7 Prenatal Exercises
As I approach the end of my pregnancy, I am focusing on staying comfortable and preparing for birth!
I am still doing our 40-week prenatal strength program that syncs with your week of pregnancy. The final month of the program begins to taper for birth and incorporates a lot more exercises to prepare the body for birth.
7 Prenatal Fitness Focuses to Prepare for Birth
Here are 7 things I am incorporating into my prenatal workout routine to prepare for my birth, while still focusing on staying comfortable and strong at the end of my pregnancy.
- Strength Exercises: mostly bodyweight and dumbbells
- Pelvic stability to keep my pelvic girdle comfortable and pain-free
- Movements to support baby’s position
- Walks and low impact cardio
- Pelvic floor relaxation to prepare for birth
- Mobility to prepare to open the pelvis
- Labor prep workouts
1. Strength Exercises: Bodyweight and Dumbbells
At the end of my pregnancy, I still want to stay comfortable and strong.
I am at 41 weeks, so if I had stopped all strength exercises at 37 weeks, that would have been a full month of deconditioning, which may have made postpartum recovery even harder.
But, I am not trying to achieve any personal records in lifts in my lifts, so I’ve shifted my focus to mostly bodyweight and dumbbells or kettlebells. This has helped me shift my mindset from athletic performance to releasing for birth.
I’ve been doing our 40-week prenatal strength program throughout my entire pregnancy! This program syncs to your current week of pregnancy so that you can start anytime, including in the third trimester!
If you prefer to watch a video as you work out simultaneously, our prenatal fitness on-demand program is also available for each trimester!
2. Pelvic Stability: Stay Pain-Free During Pregnancy
Another aspect of staying comfortable during my pregnancy is pelvic stability work.
All of our workouts, both prenatal and postpartum, incorporate myofascial sling work to support core strength and pelvic stability.
Myofascial slings run diagonally and along the pelvic girdle to help stabilize the pelvic joints during movement. The slings also connect the upper and lower body for functional and dynamic movement.
During my pregnancies, I usually experience some sort of right SI joint pain that is easily managed with pelvic stability exercises.
I find that if I continue to intentionally move, I am pain free. If I take too many days off, especially in the third trimester, I am in a lot of pain. So, it’s really important for my own comfort that I keep exercising even in these final days.
Find comfort and relief from pelvic girdle pain throughout your pregnancy and postpartum period! This program incorporates myofascial sling focused exercises to stabilize across the pelvic girdle joints.
- 3 Week Program, 9 Workouts
- On Demand Workout Videos to Follow
- Educational Videos on How to Approach Modifications
- E-Book
3. Movements to Support Baby's Position
Another focus is to incorporate movements that support releasing tension in my uterine ligaments and posterior pelvic floor to support my baby’s position for birth!
I started to do this circuit about 2-3 times a week starting in the third trimester but am doing it almost daily in the final days of my pregnancy.
A balanced uterus (ligaments, musculature, pelvis, pelvic floor) makes it easier for baby to rotate in birth!
Baby’s position in pregnancy is not a predictor of labor onset or how labor will go, BUT how easy baby can move around can be a predictor. We can make it easier for baby to move around by ensuring that their environment is clear of obstacles.
Watch the video below to see an example of our uterine release labor prep flow that we incorporate into both of our 40-week Prenatal Strength Program in the third trimester and the 3rd trimester prenatal on-demand fitness program.
4. Walks and Daily Movement
Aerobic activity is also helpful your entire pregnancy, but as energy levels fluctuate in the final days and weeks, low impact cardio can be much more manageable.
I have been enjoying doing low impact stationary bike workouts and easy to moderate paced walks around my neighborhood.
As I walk, I can incorporate some midpelvis opening with curb walking!
5. Pelvic Floor Relaxation: Prepare for Birth
Now for the birth prep focused exercises!
The first area I am focusing on to prepare for birth is relaxing my pelvic floor.
Baby needs to rotate and pass through the pelvic floor during birth. Pelvic floor tension could make it much more challenging for baby to navigate through and stall labor.
During the end of my pregnancy, I am focusing on breathing drills to feel my pelvic floor move and stretch, plus a combination of wide knee and knees in and asymmetrical movements to stretch my pelvic floor.
This course explore your pelvic floor anatomy, function, and how to prepare your pelvic floor for birth! This course includes educational videos, mobility exercises, relaxation drills, and how to relax your pelvic floor during labor tips.
- 2+ hours of on-demand videos
- Immediate and lifetime of the course access
- Watch on Mobile Device
Breathing drills are a great way to connect with your pelvic floor! Some find more restorative positions easier to connect with their pelvic floor, while others find more active positions, such as the standing hip shift breathing drills listed below, easier to connect with their pelvic floor.
Focus on inhale DOWN to feel the pelvic floor stretch, and explore different pelvic positions (butt tucked or arched).
Then exhale to RELAX.
Watch the video below for an example and breakdown!
If you want to learn more pelvic floor preparation exercises and drills, plus learn more about your pelvic floor, check out our prepare your pelvic floor for birth course!
6. Mobility: Prepare the Pelvis to Open
The next birth prep focused movements I am incorporating into my prenatal workout routine is mobility work focused on pelvic movement and ensuring my pelvis can open for birth.
Lots of pelvic tilts and hip circles, plus mobility of the thoracic spine and hips!
We incorporate these exercises into our prenatal fitness programs to make it easier for you to prep for birth. Plus our workouts include pelvic opening focused workouts!
7. Labor Prep Workouts: Practice Labor Positions and Comfort Techniques with Your Partner
And the final birth prep focused exercise that I am incorporating is our labor prep workouts.
In our labor prep workouts, my husband and I practice labor positions together and comfort techniques. This allows us to rehearse for birth to refresh us on positions we like and comfort techniques.
We include labor preparation workouts in both our 40-week Prenatal Strength Program in the third trimester and the 3rd trimester prenatal on-demand fitness program.
These workouts are delivered on-demand, or a video that you follow as you work out at the same time, guiding you through different labor positions and comfort techniques. There are solo workouts and partner workouts available in both programs!
Watch the video below for a preview of what our labor preparation workouts look like in our 40-week prenatal strength program and 3rd trimester on-demand program!
Prepare for Your Birth with Your Workouts
We can use our prenatal workouts (that we can continue to do all the way to birth) to prepare for our birth!
As you prepare for birth, incorporate exercises that support your prenatal comfort and strength PLUS movements that prepare you for birth!