I teach a hip class every Friday. I love teaching hip work partly because it’s easy for me, since my pelvis and hips are hyper-mobile.  Then I became pregnant, and this added to my ability to bend and stretch in gumby-like ways. Natures’ gift to pregnant women is the protein hormone relaxin that is believed to soften the pubic symphysis to assist in labor. Its peak is reached at both 14 weeks of the first trimester as well as during the labor process. Now I can’t say that I was aware of the relaxin in the state of hard pushing, as the feedback from every sensation in my body was magnified, but at 14 weeks I indeed noticed.

Some women are pleasantly surprised and grateful for the added ability to move their pelvis. If you are like me, at times what is called for is actually greater stability. Hyper-mobile joints can equally create pain as tight joints. It’s the Three Little Bear story embodied; one needs to find a balance to make it “just right.” My task was often to use a technique that stretches and strengthens simultaneously known as PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation). This technique can be used to increase flexibility and range of motion, but for me it also provided stability in my joints so I wasn’t a walking waterbed.  Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing!

Read our “Pregnant women have no fear” article.

Watch our Free Hip Fix Video.

Read about abdominal exercises for pregnant women.

Leg cramps during pregnancy? – Read about it here.

 

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