Pregnancy is a beautiful stage in a woman’s life but it is excruciatingly painful at the same time. The joy of a mother and the lengths she can go to see the child after bearing it for 10 months is really something. Preparations for pregnancy is very important as it gets closer.
With that in mind, I am sharing a very important exercise that I think all pregnant women should know and practice. My OBGYN suggested this exercise before my first baby and thankfully my labor lasted for around 5 hours.
Stair climbing is a very good prenatal exercise to dilate the pelvic region and induce labor. It strengthens the pelvic region and makes it easier for the baby to proceed for its grand entrance.
However, I recommend performing this exercise only after you get a green signal from your pre-natal expert. Because, I am sharing everything from my personal experience and research, and also, I am not an expert.
So, before taking risks with yourself and the baby, always make sure to consult your doctor first.
Can walking up the stairs induce labor?
Technically yes, you can try walking up the stairs for inducing labor. However, you should be doing this starting from the beginning of your 39th week of pregnancy. It’s obviously a common belief that walking a few flights of stairs can induce labor.
Many women believe that walking helps to induce labor. The most obvious reason is that walking helps to dilate the cervix. But a study suggests that there is no correlation between walking and its effect on labor. Since there is no logical side to this question so, you can either choose to walk or not walk.
If you choose to do it then, start walking when you are between your 36 – 41 weeks of pregnancy. Contractions in this stage come in harder than ever when the cervix starts to widen up. So, being physically active takes into the count as it can stimulate the contractions.
Will walking up and down the stairs help me dilate?
Yes, it is possible that walking shall help you dilate. Walking a few flights of stairs is more stressful than regular walking. But here is the good part…
Walking up and down the stairs puts you under the effect of gravity as you go up and then again come down. In this way, your body is worked out due to stair climbing but, gravity does the rest. This particular exercise helps to open the pelvis.
Also, it slowly moves the baby closer to the pelvis making the labor much easier. This happens because dilating the pelvis creates extra room in the pelvic region that helps the baby to comfortably pass through when it is ready to come out.
If the baby is in a good position then you will have fewer problems and the labor will last only a few hours. The ideal position is when the baby is lying with its head down and its back facing towards your abdomen rather than your back.
Walking up the stairs sideways to induce labor
Walking a few flights of stairs is a great way to dilate your cervix. However, there is no correlation between walking sideways and induced labor. Normally, if you climb a few flights of stairs regularly that should do just fine.
However, many experienced mothers believe that climbing the stairs every other step is very effective. In other words, climbing two stairs at a time is the way to go. Also, when you are doing this exercise make sure that your feet are shoulder distance apart or even more than that if possible.
Finally, make sure you have support like a rail while climbing the stairs and also make sure that your partner is there behind you in case you lose control.
Running up and downstairs to induce labor
No, running up and down the stairs is not the ideal way to go during the last stages of your pregnancy. Rather, you can try walking a few flights of stairs instead of running them. If you are reading this, then probably you are somewhere between 36-41 weeks in your pregnancy timeline. By now, the baby has almost fully developed inside of you. So, in this stage, too much movement puts a lot of stress on your body and unwillingly on the baby too. This might jeopardize its perfect position that it was maintaining for the exit.
Running requires a lot of movement and it is definitely not the ideal move when your baby is almost perfectly positioned for a way out. In fact, most prenatal experts and OBGYN will recommend you to go through some third trimester light exercises. Check this link out if you want to know more exercises in the third trimester.
By all means, this is the best there is to offer about labor inducing exercises. For sure, stair walking to induce labor is a great way to get the body prepared for the baby’s arrival. If the baby is in its ideal position, then labor can last only for 4 to 5 hours which is fast!
Also, a disclaimer for people reading this info is…
All the things that I have talked about are based on my own findings. These are finding from my personal experience, from my friends and family, blog posts, blog comments, forums, and from videos. I’ve collected them and put them in one place. So, what’s all the fuss is about?
The fact is that I am not a doctor. I am just a person who is sharing the right info with the right people. So, before even considering to follow my advice, please make sure to consult with your doctor. Also most importantly, make sure to do regular follow-ups so that nothing can go wrong.