Lets face it, every momma is beyond miserable once the third trimester rolls around. We want the baby out! we also want to be able to breath normally, try and sleep without feeling our organs being crushed, and not running to the bathroom every 10 seconds because you feel like your bladder is going to explode. However we also know in the end baby comes when baby is ready!! so to help with the aches, pains and misery, here are a few exercises to try at home, that I have done in the past, and proved to be helpful. These exercises not only help with the discomfort but can help with labor as well.
- Kegels
This form of exercising works the pelvic floor muscle and helps strengthen this particular muscle to help with the pushing phase in labor. The even cooler part of this exercise is the ability to do it discretely and anywhere. You can first start off by trying to contract the muscle around your lady parts, if you are able to do this, you have tackled have the exercise already.
- You can contract the pelvic floor for a few seconds at a time, and gradually work your way up to 15 second long contractions.
- Or you can also do “quick flicks” which is pretty self explanatory, quick repetitive contractions of the muscle, instead of holding the contractions for a specific period of time.
Now keep in mind, this is the one exercise that is suppose to be “any time and any place friendly” so your not moving any part of your body throughout the process, (so no booty shake or hip rolls ladies).
2. The Angry Cat or (Pelvic tilt)
This exercise is probably my favorite, I suffer from horrible back problems (preexisting and pregnancy related) this stretch helps ease so much back pain and pressure, I love it!! Now aside of the back pain relief it also helps strengthen the abdominal muscle which of course helps during labor as well.
- This exercise requires you to be on all fours, (like a cat, hence the nickname ). Now once you are on all fours (hands and knees), make sure your arms are aligned with your shoulders, and your knees are aligned with your hips.
- Keep your arms straight but don’t lock the elbows.
- Once you are in position, start off by inhaling in and as your doing this arch your back by tightening your abdominal muscle, make sure your booty tucks in to help get the full stretch in. (If you look like an angry cat, then your doing it right)
- once you exhale start to relax your back into a normal position.
- you can repeat this as many times as you want and at whichever pace works for you, remember to breath in when arching the back and breath out when you are returning to a normal straightening back.
(remember be an angry cat)
3. Squat
Now lets be real mommas by this stage in the game, most of us are showing and possibly have the wide load waddle going on. So when doing this exercise we need to be careful, and use extra support. This exercise may also have a one way affect, meaning you’ll go down but wont come back up lol! Therefore, using an extra support will help with that as well. The main purpose of this particular exercise is to prepare you for actually giving birth. Squats will help strengthen your thighs and help open your pelvis.
To begin, I use a chair, however you can use really any furniture, or object that is completely STABLE!! Once you have your stable piece of furniture picked out, you can begin.
- You start by standing behind the furniture you picked, in my case, I would stand behind my dinning room chair, facing the back of it. Make sure your positioned with a straight back, feet slightly further out then your hips, toes pointed outward, and you then hold the back of the furniture or chair for support.
- Now that your in position, you will slowly lower your tailbone towards the floor as if you were going to sit down. make sure you are carrying most of your weight on your heels, as well as keep your back as straight as possible. You can stay in this position for as long as you feel comfortable.
- Once you are ready to stand up, take a deep breath in and as you are exhaling, start to rise into a standing position.
That’s if for the squat, short and simple. Make sure to use the support to stand and lower yourself, as this will help prevent you from falling or possibly not being able to get back up from your squat.
4. Back Stretch
This exercise may be a little harder to do and most definitely can be a bit uncomfortable depending on how big your belly is. However I have done it and it does work well to help relive tension in my back (and I HAVE A LOT OF TENSION), it is also said that is can help relive muscle tightness during labor. This exercise is rather simple as well.
You can either do this exercise against the wall or using a chair which ever is more comfortable for you.
- If you use a chair, you can use the chair to bend forward forming a 90 degree angle. Once your in this position, you can hold still with your back flat and your legs straight, or you can do all of the above and instead of holding still, rock your hips from side to side (with legs straight or slightly bent) to help stretch the back and relieve tension.
- Make sure your head is parallel with your arms. You can hold the position for as long as you feel comfortable and repeat as you wish.
- If you are using the wall, (I have done both. chair is better for me). You will do all of the above, except instead of holding chair, you will face the wall; and then place hands flat on the wall to perform the exercise instead.
And those ladies are the exercises that have helped me survive the last eight months of my life. I hope you find them useful and if you have any exercises you love and would like to share them please do so below. 🙂