10 Best Exercises To Induce Labor Naturally
10 Best Exercises To Induce Labor Naturally
The last weeks of pregnancy are a little bit uncomfortable and difficult. Many pregnant women feel uncomfortable in the final weeks of pregnancy due to swollen feet, big belly, back pain, and sleepless nights. The fear of childbirth also causes anxiety and stress in most of the pregnant women. You can reduce all these complications by doing exercises during your pregnancy. These exercises help you to stay fit and active during pregnancy as well as help in inducing labor naturally. All these exercises make the childbirth process easy and less painful.
Exercises To Induce Labor Naturally
The exercises which help you to induce labor naturally and make your childbirth process easy are:1. Pelvic Tilts (Pelvic Rock)
Pelvic Tilt is a simple exercise that you can perform easily at home. Pelvic Tilts exercises help to improve your posture and also prevent constipation, bloating, and swelling. It helps to strengthen pelvic muscles and to induce labor naturally. Pelvic Rock exercises also help in relieving lower back pain which is a common complication, especially during the last weeks of pregnancy. These exercises can be easily done by standing with your back against the wall or sitting on an exercise ball. Some of the most beneficial pelvic exercises which you can easily try at home are:- Leaning on an Exercise Ball
- Sitting on an Exercise Ball
- Standing against the wall
- Cat-Cow Pose
- Hands and Knees
2. Squats
Squats are considered one of the best and safe exercises that prepare your body for delivery and childbirth and help to induce labor naturally. Squatting helps in opening the pelvis during the final weeks of pregnancy. Squats strengthen your glutes and stabilize the pelvis. It also prevents lower back pain during pregnancy. Squatting helps to increase your ability to cope with contractions during labor. Squatting helps in improving posture and also helps in getting relief from lower back pain. Some of the safe and best squats exercise which you can perform to induce labor naturally are:
- Deep Squats
- Sumo Squats
- Chair Squats
- Wall Squat with an Exercise Ball
- Simple Squats
3. Kegel Exercises (Pelvic Floor Exercises)
Kegel Exercises help in strengthening and toning pelvic floor muscles and these exercises can be easily done throughout the pregnancy without any complications. The toned pelvic muscles make the process of childbirth easier. These exercises help to induce labor naturally and also strengthen vaginal muscles. Kegel Exercises also prevent and control urinary incontinence.
4. Birthing Ball Exercises
A birthing ball or exercise ball helps to maintain stability and keeps abdominal muscles strong during pregnancy. Birthing Ball Exercises ease back pain and open the pelvic muscles thus making the process of childbirth easier and less painful. These exercises also help in stimulating the blood flow to the pelvic area. The safe and best exercises using a birthing ball can do to ease the childbirth process are:
- Leaning on the Ball
- Arm and Leg Lift
- Wall Squats
- Sitting on the Ball
- Hip Swings
5. Lunges
Lunges exercise helps in widening the pelvic region and prepares your body for easy labor. Lunges keep the hips flexible so that you can easily spread your legs during delivery. It also strengthens the lower back and increases pelvic floor muscle strength thus preventing lower back pain and pelvic pain during pregnancy.
6. Walking
Walking is one of the easiest exercises to perform with a lot of benefits during pregnancy. Walking is a simple and easiest exercise that you can perform throughout your pregnancy without any complications. It keeps you physically fit and active during your pregnancy period. Walking also helps in maintaining a healthy weight throughout your pregnancy and also lowers the risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia which is caused by hypertension during pregnancy. Walking tones up the hip muscles and makes normal delivery possible. It helps in making the process of childbirth easier, faster, and less painful. An early morning walk is best during pregnancy.
(Also read: Know more about your pregnancy at 40 weeks)
7. Bridge Pose
Bridge Pose helps in strengthening the legs and opening up the hips. This pose loosens the hip muscles and makes childbirth easier and faster. Bridge pose improves blood circulation and regulates metabolism. This pose aids digestion and alleviates stress.
8. Lotus Pose
Lotus pose stimulates the pelvis, abdomen, and bladder. This pose helps to ease childbirth. This yoga pose strengthens the pelvic region and makes the childbirth process easier, faster, and less painful. Lotus pose keeps ligaments and joints flexible and prevents constipation which is a common problem faced by many pregnant women during their pregnancy period.
9. Butterfly Stretch (Tailor Sitting)
Butterfly Stretch or Tailor Sitting position widens and stretches the pelvic region and also improves blood circulation. This exercise is helpful in inducing labor naturally during the final weeks of pregnancy. This pose helps to ease childbirth. This exercise makes pelvic joints flexible and helps to induce labor naturally.
(Also read: What are the signs of labor?)
10. Climbing Stairs
Doing physical activity during pregnancy has a lot of benefits for both the mother and her baby. Physical activities such as walking, swimming, or climbing stairs are easy to perform and very beneficial during pregnancy. It keeps you fit and healthy and also helps in maintaining healthy weight gain. Climbing stairs helps in lowering back pain. This physical activity also helps in lowering the risk of preeclampsia which is caused due to hypertension during pregnancy. It also reduces the chances of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Climbing the stairs in the final weeks of pregnancy also helps to improve your ability to cope with discomfort and pain during the process of labor.
Doing exercises throughout the pregnancy is beneficial for both the mother and her unborn baby. It keeps a pregnant woman healthy and fit during pregnancy. But before performing any exercise during pregnancy talk to your health care provider about the same. She'll tell you which exercises are safe for you. And after that try to perform those exercises which are safe for you.
Congratulations on your pregnancy. Here's wishing you a very healthy pregnancy. May God bless you and your little bundle of joy with good health.
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