How to make labor easier with exercise. Gymnastic exercises for pregnant women - the best preparation for childbirth

Exercise is often recommended as a natural method to induce labor. Exercise is especially beneficial for getting your child down and for his or her better progress. There are at least five exercises you can do when your pregnancy reaches full term to speed up the birth process.

1. Walking as a method to naturally induce labor.

Walking keeps you upright and encourages your child to lower. This puts pressure on the cervix, which causes the cervix to flatten and dilate. The pressure exerted by the baby's head on the cervix also increases the local release of oxytocin, which in turn induces labor.

In addition to helping your child get into the correct position, walking is also beneficial for you. Walking is an excellent cardiovascular workout that most people can do and does not require a gym or special equipment to walk. Walking improves blood circulation, breathing, and muscle tone. It gets you in shape so you can cope with the onset of labor and be ready for a newborn.

If you can, walk in the morning when the air is fresher and less polluted. Wear comfortable shoes and take a large umbrella with you. It can come in handy in case you want to lean on something to relieve tension from your back. And also it will be very useful if it is too sunny or it rains.

2. Is climbing stairs really the beginning of labor?

It is often said that in hospitals, midwives ask women to go down and up stairs so that the initial stage of labor goes by faster.

Climbing stairs has the same effect as walking. It helps your baby to move better, the cervix dilates, and it also increases the level of oxytocin in the cervical region. In addition, lifting your legs one by one in order to move to the next step opens your pelvis. This creates more space for the baby and promotes the onset of labor. Light, swinging and progressive movements during the ascent and slight thrusts during the descent all help the baby to get into the best position for childbirth.

Remember, it is important that you do not overwork yourself as you walk up the stairs, trying to induce labor more quickly. You should feel your own strength and also listen to your body's signals.

3. How about swimming to stimulate labor?

Swimming is another great exercise that can help induce labor. Breaststroke especially is believed to have this effect.

Remember to wear safety goggles and follow correct swimming technique. If you keep your head above the water, your spine will bend in an unnatural way. This will most likely lead to tension in the back, which is already struggling with the extra weight of your belly.

If you don't know the correct swimming technique, this shouldn't stop you! If you can swim a little, you can learn the correct breaststroke technique surprisingly quickly. Hire a swimming coach for this.

Submerging your body in water when you are pregnant is actually a pleasant experience. Water supports your body and takes weight off your legs and joints. If you experience swelling in your legs towards the end of your pregnancy, a little water pressure can easily help you get rid of this problem.

Indeed, it is worth going to the pool or the beach to enjoy the benefits of water and swimming in order to stimulate labor and get rid of leg swelling!

4. Does squatting help induce labor?

In a squatting position, your pelvis begins to open up and this makes labor easier for you as it helps your baby move through the birth canal and also creates more space for him or her to be born. Squatting can help speed up the labor process if it hasn't started because the baby is too high.

The squatting position helps your child to lower down and get into the correct position. Once the child is in the correct position, it is less likely that he or she will be able to turn again. This means that you should only squat when your baby is in the correct position for childbirth. This position is called the forward position, in which the baby is head down, facing your back. If your baby is in the back position - with his back to your back - or in the gluteal position upside down, it is important not to induce him to go down. The child should roll over to the optimal forward position before you begin to squat.

5. Wiggle - Could an exercise to induce labor be more comfortable?

Slight wiggles can induce your child to move downward. In order to try this exercise to induce labor, you need to find a safe swing in which you can sit comfortably.

All of these exercises can be the last natural push a full-term baby needs to be born. Exercise is always very beneficial. It's never too late, and even a little exercise can make a difference. Exercise can help get labor started and keep you fit. If you are in great physical condition, you will feel great and will be able to withstand stress and illness much better. Therefore, take a walk around the area, or go to the nearest park for a swing!

Do you think how else you can provoke childbirth?

