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Fern Ross Yoga: Pregnancy, Postpartum + Pelvic Health

@fernrossyoga

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Supporting you through pregnancy, postpartum + beyond
Vinyasa, pregnancy and postnatal yoga
Classes | Retreats | Private Yoga
Move with me👇

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Hello! I’ve been very quiet on here so far this year, but am slowly emerging from my January cave and felt it was time for a wee introduction 👋

2025 also marks 10 years since I did my first YTT with the wonderful @carlfaure and @vidyajacq (and Stretch - RIP the best yoga home 💔).

So much has changed during that time, yet yoga has remained a constant through the highs, lows and uncomfortable plateaus.

I’d love to welcome you to a class soon, whatever your season of life. As you can see, I’ve navigated many, and am always happy to chat and help you cultivate a practice that supports and nourishes you.

#myyogajourney #yogateacher #edinburghyoga #pregnancyyoga #postnatalyoga by @fernrossyoga

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29

2 years ago

As 2025 winds down, and I map out my wishes for 2026, I wanted to share the various ways we can work together.

Whether you love vinyasa flow, are pregnant and preparing for birth, are postpartum and want to heal your core and pelvic floor and feel more calm, or are working with injuries or a health condition and want a more personalised approach, I’d love to support you.

As someone who’s been practising yoga for 18 years and teaching for 10, I’ve navigated many seasons of life in that time (injuries, multiple surgeries, changing careers, the pre and postnatal period and rehabbing diastasis and prolapse after two BIG babies, Hashimotos), and my practice has been a steady constant.

I’d be lost without yoga, and I’m passionate about sharing what it has to offer and love what I do.

Honestly, some days I still can’t believe that this is my actual job now: it is so much more rewarding helping people find comfort and ease physically and mentally, than running around the office asking people if they’re going to make their copy deadline or frantically rearranging print shipping dates to make a last-minute cover shoot work (though that always had an edge-of-your-seat kinda thrill)!

So, if you want to improve your breathing, posture, mobility and strength, ease aches and pains, connect to deep and sustainable movement, or reduce anxiety and increase calm, you’re in the right place.

My classes fuse modern movement science with the ancient wisdom of yoga, and it’s my mission to offer you nourishing, embodied and empowering practices that support your own path of self-enquiry, encouraging you to meet yourself where you’re at physically and mentally.

Swipe through to see exactly what I offer and how I can help you. And if you have any questions at all, just drop me a DM or email ❤️ taken in Edinburgh, United Kingdom by @fernrossyoga

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5

a year ago

Are you struggling with pelvic floor heaviness postpartum?

As a prolapse mama myself, I know how hard - physically and mentally - those heavier days can be.

But, almost 8 years into my journey with prolapse, I know that so many factors play a role in symptoms: rib mobility, excess tension, hormones, lack of sleep, nutrition (fibre is your friend!).

This is what I’d prioritise to get my pelvic floor feeling great again:

👉Mobilise ribs = better pressure management, less pressure down on PF: child’s pose back expansion, supported squat back expansion, thread needle
👉Release tension: pigeon, happy baby, supta baddha konasana
👉Elevate hips: bridge on block or bolster, puppy pose, legs up wall blanket or pillow under hips
👉Core work with hips lifted, gravity helps: toe taps, double marches, dead bug

➡️ Join me for postnatal yoga every Tuesday and Thursday, 1-2pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Stockbridge. Current blocks are full but Nov/Dec blocks now open for booking.

➡️ Can’t make in-person classes, try my online program, Restore Your Core + Pelvic Floor. Link in bio for all bookings and any questions just ask!

#pelvicfloorexercises #postnatalyoga #mumandbabyyoga #prolapserecovery by @fernrossyoga

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4 days ago

Pelvic pain in pregnancy? Strengthening your adductors could help.

Why? The adductors form part of the deep front line fascia, connecting the inner arch of the foot to the jaw, via the inner thighs, pelvic floor and core.

They work alongside your glutes, hamstrings, pelvic floor and deep core to help manage pressure and stabilise the pelvis.

During pregnancy, we tend to favour an anterior pelvic tilt and external rotation as baby grows, and as a result the external rotators and posterior pelvic floor have a tendency to get tight and grippy, while the adductors tend to overly lengthen and struggle to generate force.

Weak adductors can lead to uneven load across the pubic symphysis joint, triggering symphysis pubis dysfunction.

Strengthening your adductors can create more pelvic stability, as well as activate your deep core (a key muscle for pushing baby out, as well as keeping your hips and low back happy during pregnancy).

