When Is the Right Time to Start Baby Yoga?

Your baby has finally arrived and you are excited to start sharing the many benefits of Yoga with him or her. But then you wonder when it's safe to start. There are several factors to consider:

1. IS MOM READY? If Mom will primarily be practicing with the baby, she will need the green light from her doctor to start exercising again postpartum. Although the baby will be the one doing yoga, there are many poses which will require Mom to move her body and lift the baby to support the baby in the poses. A mom who gave birth via Cesarean, usually gets the green light to exercise after 8 weeks. Otherwise, most new moms get the green light to exercise after 4 to 6 weeks. If Dad or a Grandparent will be practicing with the baby, this factor no longer matters.
2. HOW OLD IS THE BABY? It is usually safe to practice yoga with the baby when the baby is 4 weeks old (making sure to be careful to always support the baby’s head in every pose). There are many poses which are safe for the baby at that young age, but there are several which are not. So be sure to either use a book (like Helen Garabedian’s Itsy Bitsy Yoga® book), which clearly outlines the safe age ranges for each pose, or better yet, to attend a class taught by a Certified instructor who can guide you through poses which are safe for your baby. 
3. IS THE BABY HEALTHY AND FULL TERM? It is also important to consider the health of the baby as well as the baby’s gestational age. If the baby was born prematurely, you should wait to practice yoga with the baby until at least 4 weeks after the baby’s original due date. If the baby has any health issues outside of the usual reflux or colic, I would recommend consulting a Pediatrician before starting yoga with the baby. In fact, it is always a good idea to check with the baby’s pediatrician to make sure they feel comfortable with your baby starting baby yoga.
4. WHAT TIME OF YEAR IS IT? LOOK OUT FOR GERMS! Finally, if you are considering a group class (which I always recommend for young babies so that your teacher can be sure to lead you through age-appropriate poses), you should think the time of year and the germ factor. If your baby is born in the middle of cold and flu season, it is sometimes a good idea to wait until after cold and flu season is over or until the baby is at least three months old. If a baby gets really sick during the first three months of their life, Doctors will often order more intrusive tests than normal to rule out certain complications. So, to avoid exposure to germs during this time of year, it might be a good idea to wait.