Prenatal yoga in Amsterdam West

A gentle weekly prenatal yoga class (zwangerschapsyoga) at Om Yoga Studios in Bos en Lommer, Amsterdam West, at any stage of pregnancy, from the first trimester through to birth. Breath first, everything supported, nothing rushed. Wednesday mornings at 08:30 with Martina, 75 minutes, twelve mats.

Pregnancy changes the body week by week, and a practice that fits in the second trimester may not fit in the third. Prenatal yoga is simply yoga that keeps up with that: the same unhurried, breath-led practice we teach in every class, adapted to the body you have today.

What the class is

A 75-minute practice built around three things: breathing you can actually use, movement that makes room where pregnancy asks for it, and rest that is taken seriously. It is not a fitness class and there is nothing to keep up with. Props carry the body so the body can soften. What you learn here is portable: the breath you practise weekly is the breath that steadies you in labour.

What a class looks like

1. Arriving, A settled start, sitting or lying with support, letting the day drop away before anything else begins.
2. Breath, Simple, unhurried breathing. Of everything you learn here, the breath is what serves you most in labour, and it costs nothing to practise at home.
3. Moving, Standing and supported postures for the places pregnancy asks the most of: hips, lower back, shoulders. Props do the work so you do not have to.
4. Resting, Space to rest whenever you need it, and a long final relaxation on your side, the way the body prefers in pregnancy.

Who prenatal yoga is for

Anyone pregnant, at any stage, from the first trimester right through to birth. Many studios ask you to wait until week 14; we welcome you from the moment you know, as long as your midwife is happy for you to practise. Early on the practice is quieter still: more breathing, more support, more rest. Complete beginners are welcome and are the majority; you do not need any yoga experience and you do not need to be flexible. Rolling entry means you can start whenever you are ready. Please let your midwife or doctor know you are practising, and tell your teacher before your first class about anything we should know.

What prenatal yoga does

In the body

• Room in the hips, lower back and shoulders
• Strength kept, gently, where pregnancy asks for it
• Steadier sleep and easier breathing as the weeks go on
• A pelvic floor you understand rather than guess at

In the mind, and after

• A breath you can return to in labour, practised long before you need it
• An hour a week that belongs only to you and the baby
• The nervous system given somewhere to settle
• Other pregnant women in the room, on the same evening, every week

Practical and pricing

• Weekly, evenings. Day and time announced in September.
• 75 minutes. Arrive ten minutes early on your first visit.
• Any stage of pregnancy, first trimester through to birth, with your midwife's okay.
• Drop-in €20; class passes and Unlimited memberships are valid.

Common questions about prenatal yoga

When does it start?

It is running now, every Wednesday morning at 08:30, with Martina. The class is 75 minutes and takes twelve people; book it online like any other class here.

I am only a few weeks pregnant. Can I come already?

Yes. You are welcome from the first trimester, as soon as your midwife is happy for you to practise. Gentle, adapted yoga is not what puts an early pregnancy at risk, and the first months are often the hardest: tired, nauseous, and usually still a secret. Early on the class is quieter still, and resting for part of it is completely normal here.

I have never done yoga. Is that a problem?

Not at all. Prenatal classes are made for beginners; most people in the room are new to yoga. Everything is explained, nothing is assumed, and there is no level to keep up with.

Is it safe?

Yoga adapted for pregnancy is a gentle practice, and everything in the class is built around what is comfortable for you today. Please let your midwife or doctor know you are practising, and tell your teacher before class about anything we should know. If your midwife has advised against exercise, we ask you to wait.

What should I bring?

Comfortable clothes and a water bottle. Mats, bolsters, blocks and blankets are all here. Come ten minutes early for your first class so we can meet you properly.

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