Child’s Pose

A safe place to soften, stretch and surrender.

What is Child’s Pose?

Child’s Pose is a deeply grounding, restful posture. It’s often used in yoga as a place to pause, reconnect, and return to breath. For new mothers, it becomes more than just a resting shape. It’s a way to come home to your body, after all the stretching, shifting, and expanding of pregnancy and birth.

Child’s Pose gently stretches the lower back, hips, and shoulders, areas that often hold tension after hours of feeding, rocking, or sitting with baby. It encourages slow, diaphragmatic breathing, which supports nervous system regulation and stress relief.

Why Child’s Pose supports the fourth trimester

✔ Gently stretches the hips, back, and shoulders
✔ Encourages deep, calming breaths to reduce anxiety
✔ Supports mental stillness in moments of overwhelm
✔ A safe place to rest between more active poses
✔ Can be easily modified to fit your body’s needs in early recovery

When to practise

Child’s Pose can be practised within the first few weeks postpartum, as long as you feel comfortable kneeling and folding forward. After a vaginal birth, you may try this pose sooner, starting gently. After a C-section, wait until your provider clears you for forward folds, and always listen to how your belly and pelvic area feel.

You can also use props for added softness and support, this is your rest, not a challenge.

How to do Child’s Pose

  1. Start on all fours
    Come to a tabletop position with your hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Take a deep breath.

  2. Widen the knees
    Gently bring your big toes to touch (or not) and widen your knees as much as is comfortable. This creates space for your belly as it grows.

  3. Lower your hips toward your heels
    Slowly sink your hips back, resting them toward or onto your heels. If this feels too intense, place a folded blanket or cushion between your hips and heels.

  4. Extend your arms forward
    Walk your hands out in front of you, palms down. Let your forehead rest on the mat, a block, or a soft pillow.

  5. Breathe deeply
    Take slow, nourishing breaths. Let your body soften more with each exhale. Stay here for 30 seconds to several minutes.

  6. Modify as needed
    Place a bolster or pillow under your chest for support, or rest your arms alongside your body if your shoulders feel tired.

A four-panel illustration showing a woman performing a sequence of yoga poses on a mat indoors with a potted plant in the background. The steps include kneeling, clasping her hands to her face in prayer, bowing forward resting her forehead on her hands, and lying face down in a relaxation pose.

Gentle modifications for fourth trimester mums

  • If kneeling feels uncomfortable, place a rolled blanket under your hips or between your heels and sit bones for more support.

  • If folding forward creates too much pressure, rest your torso on an elevated bolster or stay upright with hands on thighs.

  • Use eye pillows or soft lighting to deepen the sense of calm and turn your practice into a mini moment of retreat.