I decided here to collect all the natural methods of stimulating childbirth, do not be discouraged if you see a repetition. I just copied everything that came across interesting:

PREPARATION OF THE NECK FOR CHILDBIRTH

from 37 weeks no-spa 1x2p / d,
from 38 weeks - no-spa 1x3r / d and candles with tern for the night in the ass,
from 39 weeks - no-spa at 2x3r / d and candles with belladonna.
or another scheme:
from week 38:
- Candles with belladonna (or buscopan) 1 candle - 2 times a day
- No-shpa 1t-3 times;
(these are antispasmodics that will relieve spasm from the cervix and help it open, in addition, increase the elasticity of the tissues of the perineum and vagina.
- Inflate balloons (air) from 36 weeks to 10 times a day, because breathing during attempts is exactly the same and the muscles are tense.
- It is good to take unrefined vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon 3 times a day, which contains prostaglandins and vitamin A - which nourish the uterus - for good labor.
- Stimulation of the nipples (you can ask your husband, natural oxytocin is produced) so it is determined whether the body is ready for childbirth or not. If not, the body will not respond. Causes a contraction, the neck is smoothed better when setting candles at this moment (belladonna, buscopan)
- And of course, muzherapy, without protection, the semen contains prostaglandins that soften the cervix (for a while after that, do not wash away) - and in addition, sex massages the vagina increasing blood flow to the genitals, and this will reduce tears in childbirth.

Exercise stress:
- Kegel exercises - tension and relaxation of the vaginal muscles (50-100 per day)
-Deep squats (legs to the sides, you can hold onto the support) from 8 times a day;
- walking more + walking on stairs from 38 weeks (promotes lowering of the baby's head into the small pelvis and irritates the cervix).

Natural methods of stimulation:

1) Sex
If the uterus and fetus are ready for the onset of labor, then sex can become the mildest natural stimulant of the birth process. This will be facilitated by the hormone prostaglandin contained in the semen.
Achieving orgasm causes strong contractions of the muscles of the uterus, which can also trigger labor.

2) Nipple stimulation
This is an old but scientifically sound way. At the same time, the body increases the production of oxytocin - a hormone that stimulates labor, which largely determines the course of childbirth and their successful outcome.
The main thing is not to overdo it, because during this period it is easy to injure the nipples.

3)
can provoke the onset of childbirth - walking on the stairs, long walking, walking high lifting the knees, collecting scattered matches from the floor, i.e. bends, dancing to rhythmic music, fast swimming, a set of stretching exercises.

But just do not maniac with physical. loads, do everything to the best of your pregnant capabilities!

5) Enema
A large cleansing enema is made (using a heating pad with a straw) with cool water and sea salt can be added.
Intestinal peristalsis has a stimulating effect on the uterus.

By the way, drinking of castor oil 150 g can be added to this point with intestinal perturbation. (an old remedy of our grandmothers).

6) Acupressure foot massage
Massage each toe, the center of the foot and a point above the ankle on the inside of the leg.

7) Cold and hot shower

Traditional methods:

1) cleaning floors
It is not the cleanliness of the floor that is important here, but the prolonged movement itself - the woman is on her knees and with a wet rag makes a movement from side to side with a large amplitude. So you can go through the whole room, and at the same time wash the floor.
2) Red currant juice on an empty stomach in the morning and for a walk for 2-3 hours at a normal pace.
3) squeeze the juice of two or three oranges, add 50 ml of castor oil and drink.
4) drink beet juice or eat boiled beets.
5) drink raspberry leaf tea
6) remove the curtains, wash the window and hang again.
7) persuading the baby to be born

On some small site I came across:

Stimulating cocktail

Apricot juice - 1 cup Dry champagne or brut or soda - 1 cup Ground almonds - 2 tablespoons Castor oil - 2 tablespoons (= 1 bottle of 30 ml)

Beat in a blender.
Drink slowly in small sips. Drink for 0.5-1 hours.
Good contractions come in 2-4 hours!
If it's "time" - the cocktail will help the contractions, if not - the contractions will die out

According to leading courses, this cocktail is officially used in maternity hospitals in Germany.

