Most of us are concerned about whether our baby’s head is down or not. However, head down doesn’t guarantee a smooth labor. We outlined some positions that are not optimal in our Instagram post here.
But not all is lost! There are some things you can do to DAILY to help encourage the best position for your baby.
3 Daily Activities
1. Walk
Yes, you’ve probably heard it before, but seriously - walking during pregnancy is one of the best exercises you can do. You’ll want to walk briskly with full range of motion (quick enough that you get your heart rate up but make sure you can still hold a conversation).
Try to walk for at least 20 minutes, and try not to walk with a stroller or make tons of stops. This can further imbalance your pelvis. The benefit of brisk walking is that it stretches & strengthens your muscles so they’re not too tight. For the best benefit, it takes time and daily walking.
You can also try curb walking. Learn more about curb walking on this blog.
If you’re high risk or have been told to limit your exercise, then you shouldn’t walk daily. Always ask your doctor before performing any type of exercise.
2. Sit Correctly
Humans are sitting more now than we ever have - and this is taking a toll on our bodies. We were not made to sit for long hours! If you’re sitting down as you’re reading this, check your posture.
Is your tailbone tucked under? It shouldn’t be! Your buttocks should touch the back of your chair.
Are you slouching? Sit with back support - we suggest a cut up noodle, rolled-up towel or other lumbar support to help you have good posture.
Sitting on an exercise ball or criss-cross on the floor are really good flexible seating arrangements. If possible, try to vary your position throughout the day. Also, be sure to stand up and stretch at 30-minute intervals to improve blood circulation & stretch your muscles.
This is a great article that discusses posture during pregnancy at length.
3. Forward Leaning Inversions
This is something you can do to encourage your baby to get in the best position and help stretch out any uterine ligaments that are tight. Basically you kneel on the edge of a couch and gently & slowly lower your hands to the floor. You’ll hold this for about three breaths and then go back to kneeling high on the couch.
You should not do this if: you’re at high risk, have heartburn, high blood pressure, glaucoma or are at risk for a stroke.
Go to the link here to watch a video and learn more about forward leaning inversions from one of our favorite websites for baby positioning: Spinning Babies. They offer great tips and will help you do forward leaning inversions safely.
There are, of course, many other activities you should do daily to have a healthy pregnancy, but these three will specifically help your baby be in the best position for labor.
Doing these three things can really help lengthen and stretch your muscles. Tight muscles = less ability for baby to move & get into a good position.