prepare for birth
Standing hip rotations
Standing hip rotations
Stand with your feet as wide as you need them to be comfortable, keeping your knees slightly bent. With your hands on your hips, rotate your hips. See if you can keep your shoulders and upper body still and focus on keeping the movement just in the hips and belly. As you bring your hips forward, inhale, exhaling as you move them backwards. Do as many as you like, about 10 in each direction or more if it feels good.
Hammock positions Forward bend
While lying back may seem relaxing to you, it’s best to avoid this position, especially during these later weeks, because it slows down the flow of blood to the placenta and could encourage your baby to move into a position that may make your birthing experience more difficult. Instead, spend more time in positions that bring your baby into a hammock-like position. This will help your baby be in the optimum position with his or her back facing away from your spine. Poses here include forward bends, child’s pose, cat stretch and any
Kneeling hip rotations
movements done on your hands and knees, including crawling around on all fours at home.
Forward bend Bend forward and place your hands flat on a table, standing with your feet comfortably wide, knees slightly bent. Now relax your head, close your eyes and gently take your awareness to your breath, keeping it long and smooth. Stay here as long as
Kneeling hip rotations
you’d like to.
Kneeling hip rotations Take position on your hands and knees, knees as wide as they need to be to be comfortable. Now rotate your hips in a bellydance-like circle, breathing in as you bring them forward and exhaling as you take them back.
Cat pose variation
Cat-cow pose variation Take position on your elbow and knees, knees as wide as they need to be comfortable. As you inhale, look up, let your back sink down; as you exhale, take your chin to your chest and draw your belly inwards, giving baby a gentle squeeze. Do this Cow pose variation
as long as you like, for at least five breaths.
Child’s pose Relax in child’s pose, moving your knees apart so there’s room for baby, resting your head on either your hands or fists or the floor. If you’d like, place a bolster or rolled-up blanket between your buttocks and heels. If your pubic symphysis is open and
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