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Written by

Gina Conley, MS

Labor Position Breakdown: Squats to Help Baby Engage During Birth

  • Birth, Birth Preparation, Labor Biomechanics

There are SO many different labor positions that you can try during your birth!  The cool part about labor is that you tend to intuitively move in a way that OPENS your pelvis and helps your baby wiggle and rock through your pelvis WITHOUT even thinking about it!

But, it can be helpful to know some laboring positions to try if you feel stuck or unsure on how to create MORE space in your pelvis for your baby! 

Get Baby IN Your Pelvis

If baby is still “high” or not yet engaged, we can focus on opening the inlet, or the top of the pelvis, with movement!

The top of the pelvis opens more with:

  • External rotation of the femurs (wide knees) creates more space side to side (generally creates the MOST space of the three options)
  • Posterior pelvic tilt moves the sacral promontory posterior creating more space front to back
  • Anterior pelvic tilt makes external rotation EASIER and can change the pelvic angle allowing baby to enter the inlet

The goal at the inlet is to get baby IN your pelvis or get baby to ENGAGE into the pelvis so that they put more pressure against the cervix for labor progress.

One of our favorite movements to do to open the inlet is the supported squat!

The Supported Squat: Inlet Opening Labor Position

The top of the pelvis is opened more with external rotation of the femurs and pelvic tilting.  The supported squat is a great labor position to achieve both of those movemetn patterns!

In the supported squat:

  • Hold onto your partner’s hands, a sturdy structure, or a sheet so that you can release tension in the glutes/legs
  • Rock side to side or forward and backward as you labor
  • Stand up and sway or rock in between contractions (or whatever is most comfortable for you)
  • At the bottom you can round in the back as you spread the knees wide to create space in the pelvic inlet

The supported squat is a great labor position to open the TOP of the pelvis to help baby engage or enter the pelvis, BUT we need to ensure we can find this movement pattern during pregnancy so it is more easily accessible during labor!

Prepare for Supported Squats

For the supported squat, we need to be able to achieve:

  • External rotation of the femurs: wide knees
    • For external rotation, we need the adductors and hamstrings to release + the side body needs to lengthen
  • Upper body strength to hold ourselves in the supported position
  • Lower body strength to lower into and stand up from the position

1. Squat + Row: Strengthen the Legs and Lats

The squat + row takes care of both lower and upper body strengthening!   The squat movement strengthens the legs, and we can pair a banded row to add in the upper body.

Movement tips:

  • As you lower in the squat, reach forward with the bands.
    • You should feel the glutes and lats STRETCH at the bottom of the exercise. 
    • Inhale to lower
  • As you stand up from the squat, row the bands toward your torso.
    • You should feel the glutes and lats CONTRACT or ACTIVATE at the top
    • Exhale to stand up

Watch the breakdown video to learn HOW to do this movement!

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.
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2. Adductor Release

Next, we need to RELEASE the pull on the pelvis into internal rotation so that we can more easily find EXTERNAL rotation.

The adductors (inner thighs) and hamstrings PULL the pelvis into internal rotation, so we need to release those muscles to allow the hip to find external rotation.

The adductor rock back is a great mobility exercise to incorporate to support opening the TOP of the pelvis!  Watch the breakdown video to learn HOW to do this exercise to prepare for birth!

We incorporate mobility exercises throughout our prenatal program + pelvic opening workouts in our 3rd trimester strength programming and prenatal on-demand program!  

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3. Side Body Release

Next, finding length in the side body allows the pelvis to shift into more of an anterior pelvic tilt that makes external rotation EASIER to find!  

Releasing in the side body in this 90/90 position can support a preparation for birth.

Movement tips:

  • Start in a 90/90 position, with one leg externally rotated and the other leg internally rotated behind you
  • Find even weight distribution between both hips
  • Reach up with the forward leg side to feel a stretch in that side body
  • Push the chest BACK to feel more of a stretch in the side body

Watch the breakdown video to learn more on HOW to do this thoracic and pelvic mobility exercise.

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.

Prepare Your Pelvic Floor for Birth

Open the Pelvis to Help Baby Engage

Movement is key for labor progress!  We can create space in each pelvic level based on the type of labor position we find.  We do NOT want to maintain a static position our entire labor, but rather change positions every 20-30 minutes!  

Explore labor positions during pregnancy to FEEL which positions allow you to release and relax the most; which ones are most comfortable for you; and which ones feel the BEST for you!  It is important that we can easily find positions to create space in our pelvic levels for an easier labor and faster birth!

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