When I told a young progressive gynecologist about this cocktail, she became interested in its composition, and after listening, she thought. And then she quickly told me what and why it was used. Those. agreed that such a composition (exactly in the complex!) can be justified. And I took note of it as interesting :)

And here's another list:

1) Sex
2) 150 grams of castor oil (at the same time cleanses the body)
3) drink evening primrose oil (it prepares well the neck and, in general, oragnizm for childbirth)
4) eat beets (mild stimulant due to laxative effect)
5) going up-going down the stairs
6) dancing
7) eat raspberry jam
8) walking with high leg lifts;
9) load on the shoulder girdle (push-ups, dumbbells, etc.)
10) singing;
11) nipple massage;
12) raspberry leaves
13) Black Cohosh (in the USA) or in Russian Klopogon
14) spicy food
15) 25 ml of vodka. 50 ml castor oil, orange juice. It can be repeated after an hour. It very stimulates the intestines, and this is very interrelated with labor.
In any case, there will be no harm - maximum bowel cleansing, and in childbirth it is very good, instead of an enema. Works in 4 hours after taking. The main thing is not to pull out))
16) drink sunflower oil ... under Art. spoon several times a day ...
17) scatter and collect matches
18) mopping the floors on all fours
19) eat lemon. Only a lot is needed, three pieces a day ... You can sprinkle a little sugar or rub it into a jar with a small amount of sugar and drink with tea ...
20) champagne can stimulate labor
21) give an enema
22) We must overeat properly, sit down and overeat. Helps some
23) anal try
24) eating that special spicy Indian curry
25) active swimming
26) going to the cinema (loud noises)
27) fast for a couple of days
28) boil parsley root and drink half a cup several times throughout the day
29) feet soar mustard
30) massage of the lower back with cams as for pain relief

Easy childbirth is a subject of frequent discussion among expectant mothers. It's no secret that you need to prepare for childbirth in advance; for this, a special exercise has been developed for pregnant women to make it easier to give birth. It was only our grandmothers who went to work in the field until the birth itself, and it is not uncommon that they gave birth right next to the haystacks. And a modern woman in labor is already barely carrying the child to the desired date, so physical activity should be moderate and thoughtful.

You can sign up for special courses in preparation for childbirth. It will be interesting to prepare in the group, and it will also be possible to use the services of a perinatal psychologist.

It will not be superfluous to start attending aqua aerobics, because it is useful for both the pregnant woman and the baby.

A prerequisite is to practice with not too rhythmic music.

Charging for pregnancy to make it easier to give birth: exercise

Eight hips

Kneel down on outstretched arms. Slowly swing your hips from side to side. Try to draw a figure eight or an infinity sign with your hips. To ease the strain on your arms, you can do this exercise on a gymnastic ball or with your head and shoulders on the edge of the bed.

Hip circle

Performed standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Try to draw a circle with your hips, first in one direction, then in the other. To increase the load, you can sit down a little. Such exercises stimulate blood circulation in the pelvic region and strengthen the muscles of the back and pelvic floor.

We arch our back up

This exercise can be done in the 1-2 trimester of pregnancy. In a position on all fours, we very slowly bend our back up, like a kitty, just as slowly return it to its original position.

We walk right

Pregnant women need to walk every day for at least 1 hour a day. And this involves an active walk, and not sitting on a bench and reading a book. Alternating the crumbling stride with vigorous walking will build up your inner thigh muscles.

We sit in Turkish

This exercise makes the ligaments of the inner side of the legs elastic. You can add a load if the legs are not crossed, but connected with the feet and swing up and down.

Classic Kegel Exercises

You need to start with simple squeezing of the muscles of the perineum, you can sit on a chair. Squeeze hard and count to 10, then release slowly. Gradually increase the compression count to 30. You can perform such exercises while sitting with your legs outstretched against the wall. The "push" method is interesting. Try to push the imaginary table tennis ball out of you with the muscles of your vagina.

