When we think about preparing for birth, we often focus on breathing techniques, relaxation, or pain management — and those can be incredibly useful. But there’s something just as important that’s often overlooked:

Movement.

Labor is not a static event. Your pelvis isn’t one fixed bowl — it’s a dynamic set of bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles that are designed to move to make space for your baby. And as your baby descends through the birth canal, your pelvis has to move in specific ways to support that process — from engagement to rotation to crowning.

Training your body during pregnancy with mobility and strength exercises can support this natural process. It does not give you a specific birth outcome, however it can give you more comfort, confidence, and capacity during labor.

The 3 levels of the pelvis and why they matter during labor

Your baby moves through three key areas of the pelvis during labor:

• Pelvic inlet – the top portion of the pelvis where baby first enters the birth canal
• Mid pelvis – the narrowest part, where baby rotates and descends
• Pelvic outlet – the lower part of the pelvis where baby exits during pushing

Each area requires different types of movement to optimize space and that’s where targeted strength training comes in. Let’s break it down:

The pelvic inlet: creating space through external rotation

For baby to engage in the pelvis, we need to create space at the top and that happens through external rotation of the hips. This opens the iliac crests (the uppermost parts of your pelvis) and tips the sacrum forward, increasing inlet diameter.

Movements that encourage upright posture, hip opening, and loading in external rotation — like wide squats or lunges — help promote this space. Strengthening in this range gives your body more control and endurance for early labor positioning.

The mid pelvis: building rotation and asymmetrical strength

As baby descends and rotates through the mid pelvis, your body naturally shifts into asymmetrical positions. You might lunge with one foot up, lean to one side, or rock through your hips in hands-and-knees.

These positions require rotation, lateral movement, and core stability — which we can train for through dynamic, functional strength movements.

Training these patterns helps your body adapt to baby’s rotation and support the natural spiraling descent through the birth canal.

The pelvic outlet: creating space through internal rotation

In the final stage of labor – the pushing phase – we need to make space at the pelvic outlet. That space is created through internal rotation of the hips. This brings the femurs inward and encourages the ischial tuberosities (sitz bones) to spread apart, while the sacrum moves back.

Strengthening internal rotation improves your ability to access this motion in hands-and-knees, side-lying, or supported squat positions – which are often used during pushing.

Why strength matters – not just mobility

While mobility is key to creating space, strength is what helps you control and maintain those positions under load – especially as contractions intensify and labor progresses.

Strengthening into internal rotation, lateral movement, and asymmetry helps your nervous system feel safe and prepared, instead of bracing or guarding.

You want a body that can move, but also a body that can hold and strength training gives you both.

8 strength exercises to prepare your pelvis for birth

These exercises support pelvic mobility, rotation, and asymmetry while building the strength you’ll need to move intuitively and confidently through labor. There is a large emphasis on internal rotation to specifically prepare for the pushing phase of labor.

Staggered rotational deadlift

Targets: sacrum, posterior pelvic floor, thoracolumbar fascia, glutes.

This movement strengthens your posterior chain while allowing for a greater range of motion and better glute and hamstring engagement. Incorporating internal rotation bias, can improve hip range of motion and influence pelvic behavior as well as strengthen that range.

It also improves sacral mobility and cross-body coordination — important for pelvic opening and adapting to baby’s rotation.

Rotational split squat

Targets: iliac (upper pelvic bones), SI joint, front of hip

Rotational split squats engage the glutes, hamstrings, and other muscles vital for stabilizing the pelvic area, supporting the weight of the growing belly, and maintaining proper posture throughout pregnancy. Adding a rotation can can help address tight hips and improve the range of motion, particularly internal rotation.

Limited pelvic mobility, especially the inability to access internal rotation, can potentially contribute to a labor stall as the baby navigates the lower midpelvis. 

Lateral lunges or squats

Targets: ischium (sitz bones), pelvic outlet

Engages the glutes, quads, and inner thighs and promote lateral hip mobility. Stronger and more mobile hips are essential for adopting various labor positions and creating space in the pelvis for the baby to descend.

Lateral and asymmetrical movements can help open the sides of the pelvis, potentially creating more room for the baby to move into an optimal birthing position.

Crossover step down

Targets: hip stabilizers, pelvic floor, sacroiliac mobility

Crossing over midline encourages rotational control and hip mobility. It challenges your ability to decelerate and load the glutes while shifting your center of gravity. This trains your pelvis to handle asymmetrical loading and strengthens the sling systems that help support your pelvic floor under strain.

Crossbody RDL

Targets: oblique sling system, sacrum, thoracic spine, glutes

This deadlift variation improves cross-body strength and coordination between your lats, core, and glutes – while encouraging gentle rotation through the pelvis and ribcage. That rotational element enhances hip strength and mobility, which can facilitate different labor positions and improve pelvic opening.

90/90 Single leg hamstring bridge

Targets: proximal hamstrings, posterior chain

Your hamstrings anchor at the sit bones and support pelvic positioning. This movement strengthens the posterior chain unilaterally, helping stabilize the sacrum and support efficient hip extension. It promotes strength and endurance in the muscles that support your pelvis during upright labor and pushing.

The key here is the drag the heel down and lift with your sitz bones to feel your proximal hamstring (attached to the pelvis) fire.

Side lying hip internal rotation with block squeeze

Targets: internal hip rotators, pelvic outlet

This position helps mobilize the hip into internal rotation (often limited in pregnancy) while the block squeeze engages adductors and the deep core system. Internal rotation is key for opening the pelvic outlet the bottom portion of your pelvis. For many, side lying is a great pushing position (my go-to!!).

Banded quadruped hip internal rotation

Targets: posterior hip capsule, hip internal rotators, pelvic floor

The banded resistance increases awareness and control in internal rotation, while the quadruped position mimics common birth positions like hands and knees or modified all-fours. Improves access to internal rotation.

Birth is movement

Movement is essential during labor – not just for comfort, but to help your baby navigate the birth canal. nBy training these patterns during pregnancy, you’re preparing your body to move with labor instead of fighting against it.

And that’s where strength and mobility come together: to help you feel strong, capable, and ready for one of the most dynamic events your body will ever experience.

Ready to train through pregnancy with confidence?

Inside the Lift with Emily App, you’ll get weekly prenatal workouts that focus on:

✅ pelvic mobility
✅ full-body strength
✅ birth prep and confidence-building movement

Whether you’re in your second trimester or days from delivery, you’ll find smart, safe, and empowering workouts to support you through every stage.

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