Movement, no matter how little, can be one of the best tools in preparing your body for birth during pregnancy. Being a mom of 3 myself, I know how exhausting and challenging pregnancy can be sometimes and even with the best of intentions, workouts sometimes just don’t happen!
But the good news is there are a few things you can do throughout your day that can drastically improve how you feel during pregnancy, prepare your body for labor + delivery and set yourself up for a successful recovery postpartum.
Pelvic Floor + Deep Core
Learning how to properly strengthen your pelvic floor and deep core can be done almost anywhere you can sit or stand. A key component is your breath so you want to be somewhere where you can close your eyes and breathe.
In order to achieve the proper connecting through your pelvic floor and deep core, you need to understand what your pelvic floor is.
What is your pelvic floor?
Your pelvic floor is much bigger than you may think. Think of it as a diamond that runs from sits bone to sits bone (bony parts of your bum) and from the front of your pubic bone to the back of your bum (anus).
I want you to do this exercise with me:
- Close your eyes, taking a few cleansing breaths, breathing deep into your back, sides and hips
- On your exhale, lightly draw that diamond (pelvic floor) together, zipping up through your deep core, lengthening tall through the top of your head
- On your inhale, relax and release your body
- Repeat
Relax + Releasing
When it comes to preparing your body for labor and delivery, learning how to relax and release your pelvic floor can make all the difference in the world. If you are gripping and pulling during labor, this increases your chances of tearing and having unplanned interventions.
Learning how to release + relax your pelvic floor with my Push Prep Method, can help you work with your breath to push more effectively and birth your baby with minimal to no tearing.
Healing + Prevention
It is never too early or too late to begin properly strengthening your body. During pregnancy + postpartum, many women can experience:
- Incontinence (peeing their pants)
- Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation)
- Back pain, neck pain and sciatica pain
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- And More!
The great news is pregnancy is the BEST time to begin strengthening your deep core + pelvic floor because you have the tactile feedback from your baby.
“My push time during delivery was minutes long + the nurse/OB was shocked that a first delivery push was less than ten minutes. At 15 weeks after my son’s due date, I am almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Thank you, Erica!” ~Christina
Ready to learn more? Join my Knocked-Up Fitness® and Wellness Membership today!
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