Pregnancy changes your relationship with movement. What felt energising in your first trimester may feel completely wrong by week 28. Restorative and slow yoga, gentle holds, supported poses, breathwork, meets your body where it is at every stage, and gives you something most prenatal fitness doesn't: permission to slow down without stopping.
This isn't a workout. It's a practice. And it becomes increasingly valuable the further into pregnancy you go.
Why restorative yoga works so well during pregnancy
Restorative yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the rest-and-digest state that counteracts the cortisol spike that comes with growing a human while maintaining a life. Regular practice during pregnancy has been shown to reduce anxiety scores, improve sleep quality, and lower perceived pain scores in the third trimester.
It also prepares your pelvic floor and hip muscles for birth, not through strengthening (you have enough going on) but through release. Tight hip flexors and locked pelvic floors contribute to more difficult labours. Gentle, supported hip-opening poses held for 3–5 minutes each do more for birth preparation than any HIIT class ever will.
What to use as props
Restorative yoga is impossible to do well without support. You need something under your hips, behind your back, or between your knees. A bolster is ideal; a stability ball works beautifully as a substitute in several poses. A folded yoga mat can replace a blanket for seated support. A yoga kit that includes a mat, blocks, and strap gives you everything you need to modify any pose safely.
Safe poses by trimester
First trimester (weeks 1–12): gentle exploration
Supported child's pose, knees wide, hips back toward heels (or as far as comfortable), forehead resting on stacked fists or a block. Hold 3–5 minutes. Releases lower back tension, calms nausea.
Legs up the wall (Viparita Karani), lie on your back (fine until around week 16), legs up the wall, hips close. Hold 5 minutes. Reduces swollen ankles, calms the nervous system. Stop if you feel dizzy.
Reclined bound angle (Supta Baddha Konasana), soles together, knees drop wide, support under each knee with blocks or rolled mat. Hold 5–7 minutes. Opens the inner thighs and pelvic floor gently.
Second trimester (weeks 13–27): supported holds
This is the golden window, energy is usually higher, nausea has often passed, and your bump is still manageable. Use it to build a consistent practice before the third trimester makes everything harder.
Side-lying corpse (modified Savasana), lie on your left side, pillow between the knees, pillow supporting your head. This becomes your default rest pose for the rest of pregnancy. Train yourself to enjoy it now.
Cat-cow on hands and knees, slow, breath-linked spinal movement. Relieves back pressure as the bump grows. Do 10 rounds, focus on the exhale on the cow phase (arch down, belly drops). Gentle enough to do daily.
Supported goddess pose, sit with your back against a wall or supported by a yoga block, soles of feet together, knees wide. Place blocks under your knees for support. Hold 5 minutes. One of the best hip openers for birth preparation.
Third trimester (weeks 28–40): release and breathwork
Energy drops. The bump changes your centre of gravity. Breathwork becomes as important as the physical poses.
Supported forward fold (sitting), sit on the edge of a folded mat, legs wide enough to accommodate bump, fold forward onto stacked blocks or a yoga bolster. Hold 3–4 minutes. Releases hamstrings and opens the pelvic outlet.
Wall hip circles, stand facing a wall, hands on wall, feet hip-width apart. Gently circle the hips. 20 slow circles each direction. Mobilises the sacroiliac joint and relieves the pressure that accumulates in late pregnancy.
4-7-8 breath, inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale for 8. This activates the parasympathetic system more effectively than any yoga pose. Practise daily from week 30 onwards. This is the breathing technique you'll reach for during labour.
What to avoid
After around week 16–20 (ask your midwife for your specific cutoff), avoid lying flat on your back for extended periods, the uterus can compress the vena cava and reduce blood flow. Modify with a pillow under your right hip to tilt slightly. Avoid deep twists and any pose that puts direct pressure on your abdomen. When in doubt, skip it and ask.
You know your body. If something feels wrong, it is wrong. This practice should feel like relief, not effort.
Making it a daily habit
Even 15 minutes before bed, two or three poses, a breathing round, creates meaningful physiological change over weeks. You don't need a structured class. You need a mat, some support, and the willingness to slow down. The RIVI Maternity Kits include everything you need to practice safely at home, designed specifically for pregnant bodies.
Your third trimester will thank you. And so will your labour.
Further reading:
Prenatal Yoga at Home: Safe Poses for Every Trimester
Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga: The Slow Practice That Restores You
Best Maternity Fitness Gear for Every Trimester
What Pilates in Your First Trimester Actually Looks Like
Shop this article: Maternity Kits · Maternity Kit · Maternity Kit
