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This post is not intended to provide formal medical advice. Please consult with your qualified healthcare professional before participating in any of the physical activities listed below. To answer the request of many women, this post was created to spark discussion and share some thoughts on proactive measures on ways to prepare your body for labor and delivery.
My pregnancy was a difficult one but by participating in many of the below suggestions my pregnancy experience was eased and less uncomfortable than it otherwise would have been. Walking and prenatal massages were instrumental for my experience and alleviated a lot of hip and back discomfort.
So, here are six tips to prepare your body for labor and delivery:
1. Walking
Walking is the easiest way to keep fit and maintain good mental well-being. Later in pregnancy, walking is a great way to help your baby descend into the lower part of the pelvis in preparation for birth. To keep you motivated, try inviting your friends or partner to join you on your walk. Always remember that if you feel tired, take a rest.
2. Prenatal Massage
During my pregnancy, I had some major issues with my hips. I had so much discomfort when I was standing or walking for a long period of time. So, I went for a prenatal massage, and it felt at the time like the best decision I ever made. After the first session, my hip pain had drastically improved, and after my second session, my hip pain was completely gone and it never came back. It is important not to be experiencing major hip or back pain before labor because labor often intensifies any pain you had before.
Another, great reason to go for a massage is it can be super relaxing and a great way to practice self-care.
3. Practicing Mindful Techniques
According to recent studies, mindfulness reduces stress women experience during pregnancy. Pregnancy can be a stressful time and it can be difficult staying calm all through the nine months.
Prenatal yoga is aimed to help you not only prepare for childbirth but also to stay calm and become happier during pregnancy. However, it is discouraged to do yoga exercises at home without supervision, as you can do more harm than good. Therefore, it’s important to find accredited classes for pregnant women.
Meditation and yoga can also help you to prepare your mind and body for labor and afterward by reducing stress, overcoming anxiety and depression, and helping you to control your muscles in the right way.
4. Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises help to strengthen the muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and bowels. By strengthening these muscles during your pregnancy, you can develop the ability to relax and control the muscles in preparation for labor and birth. Kegel exercises are aimed to make your birth experience easier and less painful.
5. Avoid or Cut off Toxic Relationships
Pregnancy is hard both physically and emotionally. There are so many emotional highs and lows, periods of fatigue, and rapid body changes. Healthy relationships during this period are highly important for you and your baby as it can manifest into negative physical symptoms.
Your partner during these months might not understand how you feel and it might lead to relationship problems between you and your partner. Here are just a few tips that may help build a healthier relationship.
– Talk to each other more often and communicate to each other how each person is feeling,
– Share any hopes and fears
– discuss how you can support each other,
– dream about parenting together,
– create a birth plan, together
– tell each other “I love you” more often.
If your relationship problems become overwhelming seek expert advice. If the toxic relationships are family or friends it is best to remove your self from those relationships.
6. Pregnancy Stretches
Stretching is vital for a healthy pregnancy and helps your pregnant body prepare for labor. Your baby belly and breasts are growing, which for many pregnant women can lead to hip and back pain. Stretching can help you to prevent or alleviate pain and avoid injury by allowing the muscles to warm-up prior to the activity. Stretching should be done correctly to prevent any risk to you and your baby.
Although, stretching is important. Never overdo it. During pregnancy, your body has increased the production of a hormone called relaxin, which makes your delivery easier by loosening ligaments in the pelvis. As a result, your body becomes more flexible and can lead to overstretching and injuries. Always listen to your body and avoid painful stretches or exercises.
I hope these 6 ways to prepare your body for labor and delivery were useful to you. Please share if you think this post will be useful to someone. If you have your own tips, I would love to hear it as well!
Thank you so much for reading
Until Next time,
Sincerely Jackline
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