These are a few of my favourite exercises for strengthening the adductors during pregnancy:

👉Side lying leg lift
👉Bear hover ball squeeze
👉Side plank ball squeeze
👉 Bridge with ball squeeze
👉 Wall chair ball squeeze

📍Join me for Pregnancy Yoga every Monday, 5.30pm, and Tuesday, 6pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Stockbridge.

📍Join my next Active Birth Birth Preparation workshop on Sunday 15 November, 12-3pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Edinburgh.

➡️ Can’t make it in-person? Join my Online Pregnancy Yoga & Birth Preparation Course! For just £47 you get access to over 20+ prenatal yoga classes, breathing and relaxation practices, birth preparation and education, and so much more. Link in bio - any questions just drop me a message. taken in Edinburgh, United Kingdom by @fernrossyoga

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6 days ago

If I only had a five minutes each day to prepare for labour (which is often the reality for many of us, especially with other children in tow), this is what I’d prioritise:

👉 360 Breathing
Slowing down our breath helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, releasing physical and mental tension as well as boosting endorphins (a key hormone for birth!).

360 breathing also helps create space in the ribs and release pelvic floor tension, both key for helping baby get into a good position for birth.

👉 Pelvic Floor Relaxation
Your pelvic floor needs to yield during birth. Take time each day to do one of the following to release tension: supported child’s pose, supported squat, pigeon, happy baby.

👉Hip Mobility
During pregnancy we tend to favour an anterior pelvic tilt and external rotation. This can create tension across the back of the pelvis and posterior pelvic floor, limiting mobility and space for baby during labour. Poses such as hip circles, pelvic tilts, rocking lunges and more can all be so helpful for releasing tension and making space.

And during the rest of your day, think about:

👉 Posture
How we sit, stand and rest throughout the day matters. When at work (if you’re at a desk), try and keep your hips higher than your knees to create more space for baby (tension can affect their position);

👉 Mindset
What we consume impacts what we carry with us into birth. Listen to positive birth stories and podcasts, educate yourself on your rights, learn about the system you’re birthing within, do hypnobirthing, recite affirmations, acknowledge your fears… prepare your mind as well as your body.

📍Join me for Pregnancy Yoga every Monday, 5.30pm, and Tuesday, 6pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Stockbridge.

📍Join my next Active Birth Birth Preparation workshop on Sunday 15 November, 12-3pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Edinburgh.

➡️ Can’t make it in-person? Join my Online Pregnancy Yoga & Birth Preparation Course! For just £47 you get access to over 20+ prenatal yoga classes, breathing and relaxation practices, birth preparation and education, and so much more. Link in bio.

#prenatalyoga #pregnancyyoga #thirdtrimester #birthpreparation taken in Edinburgh, United Kingdom by @fernrossyoga

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11 days ago

Struggling with persistent lower diastasis recti or can’t connect to your lower abs during core work? Grab a yoga block and give these a go!

1️⃣ Block under sacrum
By placing a yoga block (or a ball/foam roller) under the sacrum we help get the pelvis into a position where the transverse abdominis (your deep core, aka those lower abs), can properly turn on without the lower back arching and gripping.

This slight posterior tilt allows the hip flexors and back muscles to switch off and deep core to properly turn on, allowing you to generate a great, balanced abdominal contraction.

It also helps stack ribs and pelvis, improving pressure management within your core canister, and feels great if you’re navigating pelvic floor heaviness.

2️⃣ Block between inner thighs
I also love adding a yoga block between the thighs to wake up deep core: our adductors, pelvic floor and deep core muscles form part of the deep front line fascia so using a block (or again ball/foam roller) can really fire it up!

🔸Single leg marches
🔸Double leg marches
🔸Tabletop with leg lower
🔸Double leg lower
🔸Curl up
🔸Bridge
🔸Reverse table
🔸Bear hover
🔸Reverse table
🔸Down dog rocks

➡️Join me for postnatal yoga every Tuesday and Thursday, 1-2pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Stockbridge. Current blocks are full but Nov/Dec blocks opening for booking soon.

➡️ Can’t make in-person classes? Try my online program, Restore Your Core + Pelvic Floor. Link in bio for all bookings and any questions just ask!

#postnatalyoga #diastasisrecti #yogablocks #coreexercises by @fernrossyoga

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6

13 days ago

September highlights: lots of wonderful classes and workshops with amazing women, prioritising self practice as we settle into our new rhythm, lots of outdoor adventures making the most of the weather, and joy at successfully bringing a very patchy lawn back to life! by @fernrossyoga

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16 days ago

Pregnant? Try these chair yoga poses to help prepare your pelvis for birth.

