yoga enables people to study their stress response and acquire peace and stress management. As a result, yoga is also a fantastic method of empowering women during birth and helping them in achieving and maintain their ideal abilities. [12] There are few studies reported on yoga’s effect on the pregnancy of mother and child health. Narendran and associates investigated the impact of yoga on the success of pregnancies by reducing intrauterine mortality and pregnancy-induced hypertension. [13] Further, Swami Maharana discovered that practicing yoga throughout pregnancy reduced labor pain and time, increased the baby’s weight, and eases normal delivery. [14]