kateandlisaFirst, there is no proven method for safely inducing labor at home. There are some things you can do to help prime your body for labor and encourage your baby to et in the optimal position. Will it happen tonight? Maybe, maybe not but trying out these exercises to go into labor can help prime your body for the real thing.
As always, be sure to talk to your prenatal care provider before you try any type of labor-inducing activity at home. When you are ready and you have been cleared, here are some activities you can try to get ready for delivery.
- Parallel your feet – lots of pregnant women splay their feet wide, but bringing their toes parallel can help separate the sitz bones. This finds more space in your lower back which makes labor and delivery easier.
- Maintain alignment – instead of pushing your belly forward when standing, stay aligned with your hips over your ankles. This stance – which is easy to take while doing dishes, standing in line at the grocery store, etc., encourages the baby to move into the proper position. Similarly, try not to slouch when you are sitting down.
- Sit on a birthing ball – sitting on an exercise or birthing ball in neutral wide-legged positions prepares the body for labor by increasing blood flow, opening the pelvis and encouraging cervical dilation. You can also try birth ball exercises such as circular hip rotations, rocking, and gentle bouncing.
- Do pelvic tilts – during vaginal delivery, your pelvic bones pull away and separate to accommodate your baby’s head. Keep joints loose by completing pelvic tilt exercises. Here’s one way to do them: lying on your back, place your feet flat against the floor and bend your knees. Slowly tilt the pelvis until it becomes parallel with your torso. Hold for 10 seconds, return to your starting position and repeat several times.
- Assume the butterfly pose – you might recognize the butterfly pose from dance or yoga class. Did you know it can increase flexibility in your pelvic joints, improve blood flow, and make childbirth easier? To get into the pose, sit upright on the floor and bring the soles of your feet together while bending the knees. Pull your feet toward your body to feel a stretch in your hips and inner thighs. Don’t forget to breathe into it!
- Go on a walk – maintaining a regular exercise routing, including low-impact cardio like walking, has many benefits throughout pregnancy. Walking can also be used as an exercise to induce labor since it helps with cervical effacement and dilation and allows the baby to drop in the pelvis. Walking might also ease some of your anxiety surrounding labor and delivery.
- Perform lunges – lunges stretch the hips and open the pelvis which helps the baby more into the ideal birthing position. Here is how to do them: stand up straight, then take a big step forward with one leg, keeping your knee over your ankle. The other leg should drop so it’s parallel to the ground. Push back up to starting position, then repeat with the other leg.
Other Ways to Naturally Induce Labor
As you wait to go into labor, you will probably encounter some recommendations that have been passed down through the ages. For example, some of the folklore methods of labor induction include eating spicy food or driving over a bumpy road. There’s no evidence that those are reliable methods for inducing labor. However, several other natural methods might actually help hasten the end of pregnancy!
To learn more and for help with exercise and movement during pregnancy, let’s get in touch!
