Squatting in Pregnancy and Labor

Hey Mama, let’s talk about squatting. Someone asked me the other day if it was safe to squat in pregnancy and honestly I kind of chuckled. I’d never been asked that before, but she was pretty serious because her doctor told her it wasn’t safe. As silly as that sounds, let’s set the record straight right now. It is perfectly safe to do squats while pregnant. In fact it’s not only safe, squatting is a natural movement that you should be able to do in all stages of life. You squat when you sit down, when you pick your kids up off the floor, when you pick your kids toys up off of the floor, when you use the toilet, it really is unavoidable. So let’s talk about the benefits, squatting requires you to open up your hips to squat in pregnancy. We encourage this to use your hip mobility. It also encourages widening of the pelvic inlet, this is your inlet, widening so that your baby can drop in that inlet, which is how the baby comes out. Squats help you maintain your lower body strength. They are weight bearing exercises, as you do them, you are training your muscles in your quadriceps, hamstrings, your abs, and your glutes. As you strengthen your lower body this helps prevent lower back pain. Makes you want to do a few more squats right. Squatting also optimizes baby’s position inside, they allow you to maintain a neutral pelvis, which prevents poor posture and perhaps most importantly encourages baby to go with gravity into the pelvis.  Squatting is an amazing tried and true tested position to birth your baby in. Remember that pelvic inlet and outlets are the gravity, it has even been proven to shorten labor, so get practicing. Squatting is great for the pelvic floor, not just alone, but when combined with the proper breathing and exercises and other movements. It becomes an amazing prehab and rehab tool. I do have a blend for pelvic floor support.

Pelvic Floor Support Blend

• 5 Lavender
• 5 Clary Sage
• 5 Marjoram
• 5 Geranium
• 5 Copaiba

Put in a 15 mL bottle and fill to the top with FCO. 

Apply that daily to your lower back, your sacrum, abdomen, inside of your thighs, vaginal area to help with that discomfort. I hope that helps and happy squatting.