Delivering a baby requires a little flexibility. I’m not talking about compromising your birth plan, either. When you’re trying to squeeze a seven or eight pound baby through a space that is pretty small to begin with, you’re kidding yourself if you think you won’t have to contort into a number of rather awkward positions to make it happen. If you don’t stretch and limber up your muscles beforehand, you can expect quite a bit of extra soreness after you deliver. Who wants extra pain? Getting your body ready for delivery is not difficult, it just takes a little planning and routine exercise. Here are some easy exercises recommended by the Bradley Method of Childbirth to help you prepare your body for the ultimate marathon.
Tailor sitting is something you probably used to do as a child all the time. It’s also known as sitting “Indian Style,” though that term is no longer considered “PC.” If you haven’t done it in a while, you might find that it is hard to get your knees very close to the ground. Don’t force them. The more you sit like this, the more gravity will work in your favor and stretch out those hip flexors and leg muscles. Avoid sitting in cushy chairs. Instead, sit on the floor while doing things like folding laundry or watching TV. It’s not an exercise that will take up any of your time since you’ll be doing it while you do the things you always do. Doing this exercise will help you to be comfortable during the pushing stage of labor, when you’ll essentially be doing the splits for a very long time.
Another exercise, more accurately described as a posture, is squatting. Squatting is going to provide you with the same benefits as tailor sitting, but it’s going to take it to the next level by giving you a much deeper stretch. Until your calves are stretched out, you may need to grab onto a chair or a partner to keep yourself from tipping backward. Eventually, you will be able to lower your heels to the floor while leaning slightly forward, which will keep you from falling over. When you’re standing up, place your hands on the tops of your knees and lift your bottom up first, then roll up to a standing position.
A third helpful exercise is pelvic rocking. Pelvic rocking can help alleviate a backache during pregnancy and also helps prevent varicose veins. If you practice yoga, chances are you have done this exercise before. Get on all fours and gently drop your belly towards the floor while arching your back and letting your bottom stick out. Then tuck in your bottom and pull in your belly. Do several repetitions and don’t worry about speed.
The legs apart exercise is a more active way of stretching the muscles that tailor sitting and squatting both target. Remember the Thigh Master? This exercise is basically the opposite of what the thigh master does. You’ll need a partner to sit across from you on the floor and gently apply counter-pressure while you try to open your legs. Your partner’s job is not to keep you from opening your legs, but to provide some resistance.
Finally, the infamous Kegels! We’ve talked about Kegels plenty of times before on this blog, so I will simply redirect you here for a good description of Kegels and their benefits.