Kegels Don't Belong in Your Birth Preparation (but these 4 things do!)
It may surprise you to hear that your pelvic floor muscles play ZERO roll in pushing baby out during Labor & Delivery. Contractions are your uterus slowly gaining power for pushing baby down and out. Your body’s job is to release, create space and yield to the process.
So, ditch the Kegels. And do these 4 things instead!!
LEARN HOW TO BREATH WELL DURING ACTIVE LABOR
Whole core breathing is a great way to create space and softness to allow the uterus the SPACE to do it’s hard work.
LEARN A PELVIC DROP OR REVERSE KEGEL FOR DELIVERY
You can start practicing this around 34 weeks pregnant. Get guidance from your pelvic PT to ensure you are doing this correctly. But I like to think of using an exhalation to “gently lay an egg” (or in this case, baby’s head!)
PRACTICE LABOR AND DELIVERY POSITIONS
Learn when and how to position your pelvis, hips and spine to open the path for babe.
PERINEAL PREPARATION
It’s really not about “stretching” the perineum. This is a great place to practice breathing well and your reverse Kegel in order to yield to babe passing through. It’s about telling your pelvic floor to literally “get out the way”
Did you find these tips helpful? Which will you try? Comment below, I’d love to hear from you!
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