Alec Baldwin's wife, Hilaria Baldwin, is expecting her first child with her husband this summer, and recently the mama-to-be and Spanish-born yoga instructor in New York City revealed five of her favorite yoga postures that can relieve back pain and help with flexibility during pregnancy, according to the Daily Mail.
In a video on WhatToExpect.com, Baldwin introduces herself while sitting on a yoga mat in a calming room with the blinds drawn, wearing yoga pants and a comfortable green tank top.
"I'm pregnant with my first daughter," she said in the video. "I'm 22-weeks pregnant and we're very excited."
She explained that before she became pregnant she was an athlete, regularly running and doing a lot of yoga and swimming. When she became pregnant, she said she had to make "a lot of modifications" to adjust her workouts.
"During the first trimester I didn't feel very good," she said. "So I had to rest a lot." She still wanted to stay active, so she toned down her workout routines and found that she "felt a lot better" when she worked out even when she didn't feel up to it. Now in her second trimester,
Baldwin said she cannot do any deep twisting or core work, and makes sure her belly and baby have space during her yoga routines.
"During the third trimester you really have to tone it down again, because you've gained so much more weight," she said. "But to keep active and to keep the blood flowing can be really fantastic, not only for feeling good during pregnancy but for delivery and recovering afterwards."
Baldwin's poses included the cat-cow pose, which she said is great for relieving back pain and tension and is done on all fours. A seated side stretch pose helps "enhance your flexibility" and "relaxes the body and mind," and is done sitting in a cross-legged position. Another sitting pose, the seated open spinal twist, allows you to give your spine a good twist without putting pressure on your growing belly.
Baldwin also demonstrated the supported bridge pose, and advised not to lie on your back too long, as doctors advise against it during pregnancy as it elevates the pelvis and your "vena cava isn't getting compressed by the baby." She showed a modification of this pose that has you lie on your back for just a few seconds. Finally, the squat pose helps create flexibility in your pelvis before giving birth, according to Baldwin, and can help teach you delivery room techniques.
Click here to watch Hilaria Baldwin demonstrating these poses and discussing how they've helped with her pregnancy in her new video, and click here for photos from the video with instructions.
