Natural Movement for an Easier Birth

Let me start out by saying that obviously this is only general information.  It is not medical advice and should not be treated as such.  Please see your care provider if you have any concerns

What is Natural Movement ?

Natural movement is any kind of movement that you would naturally do for the purpose of getting life done if you were living in nature.  A movement such as walking to gather food, squatting to go to the toilet or climbing over a rock to get around it.  It is different from exercise in its purpose.  It's about incorporating and distributing these movements throughout your days, weeks and years.  Other terms to look at include biomechanics and physiological movement.

Because our lifestyles are often sedentary (yes even if you exercise regularly, what are you doing for the other 23 hours of the day?), we no longer get this range of natural movement in our lives.  As a result, our muscles, our joints, our bodies are weaker and out of alignment.

Why is it Good For Pregnancy & Birth?

You might have heard the phrase "Giving birth is like running a marathon" and if you were going to run a marathon, then you would definitely train for it and you would most likely have some kind of coach or mentor (If you would like a birth coach, I can help you with that).
Your marathon training would include a lot of running - using those movements and muscles that you will use in the marathon.  The same applies to birth.  You need to practice and use the movements and muscles for giving birth to ensure an optimal performance.

Here's a couple of facts for you:

• During pregnancy, your cardiac output increases by nearly 45% plus another 50% on top of that during labour.  Similar to the increase during a marathon.
• During labour, your oxygen consumption is similar to that of a sportsperson playing a game of soccer! (1)

Natural movement can solve a myriad of problems. It helps to improve:

• your muscle tension
• pelvic stability
• body alignment
• your pelvic floor
• your baby's position in your womb and
• your pelvic space available for giving birth
• the length of your labour and birth 

Heck, it can even give you more time in your day!    

What Movements Can You Do?

Below are a number of simple and easy movements you can incorporate into your day.  They should be suitable for pregnant women but please check with your doctor or midwife first.

The wonderful Katy Bowman also has a longer class available on Vimeo for free that works on your pelvis and leg muscles or you can purchase many of her classes directly from her website.

You may also be interested in the Spinning Babies Daily Essentials: Activitites for Pregnancy Comfort & Easier Birth.  Available to purchase on Vimeo

Your Pelvic Floor

I'm sure you've heard about your pelvic floor and the importance of maintaining this muscle.  
Here is more information on just what exactly your pelvic floor is and how you can look after it.

References

1. “BIRTH IS LIKE A MARATHON” REVISITING CHILDBIRTH BY USING SPORT BIOMECHANICS APPROACHES David Desseauve, Laetitia Fradet, Patrick Lacouture, Fabrice Pierre https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/cpa/article/view/6396/5764