"Exercise" for the brain

The most important thing is to maintain a positive attitude and not be afraid of childbirth. And if you are not reassured by phrases like "Everyone gives birth, and you will give birth," then you can do auto-training to get rid of fear. Remember that fear is a spasm and, as a result, pain. Therefore, you need to learn how to manage fear. Some psychologists advise talking to the baby more, as if setting him up for an easy birth. He is also “afraid”, so this is a collective setting.

Talk more with pregnant acquaintances not about fear of childbirth, but about future children, as you imagine them. Take care of things that are useful for the baby - tie something for him, sew a canopy on the crib - such activities will set you up for a positive childbirth.

Such exercises do not take much time and effort and can be performed at home with your favorite calm music. And if you are bored, then you can invite a friend, too, in an interesting position.

Irina Pavlenko

When the gestation period approaches the final stage, mothers are already exhausted and want to give birth as soon as possible. The fear that the doctor will prescribe artificial stimulation of labor forces women to take measures on their own. There are physical exercises to speed up labor that have been proven by many mothers over the years.

The simplest types of physical activity

Physical education is useful not only during pregnancy, but also to induce childbirth. There are a number of exercises that help directly during the process of giving birth to a baby, they eliminate pain during contractions and help the fetus to pass correctly through the birth canal.

The most popular contraction-inducing exercises are stair climbing before childbirth and mopping. Sometimes even doctors give such recommendations. Of course, it is forbidden to be zealous to the detriment of oneself or the child. In the presence of deviations or contraindications, it is dangerous to engage in physical education and self-medication.

Does walking up the stairs help you give birth faster? Yes, any physical activity improves blood flow. Specifically, walking up the stairs helps to open the pelvis with each leg lift, swaying rhythmic movements push the fetus down to the neck. The child gradually takes the correct position in the uterus, begins to put pressure on it. This triggers the production of oxytocin and, as a result, contractions begin.

Walking up the stairs is great for stimulating labor that has already begun, but is mild. It is not uncommon to find pregnant women in maternity hospitals walking up and down the stairs.

How to wash floors to speed up labor? With her hands, the method consists in the fact that a woman, crawling on all fours, gently shakes her stomach, bends from side to side, arbitrarily moves the fetus closer to the exit from the uterus. If the size of the abdomen allows, you can wash the floors "in a slope".

Closer to childbirth, women have an acute desire to "nest" - they begin general cleaning, washing windows, rearranging furniture. Moderate stress for pregnant women favorably affects the onset of labor, but it is important to monitor your well-being.

The benefits of squats

Squats before childbirth are a popular method of useful physical activity.

Can you induce labor with squats? Yes, the birthing squat works the same way as other exercises. The main task is to smoothly move the baby closer to the exit and prepare the cervix. Squats to stimulate labor are included in the training program.

First of all, the main thing is to adequately assess your strength. Records are not needed by anyone, this applies to those women who decided to squat after being absent for 9 months of active physical activity. It is better to do exercises with a support, such as a chair.

How to squat correctly to induce labor:

1. legs must be spread at shoulder level or wider;
2. a slow deep squat is done;
3. the knees are as far apart as possible, there is no need to rush;
4. the back is straight;
5. when reaching the lowest position, we smoothly return to the starting position.

Squatting. These kind of squats speed up labor, which is mild. From a standing position, you need to slowly squat down, your feet should be firmly on the floor. For 10-15 seconds, you need to linger below, then just as slowly rise. Squatting gradually increases to a minute.

Before starting physical activity to speed up labor, you should be aware of the possible risks. Excessive activity is fraught with premature detachment of the placenta. This can cause undesirable consequences for the fetus and the woman. Therefore, the conclusion is this - squats cause childbirth, but it is better to do them consciously.

Other methods

Sex and picking up scattered matches from the floor are also effective labor-stimulating exercises. Collecting matches is a fun method, but it works on the principle of mopping.

