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Written by

Gina Conley, MS

3 Exercises for an Easier Labor

  • Birth, Birth Preparation, Fitness, Labor Biomechanics, Prenatal

3 Exercises For An Easier Labor: You do not need to wait til labor to focus on opening the pelvis!  We can prepare to open the pelvis during pregnancy with our prenatal workouts!

Throughout pregnancy, we can focus on ensuring we have the movement capability to open each pelvic level: the inlet, the midpelvis, and the outlet of the pelvis!

Open the Midpelvis: Help Baby Rotate During Labor

Want to try an entire workout that is focused on opening the middle of the pelvis?  Try this inlet opening workout!  

We include workouts like this in our prenatal fitness programs starting in the third trimester!  We offer our prenatal program in two formats:

  • 40-Week Prenatal Strength Program in the Teambuildr App.  This program is a list of exercises with demo videos, and it syncs to your current week of pregnancy, so you can start anytime!
  • Prenatal On-Demand Fitness Program has full-length workout videos that you follow as you work out at the same time.  This program syncs to your current trimester.

Opening the Midpelvis

The midpelvis, or the middle of the pelvis, is where baby rotates during labor.  We want to create more space in this pelvic level so that baby can more easily rotate through the pelvis so that you can start pushing!

The midpelvis opens more with asymmetrical (one-sided):

  • External rotation of the femurs (wide knees, or knees out, ankles in) creates more space in the upper midpelvis to help baby BEGIN their rotation into the pelvis
  • Internal rotation of the femurs (knees in, ankles out) creates more space in the lower midpelvis to help baby FINISH their rotation out of the pelvis
  • Pelvic Floor releases ensure that the pelvic floor has even tension so that baby’s head position stays aligned to the cervix for an easier labor

We can include movements in our prenatal fitness programming to ensure that those movements are easier to find!

1. External Rotation of the Femur: Upper Midpelvis to BEGIN baby's rotation

Trying to find an external rotation of the femurs requires the following:

  • Glutes pull the hip into extension
    • Squats and other glute-focused exercises can support this!
  • Adductors and hamstrings release to allow the hips to move into external rotation

Cossack or side lunges are a great way to find external rotation on one side!  Movements like this can support opening the upper midpelvis, which is where baby begins their rotation into the pelvis.  We incorporate pelvic opening exercises for each pelvic level in our prenatal fitness programs to prepare you for birth!

2. Internal Rotation of the Femur: Lower Midpelvis to FINISH baby's rotation

Internal rotation of the femur involves a closed hip position.  This means that the pelvis is moving TOWARD the femur (think belly to thigh). 

Internal rotation is commonly neglected in fitness programs and is the opposite of common postural tendencies during pregnancy.  So, we may find that internal rotation is HARD to find. 

It is important that we find internal rotation, as many late labor stalls could be due to the inability to find internal rotation to create more space in the lower midpelvis.

We can find internal rotation by:

  • Hamstring and adductor strengthening to pull the pelvis into internal rotation
  • Releasing the hip flexor, quads, and lats to allow for a posterior pelvic tilt which makes IR easier to achieve

The staggered stance RDL is a great exercise to incorporate into your prenatal workouts to focus on internal rotation!  This is an example of just one of the many exercises we include in our prenatal fitness programs to help you find internal rotation!

If you want more of a breakdown of WHAT to do throughout your prenatal workouts, check out our prenatal fitness programs!  We offer it in two formats:

Ashley
100% your program helped me so much!! I felt soooo strong during my labor and able to stay upright for longer because I had worked really hard on my fitness throughout pregnancy. I can see the fruit of that in this PP season as well. I’m able to move around and keep up with my toddler and move in a way I’m not in constant pain. Your programs are the real deal 👏🏼
Chelsea
I am so so glad that this prenatal program could guide me in how to stay strong and fit while giving good pregnancy modifications. I think this helped so much in the “marathon” that is labor! After I had my baby I really didn’t know how to safely and effectively get back into fitness and her return to fitness program has been amazing! As someone who felt fit before pregnancy- I was always challenging by the programming and it has helped so much! I recommend her classes and programs to all my friends!
Laura
I have nothing but positive things to say. My last pregnancy I had debilitating pubic bone pain where I was unable to exercise for the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy. I was even sleeping with an ice pack on my pubic bone every night by the end. This pregnancy has been completely different. I am completing all the work outs as written with very little substitutions. I’m sure I will be able to work out on the day of my induction if I chose to. I have tried two other pregnancy programs and the only option they gave for the pubic bone pain was to do less and less. I loved how your approach was from a strengthening perspective and I firmly believe all those oblique sling moves made the difference. Thank you for all your knowledge.

3. Pelvic Floor Release: Support Baby's Head Position

The pelvic floor supports baby’s head positioning!  We want some tension to push baby’s head into flexion (chin tucked position) so they can present smaller as they navigate through the pelvis.  But, uneven tension of the pelvic floor could cause baby’s head to tilt sideways or even extend as they rotate through the pelvis.

Releasing tension in the pelvic floor (particularly the posterior portion) can support baby’s head position which may mean easier labor!

The supported standing hip shift releases tension in the posterior pelvic floor!  We may find that we have asymmetrical tension in the pelvic floor, so hip-shifted positions can release this uneven tension!  We include several pelvic floor release exercises in our pelvic floor prep for birth course!

We incorporate lots of thoracic and pelvic mobility in our prenatal fitness programs and pelvic floor prep for birth course so you can move your pelvis more easily as you prepare for birth.