How to Get Ready to Give Birth - Birthing Exercises

This is an article about birthing exercises. They help your body get ready to give birth. Always check with your doctor before starting any exercise regiment.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Pregnant body

1. Mini sit-ups tone your abdominals, which provide support for the spine and thus help to decrease low backache. These muscles will also be involved in the work of pushing your baby out during the second stage of labor.
   
   Lie on your back, knees bent, with your feet on the floor. Place a pillow under one hip so you're not flat on your back. As you exhale, tighten your abs and raise your head and shoulders off the floor while reaching for your knees with your arms. Inhale and return to starting position. Repeat 10 times, once in the morning and once in the evening.
2. This exercise can be done anywhere, anytime, without anyone knowing! It helps the pelvic floor muscles become more elastic so your baby can pass through your pelvis more easily during birth.
   
   To do Kegels, contract the muscles around your urethra, vagina, and rectum (imagine you're trying to prevent yourself from urinating). Hold for several seconds, then release. Repeat in sets of 10, several times each day.
3. Tailor sittings strengthen and stretch muscles in your back, thighs, and pelvis, and improves your posture. It also keeps your pelvic joints flexible, improves blood flow to your lower body, and eases delivery.
   
   Sit on the floor with your back straight in the "butterfly position" (the bottoms of your feet together and your knees dropped comfortably). As you press both knees gently toward the floor using your elbows, you should feel a stretch in your inner thighs. Don't bounce your knees up and down rapidly. If you find it difficult at first to keep your back straight, use a wall to support your back. Hold the position for 10 or 15 seconds and repeat the stretch 5 or 10 times.
4. Squatting is helpful during labor because it opens the pelvic outlet an extra quarter to half inch, allowing more room for the baby to descend. But squatting is tiring, so you should practice it frequently during pregnancy to strengthen the muscles needed.
   
   An exercise called a wall slide is especially helpful. Stand with your back straight against a wall, place your feet shoulder width apart and about six inches from the wall, and keep your arms relaxed at your sides. Slowly and gently slide down the wall to a squatting position (keeping your back straight) until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold the position for 5 to 10 seconds, slowly slide back to a standing position. Repeat 5 or 10 times.
5. Pelvic tilts strengthen abdominal muscles, help relieve backache during pregnancy and labor, and ease delivery. This exercise can also improve the flexibility of your back, and ward off back pain.
   
   You can do pelvic tilts in various positions, but down on your hands and knees is the easiest way to learn it. Get comfortably on your hands and knees, keeping your head in line with your back. Pull in your stomach and arch your back upward. Hold this position for several seconds. Then relax your stomach and back, keeping your back flat and not allowing your stomach to sag. Repeat this exercise 3 to 5 times. Gradually work your way up to 10 repetitions.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear comfortable clothes while doing these exercises.
• Always consult with your physician before starting any exercise regiment.