Pelvic Tilts This exercise is very important because it helps to maintain good posture by strengthening the abdominal and back muscles, decreasing back strain and fatigue. Pelvic tilts are great to do during and after pregnancy as part of your regular fitness program.

1. Picture your pelvis like a clock - 12 o'clock is your belly button and 6 o'clock is your pubic bone.
2. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip distance apart.
3. Inhale through your nose and rock your pelvis forward tipping 6 o'clock downward towards the floor (creating a SMALL hollow in the low back).
4. Exhale through your mouth making a "HAAAAA" sound to help engage the deep abdominal muscles. Flatten the small of your back against the floor and allow your pelvis to tilt backward toward 12 o'clock.
5. Relax, repeat.

You can also perform the pelvic tilt on your hands and knees or standing up.

CAUTION: DO NOT arch your back, bulge your abdomen or push with your feet to obtain this motion!

Squatting
Squatting exercises during pregnancy should be practiced to strengthen the legs for giving birth.

1. Start with your feet parallel, hip width apart.
2. Move to the squatting position by bending your knees. Sit back and keep the weight in the heels. Keep your knees over your ankle joint so they do not go over the toes.
3. Keep your heels on the floor; feel the stretch in the back of your thighs.
4. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Gradually increase the time to 60-90 seconds.
5. Relax your head and arms throughout this exercise.

This is a good exercise to prepare for squatting during the pushing stage of labor.

Benefits of squatting during labor:
Squatting is also the most advantageous and natural posture for childbirth. In the squatting position, the birth canal is fully opened, and the effect of gravity and power of abdominal and pelvic muscles are maximized to facilitate a smooth delivery of the baby.

• Shortens the second stage of labor (pushing phase)
• Decreases the need for forceps deliveries
• Reduces the need for episiotomy
• Shortens the depth of your birth canal
• Works with gravity
• Increases pelvic diameter by 10+%

Kegels

Kegel exercises tone the PELVIC FLOOR which is a sling of muscles at the base of your pelvis which supports the bladder, uterus and bowels. This is the muscle you use to stop and start the flow of urine. Exercising this muscle is very important during pregnancy and should be part of all prenatal fitness and exercise programs. Strengthening the pelvic floor creates a support for your growing baby, assists during and after labor, keeps the muscles of the vagina toned, and may increase sexual pleasure for you and your partner.

To begin to learn to find this muscle, you can sit on the toilet and stop the flow of urine a few times. Once you have located the muscle DO NOT continue to exercise the muscle by stopping the flow of urine. Another way to locate the muscle is to put your clean finger in the opening of your vagina and tighten. By feeling the muscle tighten around your finger you will know you are doing the exercises correctly.

• Long holds: Squeeze the Pelvic Floor muscles for TEN seconds; relax for five seconds, then squeeze again. At first do 10, ten-second squeezes, three times a day.
• Quick flutter exercises: Squeeze FULLY and release FULLY and repeat 10 times.
• Work up to doing 100 Kegels each day.