Strength In Motion: Prepare for Birth
Prepare for Birth
Pregnancy is an incredible journey—a time when your body embraces its full power, nurturing new life. As you prepare to meet your baby, one of the best gifts you can give yourself is to build strength and stamina for birth. While childbirth is unpredictable, you can trust that your body is designed for this, and with the right preparation, you’ll be empowered to meet your little one with confidence.
We want your pelvis to be balanced, aligned and roomy so your baby can get into the optimal position for birth. Moving your body is the best way to get your baby into a great position.
Let’s explore some exercises and activities that can keep you feeling strong, grounded, and ready to meet whatever comes your way.
1. Prenatal Yoga: Flexibility and Calm
Prenatal yoga is not just about stretching—it’s about connecting with your body, your baby, and your breath. This practice helps increase flexibility, tones muscles, and eases common pregnancy aches and pains. The breathwork you’ll practice in yoga is especially valuable for labor, helping you manage discomfort and stay focused. But of all the possible benefits of yoga, perhaps the biggest benefit is learning how your brain responds to the challenge. You can learn about your mindset in yoga. If your mindset is counterproductive, you can start changing your self-talk. It takes practice to change your attitudes and inner language. Yoga is a great way to get that practice.
There are great yoga studios all over the city. But for convenience you may want to try an online yoga. Here are a few we have heard good things about.
Pregnancy & Postpartum TV - Youtube
2. Walking: Simple and Powerful
Walking is one of the most accessible and beneficial forms of exercise during pregnancy. As your body changes, maintaining mobility and endurance is essential. Walking improves cardiovascular health, boosts your mood, and promotes circulation, which can help reduce swelling.
Try to incorporate a daily walk into your routine, whether it’s a brisk walk through the park or a leisurely stroll around your neighborhood. Walking with a friend, your partner, or even solo while listening to a podcast can be both meditative and energizing. It’s an easy way to prepare for the stamina needed in labor while keeping your body limber.
If the weather is “iffy” and you want a “walking exercise” you can do in your home, check out youtube videos like this one: Pregnancy & Postpartum TV - Walking
Tip: Aim for at least 30 minutes of walking most days of the week, and feel free to adjust the pace as your pregnancy progresses.
3. Pelvic Floor Exercises: Building Strength and Flexibility Where It Matters
Your pelvic floor muscles are key players during pregnancy and birth, supporting your uterus and bladder and helping with labor and delivery. Strengthening these muscles can ease your labor experience and improve recovery postpartum.
Strong muscles also have flexibility. So pay special attention to exercises that lengthen the pelvic floor muscles, not just those that tighten them. We recommend that everyone be assessed by a pelvic floor physical therapist to determine if you should be working on strengthening a weak pelvic floor, or releasing a high-tone pelvic floor. We’re looking for “just right” to prevent damage during birth.
4. Swimming: Light and Refreshing
As your baby grows, the weight on your joints and muscles can increase, making some activities more uncomfortable. Swimming, or even water aerobics, can be a wonderful way to stay active while feeling weightless. The water supports your body, relieving pressure on your joints and reducing swelling, while offering a full-body workout.
Swimming can also help strengthen your core, which plays an important role in labor. You don’t need to swim laps—gentle water movement and exercises in the pool are all you need to benefit.
Tip: Spend at least 20–30 minutes in the water, two to three times a week, to stay active and refreshed.
5. Squats: Preparing for Birth
Squats are a simple but effective way to prepare for labor, especially since the squatting position is often used during the pushing stage of birth. Squats strengthen your legs, back, and pelvic muscles, helping you feel strong and stable.
Practice doing squats with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, lowering yourself into a squat as far as feels comfortable, and returning to standing. This move mimics a birthing position, so getting comfortable with it can help you feel more prepared when the time comes.
If you want a class to make sure you are doing squats properly, here’s a great class by an exercise physiologist, Katy Bowman. You Don’t Know Squat.
Tip: Perform 10–15 squats per day, holding on to a sturdy surface for balance if needed.
6. Birth Ball Exercises: For Comfort and Strength
Using a birth ball, also known as a stability ball, can help with balance, core strength, and hip mobility—all of which are helpful during labor. Sitting on the ball and gently bouncing or rocking back and forth can also relieve back pain and open your pelvis.
Many women find birth ball exercises to be relaxing and helpful for late pregnancy aches, as well as an excellent tool to use during labor. The gentle movement can help your baby get into an optimal position for birth.
Here’s a video for daily exercises you can try: Pregnancy & Postpartum Youtube
Tip: Use the birth ball for about 10–20 minutes daily for stretching or relaxing exercises.
7. Spinning Babies
Spinning Babies is a well-known, much loved resource for expectant women and midwifery providers. They have a catalog of ideas for everyone. We have linked their website and their exercise class called “Daily Essentials” here.
Trust Your Body, Trust the Process
The most important part of preparing for birth is learning to trust your body and the process of labor. The physical activities you incorporate throughout your pregnancy will strengthen not only your muscles but also your mind and spirit. Every step you take, every stretch you complete and every exercise you do will build resilience , strength and stamina needed for your birth.
Remember, this is your journey. Listen to your body, move with intention, and enjoy the process of getting ready to welcome new life. You’ve got this. Your body is powerful, and you are preparing for one of the most beautiful - and strenuous - experiences of your life. Keep moving forward—each day is a step closer to your baby’s arrival.
