Mother and Baby Yoga Study - Early Postnatal Yoga and Mental Health

NCT06056609 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 294028YNP
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 34
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Investigating the influence of an early postnatal mother and baby yoga programme on maternal mental health and relationship with baby: a randomised feasibility study. It is thought postnatal mother and baby yoga decreases levels of depression and anxiety and increases subjective experience of maternal-infant bonding. This project will provide the necessary data to determine whether a regular programme would be beneficial to mothers. The research study is an eight-week online programme incorporating gentle postnatal mother and baby yoga involving women 6-12 weeks following birth (at recruitment/study commencement). The outcome measures include mothers' feelings about their mental health and bond with their baby.

Conditions

Mental Health Issue; Depression, Postpartum; Anxiety

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Maternal subjective experience of their mental health during and post online yoga programme

  This is an explorative feasibility study which will expand current knowledge on the link between participation in a mother and baby yoga program \& maternal subjective experience with mental health. Mental health related outcomes are measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Scale (scores of 10 or more are suggestive of depression requiring further evaluation). Using well-established scales allows for comparison with other studies. A short two weekly questionnaire is sent to all participants for the duration of the study. Many studies have found the Positive Affect Negative Affect Scale (scores range from 10 - 50 on both scales with higher scores on the positive affect scale representing higher levels of positive affect, and lower scores on the negative affect scale representing lower levels of negative affect) to be a reliable and valid tool.

  8 weeks

• Maternal subjective experience of their mental health during and post online yoga

  This is an explorative feasibility study which will expand current knowledge on the link between participation in a mother and baby yoga program \& maternal subjective experience with mental health. Mental health related outcomes are measured using the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (a score of \>112 requires further evaluation). Using well-established scales allows for comparison with other studies. A short two weekly questionnaire is sent to all participants for the duration of the study. Many studies have found the Positive Affect Negative Affect Scale (scores range from 10 - 50 on both scales with higher scores on the positive affect scale representing higher levels of positive affect, and lower scores on the negative affect scale representing lower levels of negative affect) to be a reliable and valid tool.

  8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Maternal subjective feelings and experience towards the body and bond with infant post partum, during and post online yoga programme

  8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Yoga - Intervention Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The participants in the intervention group (n.20) will obtain access to an eight-week online mother and baby programme. They will be given access to one video per week and asked to complete the session at least once within the week. The participants are also free to repeat the session as many times as they wish. The researchers will record the participants access to the online videos. All participants will be asked to complete a daily activity diary. The participants will be asked to complete pre, intermediate, and post intervention questionnaires relating to maternal mental health, body satisfaction, and their feelings about the mother and infant bond. A subset of participants will also undergo a telephone interview upon completion of the study, which will be subject to qualitative analysis. A short two weekly questionnaire will be sent to all participants for the duration of the study to monitor participant mood and allow for follow up should it be deemed necessary.

Other: Yoga

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

The participants in the control group (n. 20) will follow the usual standard care pathway and will be offered access to the programme at the end of the study.

Interventions

Yoga OTHER

An 8 week online mother and baby yoga programme to include daily diary completion and questionnaires at designated study timepoints

Yoga - Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 50 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: All eligible participants must be assigned female at birth
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 and above
• weeks post birth or 11-12 weeks if birthed by caesarean section
• Uncomplicated postnatal recovery for mother and infant
• Attended postnatal check with and supported to take part in the study by their GP.
• Understand written and/or spoken English

You may not qualify if:

• Age 18 and above
• Under 6 weeks post birth or over 12 weeks post birth
• Under 11 weeks or over 12 weeks if birthed by caesarean
• Not attended postnatal check with GP
• Uncontrolled or new medical condition that will increase the risk of unsupervised exercise (cardiac, musculoskeletal, neurological)
• Recent surgical intervention and still in the recovery period
• Uncontrolled or new treatment for depression and/or anxiety
• Currently recovering from a pregnancy or birth related problem that requires health practitioner follow up (medical, surgical, mental health)
• Neonatal complications (prematurity, birth complications, medical/surgical problems, genetic disorders)
• Drug or alcohol dependency
• Multiple birth
• Unable to understand written and/or spoken English

Sponsors & Collaborators

• York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: lead
• University of York: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

York, N. Yorks, YO31 8HE, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (11)

• Durankus F, Aksu E. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and depressive symptoms in pregnant women: a preliminary study. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2022 Jan;35(2):205-211. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2020.1763946. Epub 2020 May 18.

