Your baby has to internally rotate through the midpelvis during labor before you can start pushing and meet your baby! We want to create space based on where baby is, so if baby is rotating in the midpelvis, we want to create more space asymmetrically in the pelvis to support this rotation.
Movements that focus on hip shifting, or shifting weight from one leg to the other, can help us prepare for birth! Here are five exercises you can incorporate into your prenatal routine to prepare for opening the midpelvis during birth.
We incorporate these exercises and more into our prenatal fitness programs to outline how to prepare physically for birth!
Prepare for Birth: Open the Midpelvis
The midpelvis is the bony structure of the pelvis that baby has to rotate through during birth.
The midpelvis opens more with asymmetrical movements, where one hip is doing something differently than the other, such as internal versus external rotation.
When opening the midpelvis, common laboring positions could include standing sway, or movements that are more focused on side to side or diagonal movement patterns.
We can mimic this movement pattern with exercises that we incorporate into our prenatal fitness routine!
Learn more about labor biomechanics and how to open the pelvis during birth with movement, plus preparation exercises in our labor biomechanics course/webinar that is offered every other month.
This course includes our 90-minute labor biomechanics webinar recording plus our 24-page labor biomechanics quick reference guide.
- 90-min webinar
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5 Prenatal Exercises to Prepare to Open the Midpelvis for Birth
Movements that focus on finding asymmetrical hip positions can help us prepare for birth!
Remember, when we prepare the pelvis for birth, we focus on ensuring that pelvic opening positions are accessible to us during birth!
When approaching each of these exercises, we want to find a shift in weight from leg to leg while driving the knee forward and the opposite hip crease backward.
Think of those two concepts in each of the exercises listed below!
1) Seated Hip Shift
In the seated hip shift, place a small ball or yoga block between the thighs. Ideally, this ball is about 3-4 inches, so a child’s toy ball is usually a great size.
- Actively squeeze the ball between the thighs.
- Then drive one knee forward, as you pull the opposite hip backward.
- Take an inhale to feel the pelvic floor (more towards the back hip side) expand, lengthen, or stretch.
- Exhale to switch sides.
- Repeat 5-10 times per side.
2) Standing Hip Shift
The standing hip shift takes the same concept of movement in the hip but increases the activation of the exercise.
- Standing on both legs, shift the hip crease back as you rotate the belly towards the straightened leg.
- Option to reach towards the straight leg foot with the opposite arm.
- Inhale to feel the stretch in the hamstring and pelvic floor on the straight leg side.
- Exhale to switch sides.
- Repeat 5-10 times per side.
3) Elevated Standing Hip Shift
The elevated standing hip shift intensifies the previous exercise by increasing the straight leg’s internal rotation and hamstring stretch.
- Stand on an elevated surface, such as a yoga block or book, roughly 2-3 inches in height.
- Drive the elevated leg hip crease back as you straighten the leg.
- Rotate the belly towards the straight leg for more internal rotation focus.
- Reach for the straight leg foot with the opposite arm.
- Inhale to feel the hamstring and pelvic floor of the straight leg stretch or lengthen.
- Exhale to stand up.
- Repeat each leg 5-10 times.
4) Foam Roller Thoracic Opener
The foam roller thoracic opening involves more of the upper body into the hip opening. This movement focuses more on the external rotation aspect of hip opening.
The foam roller acts as a guide to drive the knee forward.
- Place shin on foam roller in a side-lying position.
- Drive the knee forward of the elevated leg, as you rotate the top arm backward.
- Inhale to feel the rib cage expand.
- Exhale to come back to your starting position.
- Repeat 5-10 times per side.
5) Staggered Stance RDL with IR Focus
The staggered stance RDL with internal rotation focus has been one of my favorite prenatal preparation exercises!
This movement is a strengthening exercise that finds a lot of movement in the hips.
- Step one foot back for a staggered stance. Front leg is the work leg.
- Hold the weight in the opposite hand of the forward leg.
- Lower the weigh toward the forward foot, as you think belly towards thigh.
- Option to reach towards the ceiling with the free hand.
- Shin should maintain a fairly stacked position at the bottom of the movement (knee or ankle).
- Watch the video below for more of a breakdown!
Help Baby Rotate in the Midpelvis: Focus on Asymmetical Movement Patterns
We can prepare for birth by ensuring that different movement patterns that open the pelvis are available during pregnancy and birth!
Baby rotates through the midpelvis, and we can create more space with asymmetrical movement patterns.
These exercises can help prepare the pelvis to open asymmetrically!
We incorporate these exercises in our prenatal fitness programs to prepare you for birth physically!
Feel strong and move comfortably throughout your entire pregnancy. Our program syncs to your current week of pregnancy, so you can start at any time!
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