Name: Playbook - Heather Watkins - Pelvic Floor Relaxation / Birth Prep
Uploaded: 2024-04-23T23:11:47.860Z
Duration: 20 min
Description: Pelvic Floor Relaxation / Birth Prep

These are GREAT to do at any point throughout pregnancy, but especially late second trimester and as you get closer to delivery (34/35+ weeks) — you’ll want to start focusing more on hip opening mobility exercises and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles to help prepare for birth! 

These are some of my favorite movements for this stage of pregnancy. Feel free to choose 2-4 of these movements and complete 2-4 rounds.

Avoid any movements if they are painful for just don’t feel great. Hopefully they help reduce any stiffness/tightness you may be experiencing and help you feel better!! 

Important: Breathing cues: On the exhale - we want to tighten the TVA deep inner core muscles here, but keep pelvic floor relaxed!!

This is a hip mobility exercise that targets the front leg in internal rotation and the back leg in external rotation and transitions them through hip extension to a neutral flexion position. 

Start by sitting down on the floor with your legs bent to 90 degrees a the knees and feet placed wider than shoulder width apart. Proceed to internally rotate the front leg and externally rotate the back leg until both knees reach the floor. From here lift the pelvis off the ground to engage the hip muscles. 

You aren’t tucking your pelvis underneath as you stand up, but this is more of a gentle movement upward! 

10-12 per side

90/90 Get Up

- Sit back and down into a deep squat
- Feet should be wider than hip width to achieve a greater opening at the top of the pelvis 
- Gently press your knees out using your elbows as you shift your weight back and forth
- You can perform this anywhere - holding onto a supported object can allow for increased relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles which is the GOAL - to prevent contraction.
- Feel free to hold it for 10-15 seconds, come back up and then reset, modify this to your comfort level

Deep squats

The hip adductor rock back exercise is used to stretch the muscles of the inner thigh. 

Start in a modified quadruped position with the outstretched leg being the target leg. You may support your upper body with your hands or elbows. 

Put the straight leg in a position where a light stretch can be felt at the starting position. 

Slowly rock the hips back to increase the stretch felt in the groin and inner thigh muscles. You may hold this position for 5-10 seconds and then slowly return to the starting position.

10-12 reps per side

Adductor Quadrupled Rock back

Sit on the floor or a prop with the soles of your feet pressing into each other. To deepen the intensity, move your feet closer in toward your hips. Root down into your legs and sitting bones.

Practice breathing — keeping pelvic floor relaxed throughout and contracting just your TVA muscles on exhale.

Butterfly stretch

- Begin on your hands and knees
- Round your back and tuck your chin
- Arch your back and look forward

Cat Cow

- Starting on your knees with a flat back reach your hands out in front of you
- Can do with or without a stability ball

Mobility- childs pose

Pelvic Floor Relaxation / Birth Prep

Very helpful and excited to start doing this!

Lana Scherer

Diaphragmatic Breathing/ Activating the Deep Core Muscles

Checking for Diastasis Recti

Felt good to add these in this morning! Great, quick burn

Laura

Christine Jones

Postpartum Core 1a.

Heidi

Abby

Such a good PP core workout! Dead bugs may be my favorite - definitely a good burn!

Mallory

Postpartum Core 2a.

Postpartum Core 3a.

I love core workouts. Would love to see some more in the app.

Lacey

Hannah

Katie Stagner

Postpartum Core 4a.

Allison

Heather

Advanced Postpartum Core

Good workout. I was a little slow my first time but made it through so that's a win.

Pelvic Floor Relaxation / Birth Prep

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