03/26/2022
So very important. We don't just bounce back. Be gentle with yourself.
Why try to restore years of a tight hip on the day of labor? Improve your range of motion day by day for comfort now and ease in birth later. Improving body balance improves physiologic functionâeven birth! Balance in tone and alignment may increase your chance of having an easier birth and better sleep while you are pregnant.
Do you know all of the daily activities? Daily activities bring comfort to your pregnancy and prepare you for an easier childbirthâlengthening muscles and increasing range of motion in your pregnant body to make space for babyâs best birth position. Many of the daily activities can be found on our Daily Essentials download video. You can find the video or learn more about the daily activities here:
https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/daily-activities/
WALK EVERY DAY. Walking briskly with full motion lengthens the psoas muscles (a large pair of internal âwingsâ from spine to thigh). Lower back strength grows while moving the pelvis. Long, supple psoas muscles give us better range of motion, emotional groundedness and flexibility, better fetal descent, and better fetal positioning.
FORWARD-LEANING INVERSION. It potentially untwists the ligaments supporting the lower uterine segment and cervix (uterosacral, cervical, round ligament). When you rise upright again, these ligaments relax. Repeating the stretch many times helps to release a possible spasm or asymmetry and allows the babyâs head to fit more easily during labor.
MATERNAL POSITIONING. Weâre sure youâve seen or done these positions before: knees lower than the level of your hips, belly lower than your hips, let your belly be a hammock for your baby, let your lower back sway forward as you stand and walk, sit on a kitchen chairâbackwards, be sure that your hips are not lower than your knees when sitting on an exercise ball, and keep an upright back by sitting on the front of your sitz bonesânot back on your sacrum. Adequate water intake and a healthy diet are also a big part of this!
STRETCH. Stretching out every day is good for circulation, metabolism, and comfort. Each day, release tight bun muscles from your feet up and your head down. Try these exercises: TMJ (tight jaw) release, neck rolls, open your shoulders, Windmill, forward lunges, calf stretch, and squats.
PSOAS RELEASE. A tight psoas muscle pair keeps baby high. A longer, more supple psoas is one of several factors helping baby engage at 38 weeks gestation. Digestion, walking, balance, and comfort are all enhanced with a longer psoas muscle pair rather than a shorter or less supple psoas.
HIP OPENERS. Open up those hips daily! This technique balances the pelvis and âopensâ the hips, allowing for easier descent of the baby in labor.
PELVIC TILTS. Loosens the hips and sacrum. Relaxes the lower back and soothes an achy back at the end of a long day.
REST SMARTSM. Gravity-friendly maternal posture is the 2nd Principle of Spinning BabiesÂŽ positions that let your babyâs back settle in your âhammockâ, while resting or while on bed rest, or even in labor.
RELAXING WHAT IS TIGHT IN GENERAL. Continue to relax the abdominal muscles and ligaments and move the pelvic joints. Relaxation doesnât only mean taking a deep breath. Breathing evenly and deeply is important. For good fetal positioning and labor progress, the ligaments, joints, and fascia (the membrane surrounding our muscles, organs, and bones) need to be relaxed and symmetrical.
Tip: For best results, and if you can, use the Forward-leaning Inversion.
