Congratulations on your pregnancy! For most woman, from the moment they see the plus sign on the pregnancy test, they are thinking about two things: the health of their baby and their childbirth plan. Their own health often takes second fiddle (which continues once the baby has come out, in many cases). It’s important to remember that the mother’s and baby’s health are intimately linked, and the better job a mom does of caring for herself in pregnancy, the better job she is doing caring for her developing baby.
Throughout your pregnancy, there are things you can do not only for your health but also to prepare your body for that day roughly 36 weeks from now when you’ll deliver your baby. These tips won’t ensure an easy labor, but they may help to make the labor and postpartum recovery process go more smoothly. This is not meant to be medical advice, so please consult with your physician.
5 Steps to Prepare Your Body for Childbirth
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- Get plenty of exercise. If you didn’t exercise much before becoming pregnant, definitely talk with your doctor before starting an exercise regimen. If you were very active before pregnancy, it is usually safe to remain so throughout your pregnancy. Yoga is a wonderful exercise program while pregnant – it is low-impact, stretches your muscles, and helps you learn to focus on your breathing (which will be very helpful during contractions!). Even walking has great health benefits during pregnancy.
- Take prenatal vitamins. Your body is smart, and it will give your baby the vitamins he needs to develop. You get the leftovers. Prenatal vitamins are important because it ensures your body has what it needs for the baby, but you also have the vitamins you require to stay healthy.
- Eat a variety of healthy foods and don’t overdo the sweets. It’s easy to get sucked into the “I’m pregnant, I can eat anything I want” trap (been there!), but that’s not what is best for your body and your baby. It’s important to gain enough weight, but you also don’t want to gain too much. If you focus on eating plenty of healthy foods, the proper weight gain will work itself out.
- Sit on an exercise ball whenever possible. Sitting on an exercise ball helps improve posture, cushions your bones, and allows you to stretch your hip flexors. When in labor, an exercise ball (which suddenly becomes a birthing ball at the hospital) is helpful for pain management, as well. Practice different positions of laying over the ball, rolling the ball between your back and the wall, and rotating your hips while sitting on the ball. These are great stretches when you’re pregnant, but some of those positions might also feel good while you’re laboring.
- Eat dates. A study published in 2011 concluded that eating 6 dates a day for the last 4 weeks of pregnancy “significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labour, and produced a more favourable, but non-significant, delivery outcome.” I don’t know about you, but I could not have stomached a plain date when I was pregnant. Try blending them into a smoothie made with yogurt and other fruit – a delicious way to get extra nutrients, too!
If you research this topic online, you may find suggestions to add in evening primrose oil or red raspberry leaf tea in late-term pregnancy to induce labor, but there is not enough research about either for me to feel comfortable recommending them. If you do want to consider using them, please consult with your doctor.
Preparing your body for childbirth is the very best thing you can do, in my opinion. Not only will the stretching and exercises aid in an easier labor, but they will also help you recover more quickly once the baby has arrived. Make sure to listen to your body – it will be your guide!
I wish more people would focus on the need for exercise while pregnant. The “common image” most people have of pregnancy just isn’t true!
Dates are a new one for me too. I tried to rest and drank lots of water. My births were all really easy
I had no idea about the dates. I always took my prenatals though!
These are some great tips for preparing for childbirth! I took prenatal vitamins with all of my pregnancies. I tried the birthing ball and it was great except when I was in labor, but everyone is different. :)
I keep hearing that yoga is a good exercise for pregnant women.
And exercise in general is good to keep with as long as the woman had been exercising prior to pregnancy.
This is great and very helpful for expecting moms! Will remember your tips in here for my friends. :D
Loving these tips! Although I am no longer in the child bearing age, I will share this with my daughter. Who knows there will be more babies in the future.
After 7 babies I can say these are all true and great advice! Being prepared especially the body is a great idea!
Eating healthy is so important for anyone, but especially pregnant people. After all, you’re eating for two….sort of.
These are great tips, Love the tips being shared because this time of year many tend to get all ready to have another baby. I call it being Twitterpatted in the Spring (like in Bambi movie) haha!
These are helpful suggestions! I can see how stretching exercises on an exercise ball could help. It’s good to know that dates can have some benefits too!
Looking back, I could have done more to prepare myself. I was young when I had my children, and not nearly as health conscious as I am now.
I didn’t do much other than rest a lot. It worked for me ;)