How to Make Birthing Faster

Whether you are looking forward to or dreading the idea of labor, it is a good idea to have your body in top shape for the process of giving birth. Toning your muscles and concentrating on the areas of your body that you will be using during labor can help you prepare for the experience. Prenatal yoga and Kegel exercises help you focus on necessary muscle groups. Simple exercises and routines can help to prepare the body for labor, giving you the best chance of a fast birth.

Instructions

1. Start a gentle exercise routine, such as prenatal yoga. Exercise helps to prepare the body for birth and can make your muscles more comfortable as you carry the extra weight of your baby.

2. Focus on pelvic exercises, such as Kegels. These exercises, named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, target and strengthen the muscles used during birth, giving you better control when the contractions start to hit. To perform a set of Kegel exercises, tighten the muscles you would use to hold your urine stream, hold for 10 seconds, and release. These exercise have the added benefit of helping with pregnancy-related incontinence.

3. Have sexual intercourse. According to Dr. Elizabeth Pryor, writer for Parents magazine's website, sexual intercourse can help soften the cervix to prepare it for birth.

References

• Exercise Can Make Childbirth Faster and Easier
• Q&A: Old Wives' Tales and Labor