Did you know that your bodily habits affect your baby's position? For instance, those who tend to drive often while pregnant commonly find that their cervix is posterior, or those who still find it comfortable to rest on their back, notice that baby's spine lays against their spine. This is not ideal. Baby will move with gravity, so you want to mindful of
how you tend to position yourself. Baby's position could make the difference between a long or short labor.
Yoga Poses that make a difference:
Iversions: Downdog, Bridge, Child's pose
Thing is, baby wants to be in the right position. So we don't want to place our womb above our head. When we turn upside down, it creates a wave of motion in the amnionic fluid. This wave could be strong enough to flip baby. If baby is breech or transverse, these poses will help baby get in the right position. But if baby is in the ideal position around 36wks, we want to avoid shift them into a less than ideal position. (you may find downdog in your prenatal yoga classes used as a transition pose)
Hand + Knees: Cat/Cow, Tabletop. Crawling
The heaviest part of baby is their spine. We want baby's spine to be facing our belly, with their head towards the tail bone. Getting in hands in knees uses gravity to pull baby's heaviest parts to earth. These positions also give relief to your spine and lower back. This may help take some weight off of the pelvis.
Hip Openers: Lunge, Squats, Butterfly
Did you know squatting opens the his by 30%? Yeah, that's what we like. This may
be counterproductive in early pregnancy, however as the belly and hips grow we want to start grooming the body for birth. Stretching these ligament while pregnant will aid you through your birth. We also want baby to be encouraged to move head down. These positions make space in the pelvic floor so the crown of baby's head fits well.
Positions to avoid while pregnant:
Leg crossing, excessive sitting or standing, back laying.
What to learn more about fetal positioning?
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