Abdominal Core & Pelvic Floor Exercises
Exercises for During Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum Recovery
CAUTION:
- ONLY MOVE YOUR BODY IN A WAY THAT FEELS GOOD.
- BE GENTLE, MODIFY, GO SLOW AND TAKE BREAKS IF YOU NEED TO.
- IF IT HURTS, STOP!
What Are Your Abdominal Core & Pelvic Floor Good For?
The Abdominal Core and Pelvic Floor are key components of all bodies, but especially for the pregnant body. They provide structural support for your growing uterus & baby plus stability for the pelvis. During pregnancy, it is crucial for them to have strength but also suppleness – your belly has to give and stretch so your baby has room to grow but it also needs to support your abdomen. Your pelvic floor needs stability to decrease pelvic pain and hold your organs up without too much tension.
Strength + suppleness allows your body to provide integrity and support during pregnancy but also stretch & release during birth. By connecting with these muscles prior to labor, parents know how to engage their bodies during birth to help with releasing their babies and recovering after birth.
Additionally, because the abdominal core and pelvic floor muscles work together synergistically, training them in tandem can result in greater overall stability and control & provide an amazing framework for getting your baby out.
Benefits of Moving
Prenatal movement is an incredibly important part of having a healthy pregnancy. When done correctly, it can provide numerous benefits to both mother and baby alike. It helps strengthen the muscles that support the uterus, pelvis, and spine, allowing for better posture and balance throughout the pregnancy.
Additionally, prenatal movement helps reduce swelling in the legs and feet by encouraging circulation. Moving your body also strengthens ligaments around the hips, pelvic floor, and core muscles which prepares you for labor and delivery. On top of this, it increases endorphins – hormones responsible for feelings of happiness – thereby decreasing stress and anxiety levels during pregnancy.
Lastly, prenatal movement can help improve sleep quality, leading to more energy during the day. All these factors contribute to a healthier and happier experience throughout your pregnancy!
STRONG
SUPPLE
FLEXIBLE
BALANCED
How Are You Moving During Pregnancy?
Depending on one’s fitness level prior to pregnancy, activities can range from strength training to light aerobic exercises like walking or swimming. Additionally, prenatal yoga can help strengthen core muscles, as well as cultivate mindfulness & breathing, both very important labor coping skills. Regular activity during pregnancy can help your body feel better prepared to meet the expectations of birth.
Ideas for Moving Your Pregnant Body:
- Bare Birth Online Birth Classes!
- Spinning Babies Daily Activities
- Prenatal Yoga or Fitness Class
- Walking
- Swimming
- Posture & Good Body Mechanics
- Sneaking little movements in throughout your day
- Just moving!
Daily Movements
Find Time Daily to Work These in to Prepare for Birth & Recovery
Playlist
Deep Breathing
Deep Breathing Benefits Your Pelvic Floor + Triggers Relaxation
Playlist
Hammocks
During pregnancy, your uterus is the hammock. The goal is to get your baby positioned in your hammock closer to their back, just like you rest comfortably in a hammock. That may contribute to optimal fetal positioning as they move into the pelvis in labor. You can influence your baby’s position with your body’s position.
Goal: Help your baby's back swing to your front for better positioning when they enter the pelvis in labor.
Optimal Hammock Positioning
Hammock Options
SUPPORTED HAMMOCK
MODIFIED HAMMOCK
PELVIC TUCK (RELEASES LOW BACK & OPENS PELVIC INLET)
FIND SIT BONES TO MAKE A HAMMOCK
BIRTH BALL HELPS WITH HAMMOCK
Squats
Squatting is a great way to aid in childbirth because we can shapeshift our pelvis with our movements. Changing the shape of your pelvis can help your baby navigate it during labor. Squatting has been used by many cultures throughout history due to its efficacy, and some anecdotal evidence suggests that squatting can even speed up the birthing process. Squatting can be an intense exercise so finding a modification or variation with good support that feels good for you is ideal.
Remember: Don’t wait until labor to start squatting. Build up your squatting endurance during pregnancy!
Squats:
- LENGTHENS & STRENGTHENS PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES, LEGS & GLUTES
- BUILDS ENDURANCE
- HELPS SHAPESHIFT THE PELVIS TO ALLOW FETAL MOVEMENTS
Squat 300 times a day and you are going to give birth quicker.
Squat Variations
DEEP SQUAT: OPENS TOP OF THE PELVIS
LOW SQUAT VARIATION
HIGH SQUAT: OPENS BOTTOM OF THE PELVIS
Squat Videos
Add a Squat Routine
Playlist
Developing A Labor Practice
Moving during pregnancy is key to maintaining good physical and mental health. Pregnant women should ensure they are active on a regular basis, and tailor their regimen to suit their changing body and energy levels. It is hard work growing a baby, and the demands on your body can leave you exhausted, nauseous, swollen and off balance. Listen to your baby & body so you can modify when needed.
