Written by

Gina Conley, MS

April 2, 2025

Birth Prep Workout: Enhance Pelvic Mobility!

Birth Preparation, Fitness, Prenatal

Welcome to the MamasteFit Blog! Preparing your body for childbirth is an essential part of your pregnancy journey and one way to ensure a smoother delivery is through targeted mobility exercises that focus on the pelvic region. In today’s workout, we focus on creating space in the top and bottom of the pelvis to improve mobility and support labor progression.

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Why Train Pelvic Mobility?

Prenatal exercise isn’t just about staying fit; it’s about preparing your body for the unique demands of childbirth. Here’s why these exercises are so beneficial:

Enhanced Pelvic Mobility: Regular practice of these movements helps counteract the natural tendency during pregnancy to favor an extended spine and externally rotated hips.
Improved Labor Efficiency: As your baby rotates and positions itself for birth, it’s crucial for your pelvis to be mobile. A more open pelvis allows the baby to apply effective pressure against the cervix, potentially shortening labor time by stimulating the release of key labor hormones.
Mind-Body Connection: By focusing on mindful movement, you become more attuned to your body. This awareness can translate into better control and confidence during labor and delivery.
Holistic Strength: The workout balances strength and flexibility, ensuring that both the anterior and posterior parts of your pelvic floor are supported—critical for both a smooth labor and postpartum recovery.

These movements not only prepare the body for labor but also enhance overall comfort during pregnancy. By focusing on releasing tension and improving mobility, this routine can help ease discomfort and promote a more fluid birth experience.

Equipment You’ll Need

Before beginning the workout, gather these essential items to support your movements:

Yoga Block: Use this for support in deep squats and as a prop for some movements.
Step-Up Surface: Options include a wooden box, stool, or stairs for dynamic stepping exercises.
Resistance Band: A thin band is perfect for rows that engage the upper body and hips.
Weight: A medium to heavy weight for the Romanian Dead Lifts (RDLs) to help strengthen the posterior chain.

The workout includes two rounds of deep squats, step-ups, resistance band rows, calf raises, walking hip shifts, and staggered stance RDLs—all aimed at improving pelvic mechanics and increasing mobility where you might feel the most tension. Let’s get started!

Went into spontaneous labor at 38 wks with baby #1 last night (born this morning) and was able to push through a very fast and intense labor (8 hrs active, 4 hrs of contractions with basically NO BREAK in between that got me from 1cm dilated to fully 😵‍💫) unmedicated! Pushed for an hr! I thank you both, your prenatal fitness program, and prepping pelvic floor fit birth for how much I rocked this delivery. THANK YOU!!!

I just wanted to leave a review for you, I took your prenatal bundle with the birth course, fitness app, and pelvic floor prep. I can't say enough good things about it, my only regret was not enrolling sooner! After having some nagging SI and pelvic pain, at 22 weeks I enrolled in your program and started the workouts on the app. After a few weeks,my pain was minimal except for the days I missed a workout or getting in movement. The birth course was very informative and I felt confident and excited about giving birth. While I did need to be induced at 39 weeks, I felt confident and understood my options. I had a great and speedy delivery with just a minor tear. I attribute this to the strategic movements I learned in the course throughout my labor and breathing during pushing, along with wonderful hospital staff. We were blessed with a healthy baby girl Ellie Jo. I look forward to using the fitness program again in the future and other courses you have! Thank you for all the time you put into creating such thorough content!

For what it's worth, I'm a PT myself (not a pelvic floor specialist), but am going to a PFPT. I also took a CEU course for my license and my own learning on pelvic floor health in pregnancy. With that background, I am utterly impressed with the content of your course so far. I was wondering if it'd be repetitive at all from the CEUs I recently took, but it hasn't been. It's so informative, thorough, and covers way more topics than I ever expected. Thank you!!

1. Deep Squats for Pelvic Opening

The deep squat is fundamental in this workout. It serves dual purposes: building strength and increasing pelvic mobility.

How to Do It: Lower yourself slowly to a box or an elevated surface if needed. Ensure you press your knees out to encourage external hip rotation, and allow a slight rounding of the back.
Benefits: This movement helps release tension in the pelvic floor and enhances the posterior tilt necessary for a more rounded pelvis, which is beneficial during labor.

2. Step-Up with Hip Rotation

Next, transition to step-ups using your chosen elevated surface.

How to Do It: Start by placing one foot on the box, loading your weight into that leg while keeping your belly towards your thigh. As you extend your hip and step up, notice the stretch in your glute muscles.
Benefits: This exercise targets the lower half of the pelvis, encouraging internal rotation. It also stretches the glute and posterior pelvic floor—areas that can be particularly tight during pregnancy.

3. Resistance Band Rows

Integrate a resistance band to incorporate upper body movement.

How to Do It: Grab a hold of your band and with your foot on the elevated surface, row by rotating your upper body towards your thigh. Keep your knee aligned and your belly drawn in.
Benefits: This row not only strengthens your upper body but also reinforces the connection between your core and pelvis, ensuring that your rib cage and pelvis work together in harmony.

4. Calf Raises with Support

Don’t underestimate the role of your calves in pelvic mobility.

How to Do It: With one foot on the support, perform calf raises. This movement shifts weight from the box to the floor, engaging the lower leg muscles.
Benefits: Strong calves help pull the pelvis into internal rotation, which is crucial for opening the bottom half of your pelvis—a key element in easing the baby’s descent.

5. Walking Hip Shifts

Inspired by a simple yet effective dance move (think “Single Ladies”), walking hip shifts further promote pelvic rotation.

How to Do It: Stand with your feet parallel, then shift your weight from one leg to the other while reaching across with the opposite hand.
Benefits: This dynamic movement encourages the pelvis to rotate on the femur, enhancing the stretch in your glute and hip pocket area, which is essential for a smooth labor progression.

6. Staggered Stance Romanian Dead Lifts (RDLs)

Finish the workout with a staggered stance RDL, focusing on controlled hip hinge movements.

How to Do It: With a weight in hand, place one foot forward and the other back. Hinge at the hips by reaching down with the opposite hand towards your foot, keeping your core engaged and your back straight.
Benefits: RDLs strengthen the hamstrings and lower back while reinforcing the closed hip position. This helps in creating space in the bottom half of the pelvis, crucial for facilitating the baby’s rotation during labor.

Final Thoughts

Integrating pelvic mobility work into your prenatal routine can make a significant difference as you prepare for childbirth. Each exercise in this routine is thoughtfully designed to create space in your pelvis and strengthen the muscles essential for a successful labor process. Remember, the key is to move slowly and listen to your body. If you’re new to these movements, start gently and gradually increase the intensity as your body becomes more comfortable with the motions.

For more detailed workouts and additional prenatal fitness programs, check out our online offerings. Our programs are not only designed to help you stay fit but also to support you through the unique challenges of pregnancy and postpartum recovery.

Thank you for joining us on this journey toward a stronger, more prepared body for childbirth. Happy exercising, and here’s to a healthy and empowering pregnancy!