Exercises to bring on labour can be a useful toolbox for when labour starts. In this blog i share 7 exercises to bring on labour to help you feel grounded strong and in your mama power.
Why exercise will help labour
Exercise is great because it moves and strengthens our body.
Movement has been proven to support positive mental attitude and helps strengthen the cervix and pelvic floor muscles, which are vital for vaginal birth.
How staying fit and healthy in pregnancy supports you to be more grounded, fitter and more physically strong to withstand the unknown labour ahead.
Exercises to bring on labour
1. Sex is best
The same exercise that got your beautiful body pregnant, is the same exercise which is going to help your baby find a way out.
Sex is the best exercise to do by far, because it releases the hormone oxytocin on orgasms, stimulating the uterus to contract.
It also releases prostaglandin hormone, potent in male semen. This hormone helps softens the cervix and can increase dilation.
If you haven’t got a partner masturbate. It will release oxytocin relaxing you and baby and turn you inward.
2. All fours pose
On all fours move your hips in a figure 8.
Drop your head and close your eyes, go inside you.
Move as feels good for you and baby.
Crumble, moan, let the energy out.
Do 5-7 figure of 8s one way with your breathe, before changing direction. One figure of 8 is one breathe.
⚠️ Please note when you’re drawing the 8 your exhale is released as your draw the 8 upwards.
When you’re inhaling the 8 is drawing down the way. Hope that makes sense to you? comment below if it doesn’t.
3 Shoulder opener
Might seem strange for many to have this exercise in, but yoga’s all about balance.
By now in the final stages of pregnancy most of us are done as te body becomes much heavier and more challenging to negotiate. So as a result and many more, the shoulders start to round.
I speak more about this in more detail here exercises to limit kyphosis
So by counteracting the baby weight with this mama belter exercise, it will encourage strength to the back (posture), shoulders and pelvis.
Aswell as an opening to the chest and pectoral muscles.
Here’s how to do;
Place one hand on wall, keep hand where it is and walk forward, until you feel enough of the stretch.
Stay here for 5-7 deep breathes or as long as you need.
Walk backwards to come out of it.
Swap sides
4. Gimme an r pose
Staying with the wall bring both palms to the wall.
Walk your hands down the wall so your head and shoulders are in line.
Look slightly ahead of your floor. I was going to say feet 😂. I stopped seeing my feet 5 months into pregnancy 😂
Now physically push your hands against the wall on your exhale.
Feel your back lengthen, shoulders release and a bit more space in there to feel ahhhh that feels better.
Breathe here for 3-5 breathes
5. Birthing ball hip circles
Guys i know i go on about birthing ball exercises in pregnancy but having a ball is a birthing number 1 tool, especially in third trimester.
Sitting on your ball circle your hips in a clockwise direction.
Inhale as the ball moves back, 1-6 and exhale as you move from 6-12 on the clock, switching on pelvic floor muscles.
One circle is one breathe. Come into you and move as your breathe moves.
10 one way, 10 the other.
The deeper your breathe the slower your circle.
Take time to slow down and prepare, you’ve got this.
6. Malasana squat
Labour helper all the way as it works with gravity opening up the pelvis, encouraging baby to venture further down.
It also strengthens the legs, pelvis and releases the back.
7. Walking
Walking, even if it is in circles near home, is so great to do before labour as it;
- Boosts mood relieving stress.
- Reduces the complication risks in pregnancy and delivery.
- Can relieve aches and many other pregnancy symptoms like constipation
- Can facilitate sounder sleep. There are other exercises to help you sleep better in pregnancy.
- Brings you into your body and connecting better with your baby.
Breathing exercises to prepare for birth
The longer and deeper you can breathe the more calm you can feel. These are my top 2 breathing meditation to try.
- Long deep breathes inhale for 5/6/7/8 exhale for 2 more breathes out.
- For example inhale for 4 exhale for 6. You’re not squeezing the abdomen wall, the squeeze comes below the hips, your pelvic floor muscles.
- Mothering lotus breathe
Tips to bring on labour
Eating pineapple can help as it contains the enzyme bromelian which research has shown softens the cervix and triggers contractions. Eating chilli in curries can irritate the intestines inturn creating cramping and utinery contractions. Castor oil works similarly but in a much more gentler way.
Tips to bring on labour
Eating pineapple can help as it contains the enzyme bromelian which research has shown softens the cervix and triggers contractions.
Eating chilli in curries can irritate the intestines and in turn create cramping and unitary contractions.
However castor oil works similarly but in a much more gentler way.
Be gentle on your amazing self.
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