Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training: Everything You Need to Know

Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training Everything You Need to Know

Are you passionate about yoga and supporting pregnant women? Or want to deepen your knowledge in preparation for your own pregnancy? Prenatal yoga teacher training could be the next step for you.

More than 300,000 women give birth each year in Australia and these women have an increasing awareness of the need to stay active and healthy during pregnancy.

Yoga is often recommended by doctors and midwives as the ‘go-to’ form of exercise, providing benefits such as relaxation, stretched and strengthened muscles, pelvic floor awareness and breathing techniques to use during birth.

But unfortunately most yoga teachers aren’t equipped to sufficiently support pregnant women (or at a bare minimum, keep them safe!) in their regular classes.

Why Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training is important

So as a yoga teacher, how will you react when the inevitable happens and a pregnant women or new mum attends your class? Will you ask them to ‘listen to their body’? Or simply ask if they have their doctor’s clearance to exercise? Do you spend the whole time worrying if your class plan is safe for them?

For many women, pregnancy is their first encounter with yoga. It’s a true honour to be able to introduce a person to yoga, especially at such a pivotal point in her life.

Imagine being a certified prenatal yoga teacher and feeling confident teaching a group of expecting mums, who need yoga more than ever at this precious time. Or not having a mini heart attack when a pregnant woman attends your regular class.

Yoga teacher teaching prenatal yoga to pregnant women

What a gift to be able to masterfully guide women in their life-changing journey into motherhood, to make an impact that transforms her, helping her step into her changing body and find her inner power.

Your impact goes way beyond just keeping her safe. 

Being a certified prenatal yoga teacher means you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to safely instruct a pregnancy yoga class, or teach your friends, family members or private clients. It will enhance your resume and career options, adding opportunities such as teaching private sessions and conducting workshops.

Safety risks – how bad can it really be?

So we know yoga is beneficial during pregnancy, but why can’t pregnant women just join a normal yoga class? Is it really that risky?

Women experience massive changes in their bodies during pregnancy – changes which need to be honoured. For example, her blood volume increases by 30 – 50% and her heart rate increases, so a vinyasa-style practice may not be suitable as it causes dizziness and/or nausea.

Her ligaments respond to the hormone relaxin which makes her more prone to injury from overstretching. Yin-style yoga where poses are held for lengthy periods of time, or hands-on adjustments are therefore not recommended.

Then there’s the damage that could happen during pregnancy that might not become apparent until postpartum. For instance, her rectus abdominis muscles separate during pregnancy to make space for her growing baby – any overstretching of these muscles during pregnancy might make it harder for them to close and re-knit back together after delivery – affecting her core stability. High impact exercise, such as jump-backs might damage the already-weakened pelvic floor, again affecting core strength which could cause back pain and impact her mental health.

A fall from a balancing pose or an inversion could cause placental abruption (where the placenta comes away from the wall of the uterus – a rare but serious condition causing heavy bleeding).

pregnant women in a yoga class doing a balancing pose

These are all worse-case scenarios of course, and we’re talking about women who are otherwise healthy, active and perhaps are already experienced yoga practitioners.

But what about women who are beginners, who are anxious about the pregnancy or uncomfortable in their changed body. What about women who have various pregnancy-related conditions such as pelvic girdle pain, which affects 1 in 5 pregnant women?

In this case you’ll need to do some serious modifications – and as a yoga teacher you’ll know that’s really hard (maybe impossible?) in a regular class with more than a few people attending. Can you truthfully put your hand on your heart and say she’s honestly getting the attention she needs and deserves?

In the Mother Nurture Yoga prenatal yoga teacher training course you’ll learn the Golden Rules of prenatal yoga, as well as all the major conditions you’ll encounter and how to modify poses and routines so you’re avoiding causing harm and helping to alleviate common symptoms like back pain. 

How is Prenatal Yoga different to ‘normal’ yoga?

In a prenatal yoga class the vibe is very different to a regular class. For a start, there’s only pregnant women there, so they can chat before and after class about their pregnancy and share information.

The focus of a prenatal yoga class is more about relaxing into your body, rather than trying to push yourself to ‘achieve’. Pregnancy is not a time to advance your yoga practice. In fact, we prenatal yoga instructors often joke that it’s the only kind of yoga you’re allowed to get worse at the more often you come (because poses can become more challenging for women as their belly grows). So there’s permission to ‘back-off’ in poses, to honour your body and to do what’s right for you and your baby.

women doing pelvic yoga poses

Prenatal yoga teachers will talk openly about pelvic floor and bonding with your baby. A huge benefit of prenatal yoga is being able to incorporate poses that are useful for easing common pregnancy-related conditions such as leg cramps and back pain, and building strength in the places she really needs it. You’ll be able to share tips that will help during labour, breathing techniques for birth and poses that offer women an opportunity to breathe through a ‘practice contraction’.

Everyone will take modified poses such as prenatal Savasana lying on their left side instead of flat on their back, so nobody feels uncomfortable being singled out for a modification.

What to Expect from Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training
two women doing yoga pose

The Mother Nurture Yoga Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training course is led by Caroline Bagga, who is a Senior Yoga Teacher, Founder of Mother Nurture Yoga which offers pregnancy yoga classes all over Sydney for the past 12 years.

Caroline has practiced yoga since she was 8 years old, and qualified as a yoga teacher in 2008. She is Mum to three children, two of whom were born at home. Caroline is also a Doula, supporting birthing women and new mums physically and emotionally. She also offers Couples Birth Preparation workshops and Pregnancy Day Retreats in Sydney.

Our past teacher trainees always comment that the one-on-one mentoring from Caroline, which is part of the course, is invaluable.

