Can Exercise During Pregnancy Make Labor Harder?

It’s common knowledge that walking, swimming, and doing prenatal yoga can all be super helpful during pregnancy, but what about running, barre, CrossFit, or weightlifting? Deb Flashenberg shares with Adriana how strength-focused exercising can lead to a too-tight core and pelvic floor that make for more difficult labors and harder postpartum recoveries. They explore how you can figure out if your pelvic floor is too tight and what you can do about it to have a more flowing birth. If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Protecting Your Perineum and our episode on Vaginal Rehab. You can also listen to the episode I did on Deb’s Yoga | Birth | Babies podcast about Finding Birth Flow Within A Hospital Setting. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on this episode’s show notes page at Birthful.com. While you’re there, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at [email protected]. Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts. Our Sponsors: * Check out Acorns: acorns.com/birthful * Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm: drmombuttbalm.com * Check out mylifeinabook.com and use code BIRTHFUL at checkout for 10% off. Create an unforgettable gift for your mom this Mother’s Day. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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On Birthful, working doula and former journalist Adriana Lozada talks pregnancy, birth and postpartum with top experts and new parents. Every episode distills the overload of pregnancy information down to the most relevant and useful stuff. Adriana Lozada is a mom, author, speaker, birth doula, postpartum educator, and healthy-sleep consultant. Visit Birthful.com. Please note: Adriana has years of experience but she's not a doctor, and does not expect anyone to treat the show like medical advice. Please always consult with your care provider. This show does not dispense medical advice.