We can use prenatal workouts to prepare mentally for birth. We can’t always control HOW we feel each day, so we may need to adjust or modify our workouts from the prescribed plan. Being okay with adapting to each day helps build resilience and adaptability that most likely will be needed for birth. We can’t always control how labor will go, so being able to accept changes with grace can help tremendously mentally!
Prenatal workouts can also help prepare physically for birth! Not only can workouts increase your stamina and endurance to meet the physical demands of labor, but we can also incorporate exercises into our workouts to ensure that we can move through various laboring positions to help with your baby’s descent and rotation through the pelvis!
If we cannot physically get into certain positions, or there is a limited range of motion in the hip, we may find that labor is more challenging. We can use prenatal workouts to ensure that we maintain optimal range of motion, and can move into different laboring positions with ease and comfort.
Top of the Pelvis: Help Baby Engage
The top of the pelvis, or the inlet, opens more with external rotation of the femurs (wide knees) and a posterior pelvic tilt (butt tucked under or full hip extension). We want to ensure that these movement patterns are accessible for us so that we can create more space at the top of the pelvis to help baby engage. Squats are a movement that we will want to be sure is accessible for us during pregnancy!
For the squat, we need:
Ankle mobility to find depth
Hip mobility to move through a full range of motion without pain
Find a variation that best suits us (supported squat, box squat, weighted squat, air squats)
Depending on your comfort in moving through a squat, we may need to improve in certain areas.
Is your ankle mobility-limited at the bottom of the squat? Add some support under the heel to decrease the ankle mobility required while squatting.
Do you have pain with deep squats in the pelvic girdle? We may need to decrease the range of motion and do box squats, bring the legs closer together, or add support such as holding onto rings or your partner while squatting. Any pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy should be addressed during pregnancy! We do not need to be in pain. If something is limiting your movement due to pain, work with a pelvic floor physical therapist now to try to resolve it as much as possible before labor!!
Adding different variations of squats throughout your week can be helpful in preparation for labor! We incorporate tons of squats within our prenatal strength and conditioning program that syncs to your week of pregnancy. The final two months of our program prepare for labor with a taper and labor prep specific movements within the programming.
The Middle of the Pelvis: Help Baby Rotate
The middle of the pelvis, or the midpelvis, opens more with asymmetrical, unilateral, or uneven hip movements. We want to create more space diagonally through the midpelvis.
Movements that could help support preparing for labor and opening of the midpelvis could include lunges and step-ups. We want to not only focus on a one-sided or unilateral movement, but we also want to explore moving in multiple directions. Think not only a forward step up and lunge but also a lateral step up and cossack lunge.
The next step for unilateral movements is to ensure that we are moving through a full range of motion: both internal and external rotation. Watch the video below for a better explanation of how to find internal and external rotation in single-leg movements. The same principles can be applied to the lunge!
Unfortunately, pelvic girdle pain may make uneven or unilateral movements more challenging throughout pregnancy. First, work to address the pelvic girdle pain. Then, we need to find movements that are accessible if you do have pain. Possible ways to address pelvic girdle pain with movements could include: adjusting pelvic positioning, adding unilateral resistance in an even stance, or increasing the support from the upper body such as holding onto rings while doing lunges. Watch the video below for some ideas on pelvic positioning and unilateral loading in an even stance.
Fitness professional?? Learn more about pelvic positioning and helping your fitness clients with pelvic girdle pain in our pre/postnatal fitness trainer certification course.
The Bottom of the Pelvis: Pushing
The bottom of the pelvis, or the outlet, opens more with internal rotation of the femurs (knees in, ankles out), and the sacrum moving out of the way. We can help support opening from the sacrum by increasing the activation of the lats (your big back muscles). While pushing, one of the most helpful cues for my clients is to think like you are deadlifting. Pull the shoulders down and back to maintain a neutral spine, and then maintain this as you push or bear down.
Movements that can help prepare for pushing could include deadlifts and rows (horizontal and vertical pulling).
We incorporate all these movements and more in our prenatal fitness programming. Our programming can be started at any time, as we sync it to your week of pregnancy. If you are 20 weeks, you will start at week 20 of our program. Prenatal workouts are more than just making sure all the exercises are “safe” for pregnancy!
Fitness trainer? Our pre/postnatal fitness trainer certification course helps you better understand what exercises to incorporate into your programming and why!