A recent study by University of Michigan Health System revealed that mindfulness yoga may help pregnant women cope with depression. It is already known that pregnancy hormones can dampen moods, but it is much worse in some would be mothers, about one in five experience major depression.
During pregnancy mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, have become a serious health worry. Hormonal changes, genetic predisposition and social aspects set the arena for some mothers-to-be to experience constant petulance, inability to cope with stress and feelings of being wrecked.
If left untreated, these symptoms pose major health risks for mother as well as baby including premature delivery, poor weight gain, preeclampsia, difficulty in boding with new born. Though antidepressants have proved to be effective for treating these mood disorders, but previous studies have shown that many pregnant women are reluctant to take these drugs out of concern for their infant’s safety.
Lead researcher Prof Maria Muzik, and colleagues from the Center for Human Growth and Development, found mindfulness yoga that unites meditative focus with physical postures, has proven to be powerful tool against stress and improve energy. Women who showed signs of depression and who were twelve to twenty-six weeks pregnant participated in ninety minutes mindfulness yoga session.
The session focused on postures for pregnant women. The session also made aware how pregnant body changing to aware women about babies growth. Pregnant women who were recognized as psychiatrically high risk and who participated in a ten-week mindfulness yoga intervention shown significant reductions in depressive symptoms.
Prof Muzik explained their work provides promising first evidence that mindfulness yoga may be an effective alternative to pharmaceutical treatment for pregnant women showing signs of depression. Research on the impact of mindfulness yoga on pregnant women is limited but encouraging. This study builds the foundation for further research on how yoga may lead to an empowered and positive feeling toward pregnancy.
The study was published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.