For mothers-to-be, here are a few exercise tips to help you prepare for childbirth! As a Waterford, VA area newborn photographer, we enjoy connecting with our clients on topics we know matter to them. Our tips are excerpts from an article on Parent.com with information from The Mayo Clinic. As always, check with your obstetrician before you begin any exercise program during pregnancy!

Squats:
Squatting during labor can open the pelvic outlet by as much as one-half-inch, so doing squats in the months leading to labor can help you strengthen the pelvic floor. There are several versions of squatting including standing with your back up against a wall with feet shoulder width apart and about six inches away from the wall. Slide slowly down the wall into a squatting position. Your goal is to have your thighs parallel to the floor then hold the position for up to 10 seconds before sliding back up to standing. Repeat five to ten times. Here’s an article specifically about squats during pregnancy.

Pelvic tilts:
Pelvic tilts (also known as Cat-Cow) can help strength abdominal muscles and help relieve lower back pain during pregnancy and labor. Overall, it helps improve lower back flexibility which can be helpful during labor. Drop onto your hands and knees (on all fours) keeping your head aligned with your back. Arch your back upward (like a camel toward the ceiling) while tilting your pelvis in toward the pubic bone and stomach. Hold for several seconds, then relax your back in a flat, aligned position before repeating. Then arch your back in the opposite direction – dropping/sagging your back/torso toward the floor like a U-shape while tilting pelvis up and out before returning to neutral. Repeat up to five times, adding reps as you get stronger. Check it out here.

Kegel exercises:
Pelvic floor muscles can weaken with time or stress, including pregnancy. These muscles are important because they tend to support our internal organs including bladder, uterus, and bowels. Toning them during (or even better, before) pregnancy can help you avoid leakage or hemorrhoids. The best way to describe Kegels is if you were to stop the flow of urine without engaging your abdominal, buttocks, or thigh muscles. When you do this, you’re doing a Kegel exercise! You can do your Kegels either by holding or quickly contracting those pelvic floor muscles (without engaging other muscles). You can also slowly contract those muscles and hold for up to 10 seconds and repeat up to 10 times. If you do them quickly, contract 25 to 50 times; relax for a few seconds and repeat sets up to four times.

With our extensive baby photography experience, we would be happy to serve as your newborn photographer in the Waterford, VA area. We work with clients throughout the Northern Virginia area. Contact our studios to schedule your baby’s portrait session!
 

Baby Photography, Baby Photographer, Newborn Photographer

Ever After Baby Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter baby photography team located near the Waterford, VA area in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits, including newborn and baby portraits. Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.

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Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!

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