Exercises such as walking, swimming and dancing can help build strength, reduce stress, and alleviate backaches and other common discomforts associated with pregnancy. In addition, yoga & stretching can be especially beneficial for expectant mothers by improving balance, coordination, and posture. When used in combination, these exercises can help prepare your body for labor, delivery and postpartum recovery.
Sneak In Some Moves
Pelvic Floor:
- PRENATAL YOGA LENGTHENS & STRENGTHENS
- DO KEGELS ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
- PRACTICE RELEASING & RELAXING
- DEEP BREATHING TONES THE PELVIC FLOOR
- SQUAT, SQUAT & SQUAT
Hammocks:
- FIND SITZ BONES WHEN SITTING
- USE A BIRTH BALL INSTEAD OF A CHAIR
- WATCH T.V. DRAPED OVER A BIRTH BALL
- RELAX WHILE FORWARD LEANING
- HANG OUT IN TABLE TOP SOMETIMES
- SIT WITH CROSSED LEGS ON THE FLOOR (WITH SITZ BONES GROUNDED)
Squats:
- STRETCH CALVES & HAMSTRINGS TO PREP
- SIT ON A BIRTH BALL FOR SUPPORTED SQUAT
- DO A DEEP SQUAT WITH A YOGA BLOCK OR LOW STOOL UNDER YOUR BUM FOR SUPPORT
- SQUAT DOWN WITH HEELS RAISED OR PROPPED UP ON A ROLLED TOWEL OR CUSHION
- HOLD ONTO SOMETHING IF YOU NEED TO FOR STABILITY
- DEEPER YOGA SQUAT WITH HEELS GROUNDED
- HIGH SQUATS KNEES/TOES TURNED OUT
- DO A SQUAT WITH YOUR BACK FLAT ON THE WALL
- DO A MODIFIED SQUAT WITH A BIRTH BALL ON THE WALL (SEE ABOVE FOR DEMO)
- CHORES: FRONT LOAD LAUNDRY, TIDYING THE FLOOR
- SQUAT WITH A PARTNER TO PREP FOR LABOR & PRACTICE POSITIONS
More Movement Resources
- OH BABY! FITNESS (SEATTLE AREA FITNESS CLASSES + PUSHING CLASS)
- FIT4MOM (STROLLER STRIDES + OTHER PRE/POSTNATAL FITNESS)
- THE BLOOM METHOD (ONLINE PRE/POST BABY FITNESS)
- DANCING FOR BIRTH CLASSES (FUN BIRTH & MOVEMENT CLASSES)
- BIRTHFIT.COM (ONLINE CLASSES)
- SPINNINGBABIES.COM (OPTIMAL FETAL POSITIONING & MATERNAL MOVEMENT)
- SEATTLE HOLISTIC CENTER (PRENATAL YOGA + MAMA DANCE)
- 8 LIMBS YOGA
- ADITI YOGA BODYWORK
- YOGA MOMMA
- WHOLE LIFE YOGA
- LIMBER YOGA
- LIVE LOVE FLOW YOGA
- SARAH BETH YOGA (YouTube)
- BRETT LARKIN YOGA (YouTube)
- BIRTH WISDOM YOGA (YouTube)
- BETTINA RAE (YouTube)
- BESTRONGMAMA.COM
Ideally, when you figured out you had one, but it is never too late to start connecting with your pelvic floor. Start today!
Pelvic floor awareness should be a daily practice. Deep breathing, pelvic floor engagement & relaxation should be done on a regular basis.
When pregnant, the pelvic floor has an extra load to carry as your uterus and baby grow. Integrity in the pelvic floor will support the extra weight as well as help to stabilize your pelvis that is relaxing in preparation for birth.
Know how to engage but also how to relax these muscles will help you guide your baby out during a vaginal birth.
I appreciate Dr. Kegel drawing awareness to the pelvic floor decades ago, but we now know that the pelvic floor benefits from a more comprehensive approach. Movements that lengthen and strengthen like we commonly find in prenatal yoga are more beneficial than Kegels alone.
Your post birth body, especially your pelvic floor, may be tender, swollen, have stitches and is usually in need of rest and recuperation. Deep breathing is the first exercise to begin after birth because it engages your pelvic floor as it undulates right along with your diaphragm. Allowing your body time to heal is most important. Gradually engaging with postnatal yoga or gentle pelvic floor work is the best approach when recovering from childbirth.
