The Best Fertility Yoga Poses To Help You Get Pregnant

Did you know that there are specific yoga fertility poses that can help your fertility?

Your overall health and lifestyle are extremely important when you are trying to get pregnant. In addition to eating the right foods and drinking plenty of water, exercise can increase your fertility.

When you think of working out in an effort to conceive, yoga may not be the first thing that comes to mind.

In fact, yoga offers many benefits to women who have fertility issues and are trying to naturally boost their chances of getting pregnant.

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Combined with other lifestyle changes like eating plenty of foods that increase fertility and possibly adding some fertility boosting vitamins and supplements to your daily diet, yoga can have a very positive impact in your chances to conceive in any given month.

Can Yoga Help You Get Pregnant?

Regular yoga practice can improve overall health both physically and mentally. It can improve circulation and ease stress caused by fertility treatments and other concerns.

Some doctors recommend yoga for PCOS and to help their patients obtain regular ovulation because of the links between PCOS and stress/anxiety.

Why yoga is the perfect exercise for those with fertility issues

Low impact so you can continue it during fertility treatments and in the two week wait
Can be done in the comfort of home if you are short on time
It is the perfect complement to other treatments such as meditation and acupuncture

Benefits of Yoga For Fertility In Females

Reduce Tension that can increase stress hormone (cortisol) levels
Correct misalignment in the pelvic region
Increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries

What Is Fertility Yoga?

Simply put, fertility yoga uses poses that focus heavily on the pelvic region and blood flow.

Many of the so-called fertility yoga poses are also called hip openers and are, ironically, recommended to pregnant women to help with childbirth.

Hip openers open up the pelvic area and relieve tight groin and leg muscles.

Types Of Yoga That Are Good For Fertility

Hatha yoga – This is the most common type of yoga you will find at studios. The poses below are from Hatha yoga
Vinyasa yoga – This yoga flows together in a series of sun salutations. It is sometimes called yoga flow.
Ashtanga yoga – this is fast paced and more likely to leave you out of breath than hatha yoga. Also called power yoga.
Restorative yoga – this is a gentle style of yoga focusing on breathing and relaxing poses.

One popular type of yoga is Bikram or hot yoga. I am not including that on the list as it is not recommended for pregnant women.

It is probably best to stick to the other types of yoga that are safe for pregnancy and the two week wait while you are trying to conceive.

Where Can You Practice Fertility Yoga?

If you can find a fertility yoga class near you, obviously that is the best way to start a regular practice. A yoga teacher will be able to correct your postures and make sure you are not over-stretching.

It’s worth asking your local studio if they have fertility yoga classes or a similar class that would beneficial. I found the fertility yoga class that I attended through my IVF clinic so that is also a good place to ask as they may have some contacts for you.

Fertility yoga is not normally available outside of major metro areas so if you are unable to find a class, you can get great benefits from practising yoga in the comfort of home.

There are quite a few fertility yoga DVDs on the market, my favorite is the Yoga 4 Fertility DVD.

I love the Yoga 4 Fertility because the instructor is the narrator from Desperate Housewives (if you remember that show) so her voice was soothing and familiar.

The DVD includes:

Information on the correct breathing to help with fertility
A gentle one hour yoga session specifically designed for fertility

I have also linked to 3 great fertility yoga workouts on Youtube at the bottom of this post.

Fertility Yoga Resources

Fully Fertile: A Holistic 12-Week Plan for Optimal Fertility

Yoga and Fertility: A Journey to Health and Healing

Fertility Yoga: A Natural Approach to Conception

Fertility Yoga Poses For Women

Source: StockSnap on Pixabay

If you would like to try out some yoga for fertility at home, the following poses are extremely beneficial for improving your general wellbeing and reproductive health.

I always recommend Hatha yoga poses for fertility such as the ones below as they are gentle and good for beginners.

Sun Salutation

In addition to the poses given below, it is a good idea to start your at-home yoga session with a sun salutation or surya namaskara.

This is a gentle warm up routine that you can do at anytime of day and it will help stretch your body in preparation for the fertility yoga poses.

Below you will see the sequence for the sun salutation. Complete the routine 5-8 times before moving to the fertility boosting yoga poses.

How Often Should I Do Fertility Yoga?

The poses below are gentle enough that you can do them daily. I would aim for at least 3-4 times a week to get the full benefits of each pose. Hold each pose for a few minutes each time.

The Poses – Asanas For Fertility

1.Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

How to do it

Sit with your legs stretched straight out and toes flexed.
Lift your arms up and reach for your toes.
Breath deeply, trying to stretch a little further with each exhale.

