How to prepare your Body for Birth

Get your body ready for birth

Get ready, set and go – how to prepare your body for birth

The countdown has begun!

For nearly nine months, your amazing body has nurtured a tiny miracle inside and now it’s about to do something even more incredible — give birth to your baby. Here are our top five tips for helping your body get ready for birth. As you near the end of your pregnancy, your body will be preparing itself for its next important job – giving birth. Although most of this preparation will happen with little intervention from mom, there are a few things you can do to help your body get ready for the final hurdle.

1. Relaxation

Whether you choose yoga or meditation, getting your mind relaxed can help your body in those last few weeks of pregnancy. Breathing techniques, like deep breathing and counting your breaths help keep your mind and body relaxed. The techniques also come in handy during labor, so get practicing now.

2. Pelvic floor exercises

Your pelvic floor muscles come under a lot of strain during pregnancy and birth. But by dedicating just a few minutes every day to a few strengthening exercises you can save yourself from developing incontinence after birth. The exercises are simple and easy to do and can be done at your desk or while you watch TV – no one would even know. Just squeeze and lift the muscles — like you’re trying to stop yourself passing urine — hold the squeeze for a few seconds, then relax and repeat as many times as you can. Surely that’s better than having to worry about wetting yourself every time you laugh... 

3. Perineal massage

If you’re worried about tearing during birth, there are ways you can help your body stretch in preparation. Perineal massage helps to loosen the muscle between your vagina and your perineum (bottom) to help the opening of your vagina stretch without tearing when your baby is born. Doing this simple massage once or twice a week from 34 weeks could lower your risk of needing an episiotomy (a surgical cut to your perineum) and can help reduce discomfort after giving birth.

4. Gentle exercise

No one is going to suggest you run a marathon, but your body will thank you for doing some gentle exercise. During the last trimester, when you’re feeling heavy and uncomfortable, you might want to take this down a notch or two but don’t stop completely. Even if you just go for a short daily walk or swim a few lengths every week, you’ll raise your heart rate and build up your stamina. Gentle exercise can also help your muscles stretch and strengthen, ready for childbirth and can help ease pregnancy-related aches and strains.

5. Healthy diet

It’s really important that you try and eat healthily during your last trimester. Try and pack your diet with lots of vegetables and fiber-rich foods and drink plenty of water as this will stop you getting constipated. It’s also a good idea to up your vitamin C intake, as this helps your body to absorb iron from food and keeps your immune system healthy. Eating healthily will not only make sure your body is in tip-top condition for labor, but it will help keep your energy levels high, giving you the strength you need to deliver your baby when the time comes.


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