Mommy and Baby Yoga – 7 Yoga Poses Moms Can Practice With Baby In Tow

Welcome to motherhood. Suddenly your life revolves around peek-a-boo and poopy pants. Honestly, it can be easy to lose yourself during the journey through motherhood, which makes it essential to make time for yourself.
 
Let’s explore how you can use mom and baby yoga to stay balanced.
 
After I began my own journey of motherhood, it became part of my life’s work to find a way to help other mothers find balance. I wanted to help other new moms balance playtime and personal time . . . which led me to yoga.

Yoga can help mommas through the most beautiful yet emotionally and physically trying parts of motherhood. I’ve talked to mothers from all over, and those that feel the most like themselves post-delivery have found some way to remain active (after being released by their doctors for physical activity).
 
Enter mom and baby yoga.
 
We’ve all heard about how important self-care and self-love are. After all, how can you be your best self for those you love if you’re never replenishing what you’re exerting?

Try This Online Yoga Class to Restore Your Pelvic Floor

Deepen and reconnect to your body awareness through a series of breathwork and intentional yoga poses, ideal for new moms, in this class from YA Classes. Practice muscle activation and contraction in order to strengthen and restore your pelvic floor. Not yet a YA Classes member? Try it out for free for 14 days.
 
 

Here Are 7 Beginner Poses For Mom and Baby Yoga:

Below are some fun ways to practice mom and baby yoga. These methods will help you strengthen and stretch while also bonding with your baby.
 

1. Easy Seat (Sukhasana)

Sukhasana is a great way to gently stretch your hips and strengthen your spine. Newer babies stay on your lap while more seasoned baby yogis can hang out on a blanket or playmat in front of you.
 

 
Let’s Practice Sukhasana

• Find a comfortable, cross-legged position
• Feel your sits bones ground down while you lengthen your spine skyward
• Take long inhales and exhales as you bring awareness to the stretch in your hips
• You can talk, sing to, touch, or make faces at your baby as you sit in this posture, or you can use your baby as your drishti (or focus point)
• This is a great pose to add neck and shoulder rolls to, and can be a good spinal warm-up if you incorporate side-body stretches, twists, or gentle cat/cow movements

2. Cat/Cow Pose Flow

Flowing between Cat and Cow Pose is an opportunity to increase flexibility in your spine. Place baby on a blanket face-to-face to allow for eye contact so you can create a deeper momma and baby connection.
 

 
Let’s Practice Cat/Cow Pose

• Find Tabletop Pose
• On your exhale, round your spine towards the sky and tuck your chin for Cat Pose
• On your inhale, drop your belly and lift your gaze for Cow Pose
• This is a great place for peek-a-boo!
• Repeat several times through and continue linking breath with motion

 
Looking for more yoga tutorials and yoga tips? Check out our full library of Yoga articles here
 

3. Spinal Balance

Spinal balance builds strength along your spine and gives you a better sense of balance. Leave baby on the blanket in front of you with that special face-to-face connection!
 

 
Let’s Practice Spinal Balance

• Find Tabletop Pose
• Ground your left hand on your mat as you extend your right arm directly in front of your shoulder, with your palm facing inward
• Extend your left leg behind you at hip-level and keep your left foot flexed, left toes pointing down
• As you breathe, engage the muscles in your back and core
• Repeat on opposite side

4. Goddess Pose

This powerful squat reminds you that you ARE a goddess! Goddess Pose will strengthen your quadriceps while stretching your hips. Hold baby close to your chest or, for an extra challenge, in your arms. You can also lift baby overhead and back down to eye-level for arm strengthening.
 

 
Let’s Practice Goddess Pose

• From standing, take a four-foot step to the side
• Bring your heels in, toes out at a 45 degree angle
• Keep your knees in line with your ankles (not over your toes) and your hips in line with your knees
• Hold here for several breaths, or alternate between standing and squatting

5. Crescent Lunge

Crescent Lunge helps new mothers feel strong and grounded. You can place baby on your bent leg for a round or two of “giddyup.” Your quads will be burning in no time!
 

 
Let’s Practice Crescent Lunge

• Find Mountain Pose at the top of your mat, then take a four-foot step back with your left foot
• Bend your right knee to about a 90 degree angle, keeping your knee stacked over your ankle
• Keep the back leg straight for strengthening, or option to drop the back knee to the mat for added stability
• Hold baby on your bent front knee or place baby on the blanket in front of you

6. Bridge Pose

Bridge Pose increases strength and flexibility in your spine and hip flexors. It’s also a great way to strengthen your glutes! Place baby on your belly, with her feet towards your chest and her head towards your pelvis.
 

 
Let’s Practice Bridge Pose

• Lie on your back and bring your feet close to your glutes with your knees pointed towards the sky
• On an inhale, lift your hips skyward while grounding through your feet and shoulders
• Hold on to baby and breathe here, or option to keep baby on the blanket in front of you
• You can either hold Bridge Pose for several breaths or lift your hips up and down

7. Savasana

Savasana, a final relaxation, is a fantastic way to remind yourself to stay present and grounded. Hold baby close and take this time to reflect. Fill yourself with gratitude and love for the beautiful mom and baby yoga practice you two can share.
 

 
Let’s Practice Savasana

• Lay down on your back or propped up with a bolster, pillow, or yoga block under your spine
• With your eyes either closed completely or softly open, take several deep breaths
• Relax every inch of your body as much as possible
• Stay here as long as you’d like (but for at least a few minutes)

Mom and Baby Yoga Will Completely Change Your Motherhood Journey

Having a baby truly changes everything, but it never means a mother has to sacrifice her self-care practices. Find ways to incorporate mom and baby yoga into your motherhood routine to create an incomparable bonding experience. A regular yoga practice will help you get back into a healthy routine post-baby.

Keep in mind that your practice will vary depending upon your energy levels, your baby’s current mood, and a million other factors. Try to be patient and flexible, and enjoy the journey. You’ll cherish these mom and baby memories for a lifetime!

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