Male therapy, as sex before childbirth is also called, has a great effect on the process of having a baby. The semen contains substances that help the cervix to open. Movement during intercourse accelerates blood.

Can a hot bath provoke labor? The effectiveness has not been proven, but women often resort to this method. The effectiveness is doubtful, since the relaxation obtained while taking a bath can stimulate labor, but the risk of getting a hypertensive crisis is higher. Therefore, if you have any problems with blood pressure, heart or frequent dizziness, a hot bath to stimulate labor is contraindicated.

Women throughout the history of mankind have tried many ways that can cause contractions. Nipple massage, causing a rush of oxytocin, No-shpa a few days before childbirth, cleansing the intestines with castor oil or an enema, persuading the baby, using products that stimulate contractions (pineapples, chocolate, raspberries, hot spices), massage of the lower back and feet - the list goes on and on. The main thing is to find a suitable method for yourself.

Before starting any exercises to stimulate labor, you must be 100% sure that they are needed. Often the expectant mother unreasonably wants the birth to begin faster. For additional stimulation, there are compelling indications: prolongation (we are talking about 42+), large fetus, lack of water, and others. The pathology can only be established by a doctor after diagnosis.

To give birth faster, it is forbidden to independently resort to folk methods. It so happens that the due date of childbirth is banally incorrectly set, and premature birth is fraught with the disability of the baby. It is important to listen to your body and the doctor's instructions, to do what is best for the child, first of all.

” №10/2014 01.08.16

Kegel gymnastics solves the most intimate health problems in women - relieves urinary incontinence and adds sharpness to sexual sensations. Kegel exercises are also useful for pregnant women: after training the muscles of the perineum, childbirth is easier, the risk of ruptures is reduced.

Attention!
Kegel exercises are contraindicated if there is a threat of miscarriage or premature birth. Doctors forbid doing exercises lying down after 16 weeks; during this period, pressure on the inferior vena cava should not be allowed.

While doing fitness in the gym and dreaming of external perfection, women often forget that the muscles of the perineum (otherwise they are called the muscles of the pelvic floor) also need training. The American obstetrician-gynecologist Arnold Kegel thought about this and developed several sets of exercises.

It turned out that this Kegel gymnastics is necessary for a woman during pregnancy. Indeed, after 9 months, the pelvic floor muscles become weak, which will definitely affect at the time of childbirth and after them. And if the muscles were not very strong even before pregnancy, then over the years, prolapse of the uterus and even its prolapse may occur.

Kegel gymnastics can be done even on the subway

Kegel gymnastics will be useful for both a woman who has given birth and who has not given birth. It is useful for the prevention of urinary incontinence, hemorrhoids and other ailments, including inflammation of the genital area. Kegel exercises improve the quality and prolong its period, activate the production of sex hormones. Women admit: after such training, not only their well-being improved, but also their mood. Of course, the great advantage of gymnastics is the simplicity of its implementation. Exercise can be done anywhere - for example, standing at a bus stop or in line at the checkout, sitting in a chair in front of the TV. And none of those around you will guess that at this moment you are doing intimate gymnastics.

As for expectant mothers, regular Kegel exercises will provide them with easy childbirth. Thanks to the effective work of the trained pelvic floor muscles, childbirth will be safe for both mother and baby.

It is better to start exercising at the earliest stage of pregnancy, doing 20-30 exercises daily. Training can be made more effective if you buy special vaginal cones from the pharmacy, they help to develop the sensation of the pelvic floor muscles and contribute to their build-up. If you started with sufficiently weakened pelvic muscles, then the load, effort and intensity of training should be increased gradually.

Kegel gymnastics: tension and relaxation

The principle of Kegel gymnastics is very simple. The effect is based on alternate tension and relaxation of the pelvic muscles, due to which they are "pumped". Start by contracting the intimate muscles "back and forth" several times in a row. It is important that only the internal muscles in the perineal area should work - between the vagina and the anus. The muscles of the thighs, abdomen and buttocks are not involved in training!

