Have you ever wished for a clear guide to the yoga postures that could truly support you during a specific labor? Or ever wished you had a way to see where the body was out of balance ahead of actually being in labor? Well then you’re going to be thrilled you opened this e-mail!
I’m going to walk you through the key yoga movements to prepare for labor, and how you can tell if they are actually accessible for your body! These fundamental movements are designed to create space for baby to move through the pelvis during labor. By knowing which movements influence different areas of the pelvis, you can begin to have a positive impact on your own labor process - even before it has begun!
1. Know the levels of the pelvis and how they open.
During labor a baby does not simply drop straight through its mother’s pelvis. Because of the different shapes and structures contained within and surrounding the pelvis, a baby’s position actually rotates throughout the birth process. Depending on what level or station of the pelvis is interacting with the baby’s head, the baby may be guided to face right, left, front, or backwards in its mother’s body.
There are 3 levels of the pelvis we need to interact with:
The inlet: the space bounded by the Ilium wing bones of the pelvis and the sacrum or back keystone of the pelvis arch.
The mid-pelvis: The area between two spines on the back of the pelvis and also where the muscles of the pelvis floor come into contact with the baby’s head. This area guides the baby’s head to rotate during the birth process.
The outlet: The space bounded by the sitz bones on the side, the pubic bone in the front and the tailbone in the back. This is the area through which baby’s head emerges.
There is a simple way to remember how each level of the pelvis opens:
Tuck for the Top: The pelvic inlet most commonly requires space front to back to assist baby moving into the back of the circle. Tucking the tailbone moves the upper pelvic bones apart.
Movements for finding a tuck? Cat pose, Bridge Pose, Standing pelvic tuck, Baddhokonasana
Sideways for the Spin: The mid-pelvis spines and pelvis floor lead the baby’s head to rotate as it descends. Moving side to side helps make space within the inner pelvic stations.
Movements for opening sideways? Side lunges, Warrior 2, 90/90 position
Butt out for the base: If tucking the tail opens the top, then tilting the tail will open the bottom. Forward tilting the pelvis combined with internally rotating the thighs helps create space in the lower pelvic bones.
Movements for opening the base? High squat with arched back. Cow pose, Virasana, forward fold with internal rotation.
And for those who want a more concrete guide for how to find and open these different movements, I’ve created an e-book to compile the information about the different levels of the pelvis and the movements that can help them. Click here to download and start finding better balance throughout the body and in birth. Oh these are also included in the Childbirth Education chapter of my book The Om Births Approach!
2. See where the body is able to move and where it compensates
The best way to see if a movement is available in a body is to try and do it. Put yourself next to a full length mirror and try moving into cat and cow pose. How much movement is coming from the chest? How much from the pelvis? Many bodies will borrow movement from above or below the tense spaces to avoid opening where the body is holding. Focusing on whether the pelvis can actually rotate on the femur bones can give a good indication of whether there is overall balance in the connective tissues and muscles, or if they are restricted
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For seeing if the tailbone can tilt (butt out position) take a broom handle and place it against the back of your body from your head to your tail. Keeping your spine in a neutral position, hinge forward and see how far you can go before the spine begins to round. I find many yoga students are shocked to discover they have been borrowing from their spines well before they even reach a “flat back” position (and some of these are able to fully touch the floor).
For discovering the sideways movement we have to play with some asymmetry and either practice kneeling lunge with the leg to the side, or find Warrior 2 and then explore (in either position) whether the hips will shift side to side, or if we again borrow from the spine leaving one hip dropped, or roll in at the knee. For many students the ability to shift the pelvis while maintaining good knee alignment and long side body is a tall order.
3. Work to open what is restricting the held movement
Now we come to the real work of the yoga practice; restoring the balance. The physical changes of pregnancy pull on our muscles and connective tissues in certain ways. If we don't address these shifts, then by the time we arrive at labor, we have tightened certain areas and over stretched others, and our body isn't as ready to birth as it might be. But if we can address the imbalances, by restoring space in some areas and building strength in others, we could not only be less achy throughout pregnancy. But the key is to find the postures that mitigate the shifts of pregnancy; not just stretching our hips!
Each area of the body can create a twist or tug in the pelvis and around the uterus, and that not only leads to aches and pains, but also makes it harder for the cervix to unwind and open during labor, and for the baby to spiral into position and move through. And you probably noticed that some of these areas overlap. So the postures below are chosen not just because they stretch, but also because when done well they strengthen other areas. Strength means the body isn't borrowing from other muscles to get support, and that's better for overall body function as well!
And then in labor, we have the movements we need available when we actually need them, AND we know how to move when the body asks for it!
I know it seems like a lot, but I have found that working from an understanding of how the pelvis is structured and where the body is restricted in its current movement quickly clarifies how we need to adjust a yoga practice during pregnancy, and can even result not only in a possibly smoother birth, but in an easier postpartum recovery!
So what further questions do you have about using yoga to prepare your body and mind for labor and birth?
