Giving birth is not for sissies. This is the real deal – an amazing physical feat full of beauty, awe, really hard work, and sweat. It is one of the most fulfilling and powerful physical challenges you will experience in your life. And it’s important to prepare physically for it and to get your BODY ready!
Sometimes I hear women say,
“I just trust that my body was made to give birth, so I’m not really doing anything to prepare.”
To that, I would say,
“Well, your body was also made to run long distances, but I still think you would prepare a bit before running a marathon.”
Others say,
“I’m believing God for a pain-free, supernatural birth, so my preparation is really just spiritual.”
Again, you could believe God for a “pain-free, supernatural marathon race,” but it would still be wise to prepare physically for it. You probably want to partner with God in what you’re asking Him for.
If you prepare your body well, your labor will likely be shorter, easier, and much more comfortable. You will have the stamina you need, baby will be able to move down easily, and you’ll stretch well, preventing tearing.
Sound good? Here’s what you can do:
1. Exercise
Make exercise a priority during your pregnancy – all the way up to delivery. Now you don’t need to go get a gym membership or suddenly start running when you’ve never run in your life. Actually, please DON”T do that. Just keep a consistent exercise routine of the things you did before pregnancy.
Giving birth really is a work-out and the better shape you’re in, the easier it will be for you. Your muscles, heart, and lungs will be used to hard work and be up for the challenge of labor.
Walking especially is so great for you during pregnancy. Walking gets your hips and pelvis open, giving lots of movement and room for baby to move down easily and get in a great position for birth! So try to go on a good walk at least 5 days a week – all the way up to the end ☺.
Other great forms of exercise during pregnancy:
- Pregnancy work-out and yoga videos or classes
- Cycling
- Swimming! (plus it feels amazing to feel weightless in the water at the end). And, if baby is having trouble staying in a good position, doing hand-stands in the pool is a great way to help him turn and get into an ideal position for labor.
2. Stretches
Watch the video above (starting at 2:55 min) to see some of the key stretches to do throughout your pregnancy – especially towards the end! These stretches will keep all your ligaments and muscles nice and loose for birth and help baby get in a great position.
3. Relaxation Practice
One of the most important things for your body to be able to do during labor is to FULLY relax. This is what will allow the contractions to do their job and to open you up and bring baby down.
But it’s important to practice this type of relaxation ahead of time so that your body gets used to relaxing fully and quickly at a moment’s notice. If you don’t consciously relax during labor, you will probably unconsciously tense your muscles during labor – hindering and slowing the birth process.
If you take my birth class, you get a relaxation cd that walks you through a Holy Spirit relaxation practice, but if you don’t take the class, you can still practice. Just lie in your bed and practice releasing all tension in each part of your body – starting with your head and moving down through each muscle till you reach your toes. At the end, your entire body should be limp and fully relaxed. Stay there a few minutes, getting used to that feeling. Practice each night before you go to bed and then start practicing during the day during stressful situations. See how quickly you can get your body to fully relax no matter what else is going on.
Once you get your body trained to do this easily at a moment’s notice, you will be ready to enter that same relaxation on your big day – birthing your baby easily and well.
4. Sleep
This one is so important to have a great birth experience. You want to enter your labor as rested and energized as possible!
Fatigue during labor is usually a lot harder to cope with than pain. And actually, the main reason most women get an epidural is because of fatigue – not the pain. They need a chance to rest to regain strength to finish the labor and push their baby out.
So to avoid all of this, make your sleep a priority – especially in the weeks leading up to your due date. Go to bed on time, take a nap during the day, and rest up as much as possible. And if you do start labor during the night, do your best to sleep through it as long as you can. Trust me, even though it’s crazy exciting to think that the day is finally here and it feels impossible to sleep because of the adrenaline and excitement, SLEEP if you can! You will be so thankful 6 hours later that you can enter the active, intense part of labor with energy!
5. Enjoy lots of Sex!
Intercourse is a great way to prepare your body for birth. Semen contains hormones called prostaglandins that help soften your cervix and prepare it for dilation during labor. Doctors sometimes use a synthetic form of prostaglandins to soften and prepare a woman’s cervix if they are trying to induce her, but God gave us the natural stuff in semen. So I say enjoy the natural prostaglandins that God provided for you and get that cervix all nice and soft and ready to dilate quickly and easily when labor starts!
You can also have your partner gently massage your perineum (opening of your vagina) with some coconut oil to get it nice and loose for birth. As he gently uses his finger to put pressure on your vaginal walls and massage along them, practice relaxing all those muscles and breathing deeply at the sensation instead of tensing. This is great practice for when you feel that same stretching sensation during birth. (Just make sure his finger is clean ☺).
So enjoy some hot pregnancy sex (ok, or maybe awkward pregnancy sex if you are feeling big and awkward at the end – or maybe both ☺), and get that cervix and perineum ready for b
So these are my Top 5 Ways to prepare your BODY for birth! Do them and your body is going to be in a great position to birth your baby easily and well!
Stay tuned for the rest of this series that includes my Top 5 Ways to Prepare your MIND, SPIRIT, and RELATIONSHIPS for birth! Subscribe below to receive each of these videos!
I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts below!