“I strongly recommend Mother Nurture Yoga. I’ve completed my prenatal and postnatal course with Caroline, she is an excellent teacher. I’ve enjoyed the course, very informative, full of resources and very encouraging. It gave me the confidence I needed to teach prenatal and postnatal yoga.”

– Vanessa

Our in person Prenatal teaching training program has run successfully in Sydney for nearly a decade now and our point of difference is that many of the graduates go on to work for us! In fact our hidden motive for running the teacher training course is that we always need good teachers to join our team. Many of our graduates go on to become our next generation of permanent or cover teachers.

Another differentiator of our Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training program is that it’s really practical – we open our doors for you to attend our classes, with some of Sydney’s best, most experienced prenatal and postnatal teachers.

There’s an option to complete the full 50 hour training, which includes postnatal yoga as well as prenatal or just do the prenatal yoga teacher training. The full course spans 18 hours of face-to-face training in Sydney over 3 afternoon – two afternoons for the prenatal component and one for the postnatal component. There is also time for self-study, observation of classes and mentoring. You can complete the course quickly after your face-to-face training, or you can take up to a year to complete it at your convenience.

Here’s some of the things you’ll learn during the 50 hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training course:

  • Benefits of yoga for pregnancy and birth
  • Philosophy and connection between yoga and birth
  • Safety precautions for pregnancy yoga
  • The three trimesters – physical, hormonal and emotional changes for mum and baby.
  • Alignment and postural changes during pregnancy
  • Optimal Fetal Positioning
  • Pelvic Floor – anatomy and techniques for pelvic floor toning and relaxation
  • Relaxation and stress management for pregnancy
  • Connecting with baby
  • Asana – safe poses, benefits of each, which poses to avoid, poses for each trimester, how to plan a well-structured class
  • Mudras for Pregnancy
  • Labour – different stages, how the hormones work, overview of the hospital system
  • Breathing techniques for pregnancy and labour
  • Vocalisation
  • Active Positions for labour
  • Partner support
  • Different pregnancy conditions and how to deal with each
  • Teaching techniques
  • Dealing with concerns and fears about pregnancy and motherhood
Who Should Take Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training?

If you have a passion for supporting pregnant women and new mums, then you should definitely consider taking prenatal yoga teacher training.

You’ll need to be an existing yoga instructor (200 hours or 500 hours) in order to become a certified prenatal yoga teacher. Whether you’re newly qualified or have been teaching for a number of years, this is a great way to continue your education and add another ‘feather to your cap’.

Having said that, the Mother Nurture Yoga prenatal teacher training is open to all to attend, including yogis who want to extend their personal practice, midwives, doulas and physiotherapists. If you fall into these categories, you’ll simply get a certificate of attendance instead of becoming a certified prenatal yoga teacher.

Many of our teacher trainees have a personal interest in learning more about yoga during your own prenatal and postnatal period – whether that’s now or some time in the future. How empowering to be equipped to support yourself on this journey! What you learn may even impact your birthing choices (it happens frequently!)

How to Get Certified in Prenatal Yoga

If you’re keen to learn more about the Mother Nurture Yoga Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training including 2025 Sydney course dates and prices, check out our Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training course webpage, and request a copy of our full brochure. Following that, if you like, you can schedule a phone call or zoom meeting to talk to Caroline to see if this course is good fit for you, or request to attend one of our classes to check us out.

“I loved completing my prenatal teacher training with Caroline at Mother Nurture Yoga. She was a fountain of knowledge and the course was in-depth and useful with a lot of good resources. I feel far more comfortable and excited to teach yoga to pregnant women.”

– Anna

FAQs About Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training

How much does it cost to get certified in Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training?

Prenatal Only:
Early Bird: $899
Regular: $999

Postnatal Only:
Early Bird: $699
Regular: $799

Prenatal and Postnatal Combined:
Early Bird: $1,119
Regular: $1,249

Our Early Bird pricing closes five weeks prior to the start of the course. Request a copy of our brochure for the upcoming prenatal yoga teacher training dates.

Are there payment plans available?

Yes, we offer interest-free payment plans to help you spread the cost of the course. Contact us for details if you need this option.

Is your training face-to-face and where is it held?

Yes, our training is held face-to-face over the course of three afternoons in our studio in Carlingford in North West Sydney. There’s plenty of easy, free parking in the on site car park.

If you’re outside of Sydney you’re welcome to join our live training via Zoom. We’ve had people join from all over the world before.

Do I get a manual or class plans?

Yes! You’ll leave with a full manual which includes a comprehensive directory of poses and a detailed class plan. As part of the self-study, you’ll also create your own class plans for various scenarios, which will be reviewed by Caroline.

Is the training accredited or registered with Yoga Australia or Yoga Alliance?

No. The course was previously accredited by both organisations however we found this was of little interest to most attendees and the cost of maintaining the registration was therefore hard to justify.

Can I attend if I’m not a yoga teacher?

Yes, you can absolutely attend for your own interest and/or professional development. However, please note that unless you’re already a 200-hour or 500-hour certified yoga teacher, this course alone won’t qualify you to teach prenatal yoga.

Can I do the training if I’m pregnant?

Yes!! We love having pregnant women attend the course.


GET IN TOUCH

Inspired to Teach Prenatal Yoga?

Search
Pregnancy Tips & Tales:

Leave a Reply

SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

AT MOTHER NURTURE YOGA

We’re here to guide you on your journey through Pregnancy, Birth, and Motherhood.  Ready?  Let’s start with where you are now:

We're Sydney's top specialists in safe prenatal and postnatal exercise through yoga and pilates.  

Get Your FREE Copy of “The Pregnancy Yoga Handbook” – with 15 Essential Yoga Poses EVERY Pregnant Woman Must Know!

This simple guide for Mums-to-be is packed full of useful information with step-by-step instructions, pictures and guidelines to keep you healthy and your baby safe!