When I do triangle pose, I hear They Might Be Giants in my head.

I've been taking a prenatal yoga class at Health Advantage Yoga Studio for the past seven weeks, and it's been absolutely wonderful. My family and Tony's family looked at us like we were weirdos when we told them about the class, but that's because both families view anything that's different from what they remember during their own pregnancies as strange. What's amazing is how pregnancy has changed even in just the past 10 years, when ultrasound was rarely done and only if there was a problem, and doctors' attitudes about what is a healthy weight gain and exercise during pregnancy have also changed dramatically. Tony's mom was particularly surprised that I'm not supposed to drink caffeine especially since her refrigerator was stocked with soda.

Some of the "new thinking" is still a little fuzzy. The whole fish thing is really confusing. Basically it seems like fish can be very good for pregnant women but because of water pollution, many kinds of fish are not considered safe to eat. I've decided to just avoid all together...besides the smell isn't particularly appealing these days.

Anyhoo, if you've never taken yoga in a studio, I highly recommend it. I've taken classes before in gym settings, and enjoyed it, but a studio is so much better. The instructor doesn't have to drown out the techno bass coming from the aerobics studio next door, and the students are much more dedicated to the practice when they are paying for a separate class instead of just dropping in after a run on the treadmill.

My prenatal yoga class is taught by a woman who was also a labor and delivery nurse until the birth of her son last fall, so she has a lot to share with us about delivery scenarios along with her own labor experience. The students are all in different stages of their pregnancy, and it's a great place to get advice on remedies for aches and pains. I've learned about minor adjustments and breathing exercises that have honestly cured every minor ache I've had up to this point. I'm not expecting to be able to go into some painless yoga trance during labor, but I'll take what I can get!