Exercises to train for Labor and Delivery !

For a woman, embracing motherhood and delivering a child can be a turning moment in her life. It’s a surreal feeling that we women procreate life within ourselves and keep the planet running. However, this feeling soon changes into nervousness, fear, and anxiety when it comes to the delivery of this life. During pregnancy, the body undergoes a lot of changes that are unsettling for the mother. Throughout pregnancy, you would have been advised to perform various exercises to stay fit and manage a healthy weight. Similarly, when it comes to labor there are ways through which one can prepare beforehand so that there are no complications or difficulties during your baby’s delivery. Below are listed a few exercises for labor and delivery that would help you prepare your body for the grinding process of childbirth.

1. Child’s Pose:

Good pelvic floor muscles are the floor or base for a hassle-free delivery. It’s an excellent exercise to increase pelvic floor muscles’ length and alleviate any potential discomfort during labor. To perform this, kneel and either sit on your heels, or you can sit higher, whatever is more comfortable. Now, stretch out your arms on the floor as far as it can go While supporting your head. Breathe deeply, and consider resting your elbows on the ground if it’s comfortable. You Would have to stretch your knees wider apart to fit in your growing belly.

2. Deep Squat:

Doing one of the most difficult tasks in the world takes courage, strength, and faith,but it becomes easier to deliver a child when you have pelvic floor muscles as good as bodybuilders muscles. Deep squats would help you do that. It would also enable you to stretch your perineum. It’s a straightforward exercise, and all you have to do is stand with your feet thrown wider than your hips. Now squat down as much you can till it’s not uncomfortable. And you are good to go.

3. Perineal Bulges:

Delivering a child can be a breathtaking experience, quite literally. While delivering, many women hold their breath which can cause some serious complications like decreasing the rate of blood flow back to the heart, lower maternal blood pressure, decrease maternal blood oxygen and blood flow to the placenta, and increase the risk for injury. So, to prevent that, perineal bulges would be the right thing to do. This exercise would make you practice pushing without holding your breath. To perform this, sit down in your labor position on a towel and press hour perineal region in DOWN AND OUT movement only. It’s advisable to be practiced in the last 3 months of pregnancy only.

4. Butterfly Stretch:

Painless delivery is a dream on its own, try butterfly stretch to strengthen your pelvic muscles and increase the blood circulation in your lower body. Sit down with your feet joined together while your back is straight. You will feel a slight stretch in your inner thighs when you push your knees to the ground. Hold the position for 10-15 seconds and repeat 5-10 times daily.

5. Standing Swan:

Don’t we all prefer all-in-one things. Well, standing swan gives you that. It targets multiple things like core strength, spinal mobility, lower body endurance and helps you focus on breathing too. For performing the standing swan, stand with your feet apart and rotated slightly outwards with your arms fully stretched out. The palms can be placed upon a physioball for support. Inhale through your nose as you roll down, your chin pointing towards yourself.

6. Pelvic Tilts:

Backaches and other related ailments are common during and post-pregnancy. The pelvic floor muscles support crucial organs like the uterus, bowels, and bladder. So during pregnancy, particular focus is given to the pelvic region. Pelvic tilts are an easy exercise to target both these simultaneously. Get comfortably on your hands and knees. Keep your head in line with your back. Pull in your stomach and arch your back upward. Now, try holding this position for several seconds. Then relax your stomach and back. Keep your back flat, and do not allow your stomach to sag. Repeat this exercise three to five times. Gradually increase the repetitions. Strengthening your pelvic muscles is very crucial for smooth delivery. All these exercises are straightforward to perform and don’t require any particular types of equipment. You must consult with your doctor before performing such an exercise once and take help from a physical therapist to ensure that everything is safe and secure. A little activeness would help you change your mood, posture and help break the monotony. The jitters and nervousness around the event dishevel a lot of people and performing these exercises would only help shed off some of the anxiety.

Also Read:

Yogshala for to be Mom’s to Be – Importance of Prenatal Yoga

Those Pregnancy Craving: The Baby wants what the baby wants!

Nutrition for 9 months – Lifetime of Happiness

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