Welcome to MamasteFit! Today, we’re diving into a prenatal yoga workout designed to help you prepare for birth by creating space and mobility in each of the pelvic levels. This yoga flow focuses on different mobility exercises and yoga positions that target the top, middle, and bottom of the pelvis, making it an excellent addition to your birth preparation routine.
Understanding Your Pelvic Levels
As you prepare for birth, it’s essential to understand the different parts of your pelvis and how specific movements can help open each level:
Pelvic Inlet (Top of the Pelvis):
- Objective: Create space for the baby to engage into the pelvis.
- Key Movements: Bilateral external rotation with both legs wide apart, which helps to widen the top of the pelvis. Incorporating front-to-back movements of the spine also aids in creating more space.
Mid Pelvis:
- Objective: Facilitate the baby’s rotation through the narrowest part of the pelvis.
- Key Movements: Asymmetrical movements, where one leg is in external rotation (open hip) and the other in internal rotation (closed hip), help create space. Flexibility to move between these positions is crucial.
Pelvic Outlet (Bottom of the Pelvis):
- Objective: Open the bottom of the pelvis to assist during the pushing phase of labor.
- Key Movements: Internal hip rotation, where knees are in and ankles are out, helps to widen the pelvic outlet.
You can include exercises in your prenatal workout routine that include bilateral (both sides) external hip rotation with abduction, such as squats, bilateral internal hip rotation with adduction, such as deadlifts or hinges, and one-sided open and closed hip positions. This will help you prepare to open the pelvis for birth!
20-Minute Birth Preparation Prenatal Yoga Flow
The Yoga Flow: Step-by-Step
1. Initial Relaxation and Breathing:
- Start in a seated position: Close your eyes, sit up tall, and take a few deep breaths. Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale fully, feeling your baby lift towards the spine as you breathe out.
- Focus on connecting your mind and body: This helps in managing the emotions and expectations surrounding birth.
2. Pelvic Mobility:
- On all fours: Begin with knees as wide as the hips and gently move side to side, feeling the stretch in your hip region.
- External and internal rotation: Alternate between external rotation (knees wide, feet together) and internal rotation (knees together, feet wide) to create space in the top and bottom of the pelvis respectively.
3. Diagonal Hip Movements:
- Lunging positions: Step one foot outside the corresponding hand and move diagonally to stretch the inner thigh and groin. Use blocks if needed for support.
- External rotation: Roll onto the pinky toe side of the front foot to enhance the stretch.
4. Squat Variations:
- Deep squat: Use blocks for support if needed and move between deep squats and standing positions to open the pelvis. Incorporate twists by placing one hand down and spiraling the opposite arm up.
5. Tabletop to Downward Dog:
- Tabletop position: Squeeze a block between your knees and alternate between internal and external rotations of the hips.
- Downward Dog: With feet hip-distance apart, practice different foot positions (heels together, toes wide and vice versa) to explore the opening and closing of the pelvic floor.
6. Asymmetrical Hip Openers:
- Block under knee: Place one knee on a block and shift your hip over it, enhancing internal rotation. Add a twist to deepen the stretch.
7. Hero Pose (Virasana):
- Final relaxation: Sit with knees together and feet wide, using a block for support if necessary. Close your eyes and focus on your breath, allowing your body to relax and unwind.
As a prenatal fitness instructor and mom, I can personally attest to the effectiveness of this yoga flow. During my pregnancies, incorporating these specific movements into my routine made a significant difference in how I felt and prepared for birth. The intentional focus on opening the different pelvic levels helped me feel more in control and ready for labor.
By practicing these yoga exercises regularly, you’ll not only enhance your flexibility and mobility but also build a deeper connection with your body, preparing you both mentally and physically for the birthing process.
We hope you find this prenatal yoga flow beneficial and that it helps you feel more prepared for birth. Namaste!
Prepare for Your Birth with MamasteFit Prenatal Fitness Programs
If you want more daily workouts to support a strong pregnancy as you prepare for birth, join our online prenatal fitness programs!
MamasteFit is unique in that we are one of the ONLY prenatal/postnatal training facilities in the United States. We develop our workout programs from our experience of working with in-person pre/postnatal fitness clients and work closely with physical therapists to refine our programming. In addition, we are birth workers, so we combine our experience as perinatal fitness trainers and birth professionals to ensure that our programs actually support your birth preparation and recovery!
Our prenatal fitness programs are offered in several formats:
- 40-Week Prenatal Strength Program in the Teambuildr App:
- This program is a self-paced workout with shorter demo videos. This is ideal if you like to workout in a gym setting and prefer a traditional workout delivery format.
- This program syncs to your current week of pregnancy, so you can start anytime, with one-time payment or month-to-month payment options.
- This program has a full and mini version, depending on how much time you have to dedicate to workouts!
- Prenatal On-Demand Fitness Program:
- If you prefer to follow a video as you workout at the same time, this workout program will be the best option!
- This program syncs to your current trimester, so you can grab the trimesters you need!
- Birth Prep Workout Program:
- If you already have a workout routine or you only want birth prep-focused workouts, check out this program!
- This program includes full-length workout videos to follow as you workout at the same time.
- Prenatal Yoga Classes:
- If you want prenatal yoga, join our prenatal yoga program! This also syncs to your current trimester.
Instructor
CASEY
Join us for on-demand yoga classes specific to each trimester! Each class is 20-30 minutes in length. All trimesters now available!
- Breathing Drills
- Lifetime Access
- Pelvic Opening
Learn the science of pregnancy and birth to take the mystery of labor away! Understand why you are feeling what you feel, and learn strategies to confidently move through pregnancy and birth!
- 9h+ of Video
- Support Group
- Close Captioning
- 5 Workouts/Week
- Gym Workouts
- Self-Paced
Instructor
GINA
Workout on-demand with our prenatal fitness workout videos! Each workout is 30-40 minutes to follow along as you exercise at the same time!
- Birth Prep
- All Trimesters
- Mobility Work
Instructor
GINA
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 Weeks
- On Demand Workout Videos to Follow