Daily Pregnancy Exercises
To keep yourself in good condition during your pregnancy,please remember to daily Drink (8 one cup glasses of water), Eat (2,000 healthy calories), Exercise, and be active every day!
Balance, posture, and movement in pregnancy are big influencers in baby's position. These exercises do not cause the baby change from a good position into a bad position. Simple daily exercises can:
· Help the baby's chin tuck to get a smaller head circumference.
· Help baby rotate themselves so their head is coming down from an optimal angle.
· Open the pelvis wider with mother's own positions (these activities and postures are called maternal positioning)
· Help make the most room for baby to descend - whether in the ideal position or not.
Inversion 1 x's a day
Heading 1
*Do this with help from your partner. Do not climb off the couch, but have help to lift back up. This is basically a yoga pose called downward dog, but changed so that a pregnant woman can do it and not have her hamstrings inhibit the stretch. www.spinningbabies.com
Pelvic Tilts
Do about 20-40 pelvic rocking movements each time, 1 or 2 times a day. If you do them while baby is active, there may be more benefit to fetal position improvement. But start early, in the first trimester!
Side Lying Release (2 or 3 times a week)
Psoas Muscle Stretch
Psoas release (5 min daily) by Liz Koch
Put a kitchen chair on the carpeted floor. Lie on your back in front of the chair and face the ceiling. Lift up your feet and rest them on the chair so that your calves are at a 90 degree angle to your thighs. Your thighs and abdomen will form an "L". The thighs are straight up and down and calves are horizontal to the ground. Relax. After five minutes, roll to your side and get up slowly. The video below shows a woman exploring her psoas muscles. I do not expect you to be able to copy her, but it is fun to explore the movements that you can while learning about your body.
Active women who walk, swim or did regular yoga may have overcome many of the bad effects of growing up sitting in school desks or slouching on the couch. Standing and walking are examples where movement and gravity work together to settle baby head down. A woman's ability to walk upright helps her baby settle head down.
· Prenatal yoga (if not daily, then regularly 3-6 times a week)
· Belly Dancing
· Swimming
· Walking
· Good upright postures
· Hula Hooping big circleson an exercise ball
· Emotional resolutions:journaling, counseling, prayer, forgiveness.
*The sacrum can also become twisted a little sideways or wrinkled like a throw rug from riding in a car or crossing our legs. These common issues can prevent a baby from getting into an ideal position. Professional help may make all the difference. Professional helpers vary as do women’s bodies needs. Find the Professional that is right for you.
For more info visit http://www.spinningbabies.com/more-info/for-pregnancy/daily-activities.
Breathe with your partner (2 min)
Sit against (in front) your partner with his arms around you and cradle your baby. Breathe together slowly, deeply, in and out 20 times. Focus on your breathing and the feeling of your partner. Connect with each other. Sit in the stillness.