Top Exercises & Physical Activities To Induce Labor

You`re in your last pregnancy weeks and it is getting harder and harder, right? You are still waiting for a sign, which isn`t coming, that the little one will soon get out and see this wonderful world.

Labor is seen as among the hardest tasks a woman can endure throughout life. Although it`s a completely natural process, some of the women out there are simply not able to walk through it.

There are various issues, like acid reflux, swollen legs, sleeplessness and back pain, among other ones that might arise from time to time, and that`s besides the excruciating discomfort and pain that you will endure.

But you shouldn`t despair! Labor can be induced in a natural way through some simple exercises and physical activities which can be tried in the comfort of your home.

Top Exercises to Induce Labor

Here we have the top most efficient physical exercises to induce labor in a natural manner. These exercises will most certainly help you have your body prepared for birth.

Pelvic Rocks

More commonly known as pelvic tilt, this is seen by many as the best physical exercise when wanting to induce labor naturally. This type of exercise is rather easy and can be performed in the comfort of your home.

Simply lie down on the back, keeping the knees bent and your feet on the floor. Then flatten the back against the floor while bending the pelvis upwards simultaneously. Hold for around 10 second or so, and release slowly. This kind of physical exercise, if it`s done twice per day, can aid the muscle of the pelvis to prepare for labor.

Butterfly Position

This particular physical exercise aids the muscles of the back, pelvis and hip to stretch. The position of the butterfly is named the “tailor sitting” as well. It a simple exercise which increases the flexibility of the pelvic joints, easing things for induced labor.

The butterfly position is a type of exercise that can be done however the woman wants. All she has to do is placing herself in the sitting posture, having her feet together and back against the wall. She`ll then press her knees with her hands while attempting to stretch the inner things muscles.

The husband or any member of the family can assist the woman if she wants to stretch her legs more. It is quite safe to perform this particular exercise for around 10 minutes every day.

Squats

For a health pregnancy, squats should not be missed. This kind of exercise is believed to aid get the baby into the proper position for birth. Have your legs placed in such a way that will have the width of the shoulders between them and the back straight.

Slowly bend towards your knees with the back straight. Bend the knees as far as you are comfortable without the knees exceeding a 90° angle. Try and hold this particular position for about 5 seconds. Relax as much as you can and then repeat the entire exercise all over again. A set of twenty repetitions need to be completed.

Lunges

The lack of physical exercises has a tendency of building a poor posture of the body, which will make the uterus to be subject of cramps or twists. It may exert too much pressure on the little one as well.

Getting into the right position could be rather hard. That is where lunges come into play.

Lunges are the kind of exercise which aids in untwisting the ligaments that are placed in the lower uterine part. Actually, lunges go a very long way in preparing the woman`s body for induced labor naturally.

All there`s needed to be done is stand and then place one of the legs ahead while bending the knee. You could practice a vertical lunge position or simply try and push against the wall, while attempting to maintain the very same posture.

Lunges may be a bit hard to do, so talk to your husband or life partner to help you. Tell him to aid you flatten your lower back until feeling a burning sensation. As soon as this happens, hold this posture for about thirty seconds.

Leaning

The birth ball is simply a lifesaver when talking about exercising during pregnancy. It will be useful in transcending into labor in a natural way and easily. Be certain you use the services of a professional instructor to guide all the time.

Leaning against a birth ball might exert pressure on the pelvic muscles and lower back, and will assist you get ready for delivery. This ball will also aid you ease your pain while in labor, and make sure a natural childbirth that takes less effort.

Kegel Stretches

Practice Kegel exercises, which are made to aid tone and tighten the muscles of the pelvis. These are the muscles that control the urine flow. While not really proven scientifically, lots of pregnant women perform this type of exercises pretty frequently to start their contractions.

Stand having the feet flat on the floor and place the back against the wall. Try and contract the pelvic muscle, then relax these muscles. Complete one hundred repetitions. This kind of stretches can be performed during the whole 9 months of pregnancy.

Related: How Long Does It Take for Kegels to Work?

Stair Climbing

You most definitely gained some extra pounds and stair climbing is perhaps the very last thing you would want to do right now. However, fear not as climbing a few stairs won`t hurt, but rather make wonders or a safe labor.

Stair climbing may be hard at first; however, it works like nothing you can imagine and can prepare you for possible stressful moments later. Climbing stairs will aid you maintain the position of your baby and blood pressure, while beginning contractions and opening the pelvic area.

Additional Physical Activities & Exercises that Will Help

If you are over 37 weeks of pregnancy and want to help your little one prepare for the upcoming moment, there are specific activities that might help in addition to the ones already outlined above.

Sex, Sex & Sex

Did you know that orgasm could give a helping hand to uterine contractions? How about the fact that semen could aid soften the woman`s cervix? Is there anything that needed to be said? – Read more!

Nipple Stimulation

Roll your nipples through your fingers or use a breast pump for a stronger stimulation to begin your uterine contractions. Breastfeeding after your baby arrives aids your uterus contract back to the original size for the exact same reason.

Sitting

Most instructors may not consider this as being a physical exercise. Still, when the tummy has gotten so big and you are going through the exhausting process of labor, the right position of sitting can do wonders with your pain, but can also stabilize your pelvis and strengthen the body.

Sitting doesn`t mean you should just sit anywhere it`s convenient for you. You should avoid soft couches, beds or gliders, and you should always be certain you are sitting in an upright posture, having the pelvis bent forward. You should also change your regular chair with an exercise ball to maintain the pelvis aligned.

Additionally, you can try distinct positions that may include cross legs where you need to push your uterus forward and stretch the legs. One of the advantages of this particular exercise is that women will not even be aware of how helpful sitting is when it comes to labor later.

Go for a Walk in the Park

You probably already know that a simple walk in the park is a great practice for overall fitness. However, in the last weeks it could aid your baby engage in your pelvis.

Bouncy Exercises

Additionally to bounding the birth ball, other types of bouncy exercises could aid coax baby even deeper into your pelvis. It`s true that you have to try and avoid high-impact exercises, but you could still do low-impact exercises which include a bit of bounce, like squats, lunges or other ones similar to these ones.