Fertility Benefits

The seated forward bend is one of the first poses you should do when you do a yoga for fertility routine. In addition to stretching the muscles in the lower back and legs, the seated forward bend also stimulates the ovaries and the muscles near and around the reproductive system.

2. Butterfly (Baddha Konasana)

How to do it

Sit on the floor with your back straight
Cross your ankles over each other and bend your knees in a butterfly position
Try to get your knees as close to the ground as possible

Fertility Benefits

The butterfly pose is one of the best hip opener poses. It’s also one of the easiest yoga poses to do and can be done while watching TV. The hip openers are great because they stretch your groin and your pelvic muscles. This has been shown to lead to increased blood flow to the pelvic area.

3. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

How to do it

To get into the correct position, lie on your side with your bottom right against the wall and your legs curled up.
Gradually twist round and walk your legs up the wall until they are straight.

Fertility Benefits

This is the king of fertility yoga poses.

Gravity works to increase the blood flow and the pose naturally aligns your back and legs properly.

Many people swear by doing legs up the wall straight after intercourse although that may be a bit of an old wives tale. Although no one really can be sure if holding your legs up can help you get pregnant, it doesn’t hurt.

I admit that I made a point of doing this, just in case!

NOTE: It’s best to avoid doing legs up the wall when you are on your period as you don’t want the blood to flow back to the uterus.

4. Cobra (Bhujangasana)

How to do it

Lie on your stomach and place your hands flat down on the floor just by your head.
Push up from your hands to lift the top of your body and arch your back.

Fertility Benefits

Cobra is awesome because it puts pressure on the digestive system and stimulates the ovaries. It is a good yoga pose for women with irregular ovulation or PCOS.

5. Squat Pose (Malasana)

How to do it

With legs slightly more than hip distance apart, slowly crouch into a deep squat position.
Try to get your heels on the ground for the best stretch
Doing this pose against a wall can help. You can also place cushions on the floor for support.

Fertility Benefits

This pose is great for opening up the hips and also stimulating your metabolism which is good for eliminating toxins from your body.

6. Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasan)

How to do it

Stand with your legs wider than your hips and lower into a deep squat.
Make sure to keep your body straight and do not bend forward.
Holding your hands to your chest can help keep your back aligned.

Fertility Benefits

This is another classic hip opener pose that strengthens your hips, quads and core muscles. It is also used to strengthen the pelvic floor in preparation for childbirth so is perfect for fertility.

Can I Do Fertility Yoga In The Two Week Wait?

The Hatha yoga poses for fertility above and in the YouTube videos linked at the bottom of this post are fine for you to do as part of a two week wait yoga practice. In fact, many of these poses were part of my prenatal yoga class.

Although there are no scientific links between Bikram yoga and infertility, it is wise to avoid it during the two week wait as it not recommended for pregnant women.

What About Yoga For Male Infertility?

Yoga can help male infertility in a few ways:

Reduce stress and the related hormones which can suppress sperm production
Increase testosterone levels.
Promote blood circulation to the pelvic area

The Best Yoga Poses To Boost A Man’s Fertility

There are a few special poses that men can try to improve their fertility. Like women, the sun salutations are a great warm up and basic stretching sequence that can be done every day.

Don’t forget that other lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet and taking supplements such as maca can have a huge impact in male fertility too.

1.Plank (Kumbhak Asana)

How to do it

Begin by laying on your stomach in the same position as cobra
Push up from your arms until they are straight and your toes are touching the floor
Try and maintain a straight line through your body. Make sue not to hold your bottom too high or let it dip down. Hold for 15-30 seconds.

Fertility Benefits For Men

Plank is great for increasing upper body and core strength which promotes general wellness and fertility.

2. Shoulder Stand (Sarvang Asana)

How to do it

Lay on your back and gently push up with your legs
put your hands on your hips and continue to push up until your legs are at a right angle with the ground
Try to keep your legs as straight as possible

Fertility Benefits For Men

Similar to legs up the wall, shoulder stands are great for increasing blood flow to the pelvis. They also stimulate the thyroid.

3. Plough (Hal Asana)

How to do it

Start in the same position as shoulder stand. Gradually push your legs off the floor and over your head
Try and touch the floor with your toes
Hold the position for 15-30 seconds

Fertility Benefits For Men

This is another great move for increasing circulation to the pelvic area and reproductive organs.

4. Bow (Dhanur Asana)

How to do it

Start on your stomach and, bend your knees and hold your ankles with your hands
Lift your chest off the ground while at the same time lifting your thighs as high as you can
Your stomach should be the only part of your body touching the floor.

Fertility Benefits For Men

The bow is one of the best yoga poses for male infertility as it increases blood flow and is often recommended for men who have trouble maintaining an erection.