Is your body physically prepared for labor?: 4 reasons why you should consider it
Pregnancy is a time where you do everything to prepare to bring your baby into this world. As you prepare, your mind is consumed with learning how to properly prepare for baby. You take a ton of courses on what to expect in pregnancy, what to expect during delivery and how to prepare your home for baby. But have you thought about how to physically prepare your body for pregnancy and the labor/delivery process?
Physically preparing your body is often overlooked, but it should be a main priority for you. Your body goes through many physical changes during pregnancy. The obvious is your growing belly, however there are many other physical changes that happen to your body that are accompanied with pregnancy. Also, labor is not a sedentary activity; you should physically prepare your body to endure the labor process. Completing certain exercises will help you better manage pregnancy, prepare for labor and delivery, and help prevent common pains that occur during pregnancy.
Read below to learn more about why you should physically prepare for pregnancy, labor & delivery.
Labor is active and physically demanding
When you think of giving birth, you probably just think about the part where you are lying down and pushing. What is often overlooked are the hours of labor that come prior to pushing. Labor is physically demanding; on average, labor can last up to 8 hours, but some women go through labor for much longer.
During labor, you are encouraged to be in different positions to help your baby get in the right position for birth. Labor positions include squatting, kneeling on all fours, and side lying, just to name a few. These are physically demanding and require you to be in these positions for extended periods of time. Completing exercises that specifically mimic labor positions and that target muscles necessary for these labor positions is important. These muscles need to have strength and endurance to better assist you with managing the labor process.
Your body physically changes due to changing hormonal levels
During pregnancy, your body goes through many hormonal changes. Two of those hormones that help prepare your body for birth are estrogen and relaxin. While preparing your body for birth, these hormones can also cause negative physical changes to your body if not properly addressed.
Estrogen rises throughout pregnancy to help with the growing fetus and prepare your uterus for birth. It also plays a role in enlarging the breasts and causes the pelvis to change positions. These physical changes cause a significant change to your posture which leads to you leaning back to compensate. This leads to increased strain on your lower back which can cause pain in your hips and back.
Another hormone that physically changes your body is relaxin. Relaxin helps the ligaments in your pelvis to relax and softens the cervix in preparation for birth. As it relaxes key body parts, it also decreases stability in your joints. This hormone is also responsible for diastasis rectus, the term used to describe when the abdominal muscles separate from the midline of your body.
Targeted exercises that build strength, increase flexibility and increase endurance in key muscles affected by these hormones is important. It can help prevent pain and help you properly compensate for these changes. This is also why it’s important to train with a specialist who is aware of the changes to your body; they can help protect you from injury which can happen due to the decreased stability of certain areas affected by these hormones.
It will help you carry the extra weight that comes with pregnancy
Pregnant women can gain anywhere between 15- 40 pounds during pregnancy; the most obvious cause of the extra weight is your growing belly. But there are also other causes of extra weight in pregnancy; your breast size grows, increased blood, and amniotic fluid, just to name a few. You are not used to carrying this weight which can cause significant changes to your body, and not in a good way! The extra weight causes pregnant women to overcompensate which can lead to tight hamstrings, changes in pelvic alignment, weakness in your gluteal muscles, and tight pelvic floor muscles.
Many pregnant women are not aware of the changes that are a result of carrying the extra weight. They complain of lack of balance, weakness in certain muscles and pain in the lower back and hips. Exercises that are targeted at the areas that are mostly affected during pregnancy can help address these common complaints.
It will make it easier for your baby to move through your pelvis
An important reason to physically prepare for birth is to make it easier for your baby to pass through your birth canal. An important group of muscles, called the pelvic floor muscles, must be prepared to allow the baby to pass through the birth canal. Completing specific exercises that strengthen, encourage coordination and endurance of the pelvic floor muscles will make it easier for your baby to move in and out of the pelvis when the time comes to meet baby.
Pregnancy, labor, and delivery is physically demanding and causes many physical changes to your body; physically preparing for these changes will help you in the long run. It is important to add exercises to your pregnancy routine that address the endurance, strength, and flexibility of certain muscles to adequately prepare for the physical changes in pregnancy and the physical demands of labor.
Exercising while pregnant does not have to be strenuous. Some people when they hear exercise, they think of hardcore lifting and running. This is not the case at all; you can complete simple exercises that target the key areas affected by pregnancy. If you are unsure of exercises to complete or uneasy about exercising while pregnant, training with a pre/post natal fitness specialist can be beneficial to protect you and your fetus.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.