You can check how relaxed your muscles are. Stop the flow of urine while urinating. If you fail, there is something to work on. By the way, this test is also an exercise, do it in combination with others.

"LIFT" AND "WAVES"

If you do not forget about Kegel gymnastics, you will soon notice that your muscles reflexively, without your conscious control, will do these exercises on their own.

Exercise 1. Lie on your back and assume the pose of childbirth: lower your arms along your torso, and bend your legs at the knees and spread them to the sides. Place a flat pillow under your head and back, relax. Tighten the muscles of the perineum, as if trying to stop urination, and hold them in this state for 5-10 seconds. Relax, take a break, repeat again. Start with 8 sets, gradually increasing the number of exercises to 20-30.

Kegel Exercise 2."Elevator". Imagine that your vagina is an elevator. "Go up" on the elevator, lingering for a few seconds on each floor-ring. Tighten the lowest - first floor. Without letting go, increase the pressure and "rise" to the second, then even stronger - to the third, until you "reach" the last. Here you need to stop a little longer. It is necessary to "descend", lingering at each level, right up to complete relaxation.

Kegel Exercise 3."Waves". At a fast pace, strain and relax the intimate muscles, first the vaginal and then the anus, that is, producing a kind of "wave". It is necessary to relax in the opposite direction.

Kegel Exercise 4."Bulging of the pelvic floor." Take any of the seated birth positions and relax your pelvic muscles as much as possible. Now hold your breath and push gently, as during a bowel movement, while trying to push the vaginal muscles outward. Then inhale, contract the muscles and after a break, repeat again. This exercise is extremely important during the expulsion of the fetus, it teaches you to push correctly, helping the baby to move forward. Exercise with an empty bladder and bowel.

Kegel Exercise 5. Squats. Stand up straight, legs slightly apart, two feet apart. Squat down, observing certain conditions: do not take your heels off the floor, your back is straight, we transfer all the weight during landing to the heels. It's good if you have a husband or girlfriend to insure you. The assistant sits on a chair, and you, turning your back to him and standing between his legs, hold on to his bent knees, like handrails, and lean your back into him. You can also stand against the wall, sliding straight down it.

If your feet turn inward, or you can't sit down at all, so as not to lift your heels off the floor, you need to exercise. This exercise is for aligning the birth canal and training joints while using the birth squatting position.

Expert opinion

Tatiana Panova, obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest category

Regular Kegel exercises reduce the stagnation of venous blood in the pelvis, thus improving blood circulation in the uterus and placenta. Moderate training allows the expectant mother to learn how to control the muscles during the baby's passage through the birth canal. In addition, Kegel gymnastics will quickly restore muscle tone after childbirth. But excessive enthusiasm for the complex can lead to an increase in the rigidity of the pelvic floor, cause ruptures in childbirth and the need for dissection of the perineum. So everything is good in moderation.

Before you start practicing, be sure to get permission from the gynecologist with whom you are registered. Unfortunately, in some conditions (the threat of miscarriage or premature birth), the technique is completely prohibited or only certain elements of it are allowed. It is forbidden to perform exercises lying down after 16 weeks to prevent pressure on the inferior vena cava.

The conclusion from all this is this: in the absence of contraindications, Kegel exercises should be adopted by every woman in position. Regularly doing Kegel gymnastics, you can not only facilitate childbirth, but also accelerate postpartum recovery, as well as fully return the previous sex life and even improve its quality.

Kegel gymnastics: 6 effects for pregnant women

1. Improves overall well-being during pregnancy.
2. Strengthens muscles, increases the tone of the pelvic muscles. Allows the most efficient use of its resources during childbirth. Teaches you how to properly control the muscles.
3. Prevents severe pain during childbirth.
4. Helps avoid tissue tearing during childbirth.
5. Promotes rapid recovery in the postpartum period.
6. It is an excellent prevention of a frequent postpartum complication - stress urinary incontinence.