🔸Pelvic tilts: help open pelvic inlet, encouraging baby to engage
🔸Hip circles: help release tension and create space in pelvis for baby to rotate and descend
🔸Squats: increase space in the pelvis for baby to be born, builds strength in legs and pelvic floor for birth. A supported squat facing back of chair (can do this on toilet too!) can allow pelvic floor to yield for birth.
🔸Standing lunge: asymmetry can help create more space if labour stalls
🔸Rocking low lunge: releases pelvic floor, hamstrings and calves, helping keep sacrum mobile for birth
🔸All fours: sacrum and tailbone free to move, allowing pelvic proportions to expand by up to 30%
🔸Z-pose: a wonderful place to rest between contractions, with gravity helping uterus contract and baby descend

Don’t forget, your pelvis is an incredible structure that is designed to expand during labour to accommodate baby as they descend and rotate.

Practising yoga during pregnancy can help you a) create more space and balance in your body to help get baby into a good position to be born and b) enable you to intuitively move between poses as you bring your baby earthside.

📍Join me for Pregnancy Yoga every Monday, 5.30pm, and Tuesday, 6pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Stockbridge.

📍Join my next Active Birth Birth Preparation workshop on Sunday 15 November, 12-3pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Edinburgh.

➡️ Can’t make it in-person? Join my Online Pregnancy Yoga & Birth Preparation Course! For just £47 you get access to over 20+ prenatal yoga classes, breathing and relaxation practices, birth preparation and education, and so much more. Link in bio - any questions just drop me a message.

#Pregnancyyoga #prenatalyoga #birthpreparation #thirdtrimester by @fernrossyoga

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18 days ago

Comment ‘CORE’ and I’ll send you a full-length follow along prenatal yoga core connection class.

There are so many benefits to training your core in pregnancy, helping you maintain stability in the pelvis and spine as baby grows and your centre of gravity shifts.

Core work during pregnancy can help:

👉Improve back pain
👉Reduce hip and pelvic pain
👉Support and lift your growing bump
👉Improve your posture, easing neck and shoulder tension
👉Strengthen your TVA, a key muscle for birthing your baby
👉Help lessen impact of diastasis recti
👉Aid a smoother postnatal recovery

These are 8 exercises I love to include in my prenatal yoga classes so you can stay connected to centre and strong.

🔸Kneel up ball squeeze
🔸Bear hover
🔸Bird dog ball press
🔸Bird dog with adduction and abduction
🔸Short lever side plank with ball squeeze
🔸Knee down side plank variations: thoracic rotation, leg lifts, oblique crunch!

What is key with all core work during the perinatal period is pressure management. We want to monitor for doming or coning in the abdominal wall, heaviness in the pelvic floor or leaking: all are signs that we may need to regress the exercise or switch it out for an alternative.

Found this post helpful? Save and follow along for more prenatal movement tips.

➡️ Join me for Pregnancy Yoga every Monday, 5.30pm, and Tuesday, 6pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Stockbridge.

➡️ Can’t make in-person? Join my Online Pregnancy Yoga & Birth Preparation Course! For just £47 you get access to over 20+ prenatal yoga classes, breathing and relaxation practices, birth preparation and education, and so much more. Link in bio - any questions just drop me a message.

#pregnancyyoga #prentalyoga #prenatalcore #prenatalfitness by @fernrossyoga

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20 days ago

I wish more women knew that postpartum rehab isn’t about doing more, more, more. Postnatal recovery requires an intelligent and consistent full mind-body approach.

During pregnancy, our body undergoes an incredible transformation to grow a baby. To name just a few:

👉Our uterus expands from fitting in our pelvis to just under our ribs
👉Our posture adapts to accommodate this change in load and weight: we favour an anterior pelvic tilt and external rotation, ribs widen and flare, our spinal curves adapt accordingly
👉Our breathing mechanics also adapt, impacting our pelvic floor and deep core system, as well as rib mobility and position

Postnatally, we need to honor this incredible transformation: it took 9 months to grow a baby, it takes a least that to rebuild (and in my experience, far longer when you factor in lack of sleep, nutrition, hormonal fluctuations, the type of birth you had, lack of time for training, a nervous system that’s always ‘on’, etc etc…).

Our rehab needs to reflect that. We need to take time to restore breathing mechanics and soothe our nervous system. To restore rib mobility and optimal posture (reducing rib gripping/flare and pelvic awareness and mobility), as well as time to reconnect to our deep core and pelvic floor, learn to manage pressure well within our core canister, and from there rebuild strength.

Everyone’s recovery timeline is individual. Everyone’s circumstances are different. Consistency and working smarter, not harder, are where we see real change and progress.

