Does sitting cross-legged help with a normal birth?

Sitting cross-legged is a habit that many people like very much. For example, they often sit cross-legged on the sofa or bed. When they first start to sit cross-legged, the whole person will feel very comfortable. But if it lasts for a long time, the blood circulation in the legs will be poor. For example, people often feel numbness in the legs. In addition, everyone knows that if expectant mothers want to give birth naturally, they must do some exercises in advance. So, is sitting cross-legged helpful for natural birth?

Does sitting cross-legged during pregnancy help a baby to be born naturally?

Among the reasons why expectant mothers are unwilling to give birth naturally, fear of pain and fear of not being able to give birth after a long time are definitely at the top of the list. It is true that giving birth is not an easy job, but as long as you are prepared, among the reasons why expectant mothers are unwilling to give birth naturally, fear of pain and fear of not being able to give birth after a long time are definitely the top ones. Admittedly, giving birth is not an easy job, but as long as you are well prepared, giving birth on your own is not as painful as you imagine.

Experts recommend three movements that can help expectant mothers with natural childbirth, which can be practiced more often in the last few months of pregnancy.

Sit cross-legged with your feet facing each other: Keep your back and waist straight, put your feet together, pull your heels inward, and slowly lower your knees. This can stretch the thigh and pelvic muscles, while improving the posture during delivery, maintaining pelvic flexibility, and enhancing blood circulation in the lower body.

If this pose is difficult to achieve, you can lean against a wall to support your back, or place a cushion under your thighs, but remember to keep your back straight.

Rock your pelvis up and down: Support your body on your hands and knees with your head and torso level. Squeeze your abdomen in and hold the position for a few seconds while gently rocking your back. Then relax your abdomen and back, lower your back, try to keep your back level, and repeat the above movements. This strengthens the lower back muscles and helps relieve back pain during labor.

You can also do a similar movement against a wall: stand upright close to the wall, and try to get the area below your waist and above your hips close to the wall.

Wall slide: Stand with your back against a wall, feet shoulder-width apart, and slowly slide down the wall until you are in a sitting position. Hold this seated position for a few seconds, then slide up to standing. Repeat this action 10 times. This action helps open the pelvic opening to give the fetus more room to enter the birth canal.

To reduce the pressure on your knees, you can put a small ball on your back to reduce the resistance during sliding. You can also do this without leaning against a wall, still keeping your back straight and your feet shoulder-width apart.