The 10 Best Pregnancy Stretches

1. Yoga Squat

Squats are one of the best exercises for preparing for and giving birth. They strengthen your legs, open your hips and lower back, and encourage your baby to engage in your pelvis.

• Start by standing with your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, and your toes turned out slightly.
• Keeping your knees over your toes, bend your knees, and drop your butt down toward the ground. Inhale, and slowly allow your body into a squatting position.
• Try your best to keep your heels flat on the floor.
• Bring the palms of your hands together, and place your elbows on the inside of your knees. Exhale.
• Press your hands together and press your knees open with your arms.
• Roll your shoulders back, lift your chest, and breathe comfortably.
• Hold this pose for as long as you can.
• Inhale as you return to standing.
• Repeat two to three times.

For a more gentle stretch, use a few yoga blocks to sit on while performing the squat.

This is also a pose that you can stay in to really open up your hips. Working up to three to five minutes will really strengthen you for labor.

2. Butterfly Pose

This familiar hip opener stretches your inner thighs and prepares your body for labor by strengthening your pelvic floor muscles. It also helps prevent calcification of the joints in your hips, knees, and ankles.

• Begin by sitting upright with your butt flat on the floor.
• Bend your legs at the knees, opening them to the sides and bringing the soles of your feet together.
• With a straight spine, hold on to your feet with your hands and draw your heels as close to your body as possible.
• Inhale, and gently press your knees down toward the floor.
• Exhale, and slightly bend forward while keeping your back straight.
• Hold each position for several seconds.
• Repeat the sequence up to ten times.

To increase difficulty, try bringing your feet in closer toward your body, your knees closer to the ground, and your head down toward your feet.

3. Seated Forward Bend

This stretch helps relieve tension in your lower back, opens your pelvis, and quiets the mind.

• Sitting upright on the floor, extend your legs to the sides into a wide “V.”
• As you exhale, gently lean forward and walk your palms out in front of you, bringing your stomach and chest as close to the floor as possible. Be sure to maintain a straight back while doing this.
• Hold this pose for five to ten breaths.
• Walk your palms back in toward you to gently come back up.
• Repeat two to three times.

4. Pelvic Rock (Cat-Cow)

Pelvic rocks are excellent for easing backaches, as they push the baby away from your back, giving you some relief. They also strengthen your lower back and abdominals and alleviate side and sciatic pain. This hands and knees position also helps encourage your baby to move down into the birth canal.

• Position yourself on your hands and knees with your back parallel to the ground, arms shoulder-width apart, and knees hip-width apart.
• As you exhale, gently drop your belly toward the floor and look up toward the ceiling.
• Now inhale and flip the other way, arching your back like a cat.
• Hold each position for five to ten seconds.
• Repeat this sequence 10 to 20 times.

This is a great stretch! Especially after a day of mostly sitting, try to incorporate it into your daily routine.

Caution

Avoid dropping your abdomen too far toward the ground, as it can potentially create diastasis recti or splitting of the abdominal muscles.

5. Bridge Pose

Bridge pose is another great hip opener that strengthens your abdominals, glutes, and hamstrings.

Important

Be sure only to perform this stretch if lying on your back is still comfortable for you.

• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Drop your arms down to your sides, placing your palms flat on the ground.
• Inhale deeply, press your arms down into the floor, and slowly lift your butt off the floor while pressing your hips up toward the sky.
• With controlled breathing, hold this pose for up to 30 seconds.
• Press up on your tiptoes, inhale deeply, and slowly lower your butt back toward the ground.
• Release your heels back toward the ground.
• Repeat this sequence two to four times.

Engage your pelvic floor muscles on the inhale, release on your exhale, and this will strengthen your whole core.

6. Seated Twist

Gentle twisting poses, like the seated twist, are excellent for releasing any tension along the spine.

• Start in a seated position with your spine straight and legs crossed.
• Bring your right hand behind you and your left hand across your body onto the opposite knee.
• Inhale, and lengthen your spine.
• Exhale, and gently begin to twist your body toward your right hand, looking over your back shoulder at the wall behind you.
• Hold this position for five to ten seconds.
• Inhale, and come back to the center.
• Repeat this stretch on the opposite side.
• Repeat the entire sequence two to three times.

Twists in pregnancy should be “open,” away from your midline, not toward your midline. They should be gentle, with no overextension.

7. Side-Lying Leg Lifts

Leg lifts are always great for opening the hips and strengthening the legs.

• Lie on the ground on your left side.
• Inhale, and slowly lift your right knee, opening your hip.
• Exhale, and extend your right leg straight up toward the ceiling.
• Inhale, and bend your knee.
• Exhale, and lower your leg back down toward the ground.
• Repeat up to 20 times.
• Roll onto your right side and repeat with the opposite leg.

Optional: Gently make circles in the air with your foot.

8. Supine  Frog Stretch

If you guessed that this is a great hip opener, you guessed right. The frog stretch opens your inner hips, stretches your inner thighs, and helps relieve tension in your lower back.

• Come to a supported lying position.
• Bend your knees and put the soles of your feet together.
• Allow your knees to sink towards the floor.
• In this position, relax and deep breathe, engaging and relaxing your pelvic floor.
• Hold legs open in this position for as long as you are comfortable.

9. Runner’s Lunge

The runner’s lunge is excellent for stretching your legs, opening your chest, and lengthening your spine. It strengthens your body for labor and encourages your baby to engage.

• Begin in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart.
• Exhale, and fold forward, bringing your hands down to the ground on the outer sides of your feet.
• Step your right leg back, coming down into a lunge.
• If having your hands down on the ground is too much for you, try placing your hands on your left thigh instead, or use the support of a sturdy chair or surface.
• Inhale, and sink into your front hip, making sure your knee is directly above your heel.
• Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds.
• Step your right foot back up to meet your left foot.
• Slowly lift your chest to come back to a standing position.
• Repeat this sequence with the opposite leg.

As your pregnancy progresses, you may need to make some modifications to make room for your growing belly. You can try separating your feet wider, using yoga blocks, or bringing your back leg down on the ground and your front knee more out to the side.

10. Backward Stretch (Child’s Pose)

This pose is great for alleviating back pain, as it opens up your hips and lower back. It also helps combat nausea and fatigue and can be a great quiet time for you to bond with your baby.

• Start in a kneeling position on the floor.
• Take your knees out wide to accommodate your growing belly.
• Keeping your hips back, walk your hands out in front of you and rest your forehead on the floor.
• Stretch your arms long, and breath gently.
• Hold this position for as long as you would like.
• Walk your hands back toward you to return to a kneeling position.

Time to Start Stretching

Now that you have ten safe poses for pregnancy, you’re ready to start stretching. These stretches will not only set you up for a healthy pregnancy but will also help tone and relax the muscles that will support you when you give birth, setting you up for an easier labor.

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