  PMID: 32419558 BACKGROUND

• Brockington IF, Fraser C, Wilson D. The Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire: a validation. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2006 Sep;9(5):233-42. doi: 10.1007/s00737-006-0132-1. Epub 2006 May 4.

  PMID: 16673041 BACKGROUND

• Cox JL, Chapman G, Murray D, Jones P. Validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in non-postnatal women. J Affect Disord. 1996 Jul 29;39(3):185-9. doi: 10.1016/0165-0327(96)00008-0.

  PMID: 8856422 BACKGROUND

• Doran F, Hornibrook J. Women's experiences of participation in a pregnancy and postnatal group incorporating yoga and facilitated group discussion: a qualitative evaluation. Women Birth. 2013 Mar;26(1):82-6. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2012.06.001. Epub 2012 Jul 19.

  PMID: 22818031 BACKGROUND

• Fallon V, Halford JCG, Bennett KM, Harrold JA. The Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale: development and preliminary validation. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2016 Dec;19(6):1079-1090. doi: 10.1007/s00737-016-0658-9. Epub 2016 Aug 29.

  PMID: 27571782 BACKGROUND

• Jiang Q, Wu Z, Zhou L, Dunlop J, Chen P. Effects of yoga intervention during pregnancy: a review for current status. Am J Perinatol. 2015 May;32(6):503-14. doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1396701. Epub 2014 Dec 23.

  PMID: 25535930 BACKGROUND

• MacDonald C. Mother and baby yoga is good for you. Pract Midwife. 2013 May;16(5):14, 16, 18.

  PMID: 23789249 BACKGROUND

• Sheffield KM, Woods-Giscombe CL. Efficacy, Feasibility, and Acceptability of Perinatal Yoga on Women's Mental Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Literature Review. J Holist Nurs. 2016 Mar;34(1):64-79. doi: 10.1177/0898010115577976. Epub 2015 Apr 20.

  PMID: 25896571 BACKGROUND

• Timlin D, Simpson EE. A preliminary randomised control trial of the effects of Dru yoga on psychological well-being in Northern Irish first time mothers. Midwifery. 2017 Mar;46:29-36. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2017.01.005. Epub 2017 Jan 13.

  PMID: 28129548 BACKGROUND

• Vogel L. Tailored treatment for postpartum depression. CMAJ. 2011 Nov 8;183(16):E1163-4. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.109-4003. Epub 2011 Oct 3. No abstract available.

  PMID: 21969408 BACKGROUND

• Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Jun;54(6):1063-70. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063.

  PMID: 3397865 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• London: Best Beginnings \[updated 2020 August 06, cited 2020 August 06\];
• Knight M, Bunch K, Tuffnell D, Jayakody H, Shakespeare J, Kotnis R et al. Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care: Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2014-16
• NHS England, Improvement NHS, for Mental Health NCC, Others. Implementing the Mental Health Forward View. London: NHS England \[Internet\] 2017
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Postnatal care. Quality standard (QS37). London: NICE. \[updated: 01 2015 June, cited 2020 August\];
• Preston, C. \& Kirk, E (2020 December 16th). Postnatal Mind and Body. \[Webinar Presentation\]. Becoming Mothers: Perinatal Mind and Body Research - Postnatal Bodies. University of York UK
• Royal College of Psychiatrists. COVID-19: Mental health before, during and after pregnancy \[Internet\]. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists \[updated 2020 August 01, cited 2020 August 06\]
• The Baby Friendly Initiative. Building a Happy Baby A Guide for Parents \[Internet\]; London: UNICEF UK \[updated 2019 March, cited 2020 August\].

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression, Postpartum; Anxiety Disorders

Interventions

Yoga

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Puerperal Disorders; Pregnancy Complications; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases; Depressive Disorder; Mood Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Spiritual Therapies; Exercise Movement Techniques; Physical Therapy Modalities

Study Officials

• Deborah Phillips

  York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 5, 2023
• First Posted: September 28, 2023
• Study Start: August 15, 2022
• Primary Completion: March 31, 2025
• Study Completion: March 31, 2025
• Last Updated: August 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)