➡️➡️➡️ Come join me for Restore Your Core + Pelvic Floor, my signature 12-week postnatal program combining postnatal yoga with functional movement and corrective exercise. These are the tools and techniques I’ve gathered from a decade of teaching and studying perinatal yoga and movement, and from my own healing as a mum of two who’s navigated prolapse and diastasis recti.

We start next Monday, 28 Sept, 11am, online. All practices recorded so you can catch up at your own pace, and you have direct support from me throughout. Link in bio to book, any questions just ask.

#postnatalyoga #postnatalrecovery #diastasisrecti #prolapse #pelvicfloor by @fernrossyoga

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4

24 days ago

Comment ‘BALL’ and I’ll share my full birth ball tutorial video with you.

Birth balls are an amazing tool for pregnancy, labour and birth.

I used mine daily during both my pregnancies to help ease aches and pains, and help encourage my babies into a good position for birth.

Some of the benefits of birth balls include:

👉Help ease back pain
👉Improve pelvic mobility
👉Encourage optimal foetal positioning
👉Help baby move through pelvis during labour

Size-wise, you want to choose a ball that allows your knees to be higher than your hips. This is so the psoas can stay long and open, and act as a pathway to guide your baby into the pelvic inlet.

Tension in the psoas can limit space in the pelvis, contributing to lower back and hip pain, and making it harder for baby to get into an optimal position.

Here are some ways to use your birth ball during pregnancy and birth. I’d recommend practising these positions during pregnancy so that when the time comes to birth your baby, you can move freely and instinctively.

🔸Pelvic tilts: help open pelvic inlet, encouraging baby to engage
🔸Hip circles: help release tension and create space in pelvis for baby to rotate and descend
🔸All fours: sacrum and tailbone free to move, allowing pelvic proportions to expand by up to 30%
🔸Rocking lunge: asymmetry can help create space if labour stalls
🔸Rocking squat: asymmetry can be helpful to try if labour slows down
🔸Z pose leaning over ball: a wonderful place to rest between contractions, with gravity helping uterus contract and baby descend

Found this post helpful? Save and follow along for more prenatal movement tips.

📍Join me for Pregnancy Yoga every Monday, 5.30pm, and Tuesday, 6pm, at the Lifecare Centre in Stockbridge.

📍Can’t make in-person? Join my Online Pregnancy Yoga & Birth Preparation Course! For just £47 you get access to over 20+ prenatal yoga classes, breathing and relaxation practices, birth preparation and education, and so much more. Link in bio - any questions just drop me a message.

#pregnancyyoga #prenatalyoga #birthprep #birthball by @fernrossyoga

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6

25 days ago

Trying to strengthen your core and pelvic floor? Strong hips are your core and pelvic floor’s best friend.

Our pelvic floor doesn’t exist in isolation, and it was never designed to work alone: your hip muscles (glutes, psoas, adductors) help provide vital support from the bottom up.

As a major stabiliser for the pelvis and spine, if your pelvic floor isn’t getting assistance from the surrounding muscles then this can create tension and fatigue from overwork, therefore we need that hip strength.

There’s also a correlation between decreased glute strength and chronic low back pain (Amabile & Bolte, 2017). Moreover, strengthening the glute med can help decrease QL tension, while releasing it can decrease excess pelvic floor tension.

Studies have also shown that strengthening our hips along with our pelvic floor can improve stress urinary incontinence (Simone A A Marques et al, 2020).

These are a few hip strengthening exercises I love to share in my postnatal yoga classes to help rebuild functional strength that supports the reality of mum life (endless walking, pushing prams, lifting car seats, carrying baby etc - it’s endlessly physical!), and improve whole body connection and coordination - because our core and pelvic floor don’t function in isolation!

🔸Adduction bridge
🔸Bridge marches
🔸Hamstring bridge marches
🔸Side plank block squeeze hold with rotation
🔸Reverse tabletop
🔸Lunge with rotation block squeeze
🔸Hip flexor lift to v3 flow

➡️ We do this and so much more in my 12-week online postnatal rehab course, Restore Your Core + Pelvic Floor, starting Monday 28th September. Priority booking opens tomorrow so join the waitlist now (link in bio!).

➡️ And there are two spots left for this weekend’s Yoga For Pelvic Health workshop with myself and Pelvic Health Physio @physiocoreandfloor. Join us Saturday 26 Sept, 10am-12pm, at the LifeCare Centre for a deep dive into all things pelvic health, from the athletic pelvic floor to the perinatal period, perimenopause and beyond, as well as tools and techniques for navigating conditions such as prolapse, leaking, endometriosis and more.

#Postnatalyoga #mumandbabyyoga # by @fernrossyoga

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3

a month ago