Prenatal Stretches to Keep Your Body Aligned and Your Baby Happy

Pregnancy is a sacred journey—your body becomes a vessel of creation, transformation, and power. But as your baby grows, so do the changes in your body’s structure and alignment. These changes can lead to discomfort, tension, and imbalance, especially in your hips, pelvis, and lower back.

 

 

 

 

The good news? Gentle, intentional prenatal stretching can keep your body aligned, ease common pregnancy discomforts, and support optimal positioning for your baby. Stretching is more than just flexibility—it’s a daily ritual of reconnecting with your body and preparing your womb for birth.

Here are 5 essential prenatal stretches to help you feel grounded, open, and aligned throughout your pregnancy:

1. Cat-Cow Stretch (Spinal Alignment & Pelvic Mobility)

This gentle yoga pose keeps your spine flexible and relieves tension in the lower back.

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
• Inhale as you drop your belly and lift your head and tailbone (Cow).
• Exhale as you round your spine, tuck your pelvis and chin (Cat).
• Repeat slowly for 5–10 breaths.

Benefits:

• Aligns the pelvis and spine
• Encourages baby into optimal birth position
• Eases lower back and hip tension

2. Standing Side Stretch (Lengthens the Torso & Opens the Ribs)

This stretch gives your lungs more room to breathe and helps reduce tightness in your sides.

How to do it:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Inhale, reach your right arm overhead.
• Exhale, gently lean to the left, keeping hips grounded.
• Hold for 3–5 breaths. Switch sides.

Benefits:

• Improves posture as baby grows
• Reduces rib cage tightness
• Encourages diaphragmatic breathing

3. Deep Squat (Hip Opening & Pelvic Alignment)

Known as Malasana in yoga, this squat opens the hips and aligns the pelvis for labor.

How to do it:

• Stand with feet wider than hips.
• Bend knees and lower into a deep squat.
• Bring palms together at heart center, elbows gently pressing into knees.
• Sit on a yoga block if needed for support.

Benefits:

• Opens hips and pelvis
• Strengthens the lower body
• Relieves pelvic pressure and prepares for birth

4. Seated Forward Fold (Hamstring & Lower Back Stretch)

This restorative pose stretches the back of your legs and releases lower back tension.

How to do it:

• Sit with legs extended in a wide V shape.
• Inhale to lengthen the spine, exhale to gently lean forward, hands reaching out.
• Use pillows or bolsters under your belly for support.

Benefits:

• Loosens tight hamstrings
• Eases sacral discomfort
• Promotes pelvic circulation

5. Butterfly Stretch (Inner Thighs & Pelvic Floor Release)

This classic stretch softens the inner thighs and gently tones the pelvic floor.

How to do it:

• Sit with the soles of your feet together, knees falling to the sides.
• Hold your feet with your hands.
• Gently flap your knees or lean forward for a deeper stretch.

Benefits:

• Stretches inner hips
• Encourages relaxation in the pelvic floor
• Supports baby’s descent in late pregnancy

Tips for Safe Prenatal Stretching:

• Always listen to your body—never push into pain.
• Breathe deeply and move slowly.
• Use props like pillows, blocks, or blankets for support.
• Stretch daily, especially in the morning and before bed.
• Hydrate well—your tissues need water to stay elastic and mobile.

Sacred Movement, Sacred Body

Prenatal stretching is a beautiful way to honor your changing body and prepare your vessel for labor, birth, and postpartum healing. As a Certified Indigenous Midwife, I invite you to treat these stretches as sacred rituals—a time to reconnect with your womb, your breath, and your ancestral power.

If you’re interested in learning more about body alignment, optimal fetal positioning, or joining our free prenatal movement classes, reach out to Le Creole Midwife. We offer culturally rooted birth education, stretching circles, and personalized prenatal care designed to honor the whole you.

📧 Email: iweirokwas@lecreolemidwifebr.info

🌐 Website: lecreolemidwifebr.info

📞 Text: 225-678-0492

You are powerful. You are aligned. You are enough.