Bringing Balance Through Release

Why is Balance So Important?

I always say that all of us live our lives "on a bit of a wonk". We don't sit squarely at our desk at work. We carry a bag on one shoulder, or a toddler on one hip. We cross our legs at the knees, or rest one foot when we are in a queue. We naturally favour one side over the other.

This causes little imbalances in the body that can make themselves felt when we also have the added toll that pregnancy takes on the body. You might experience backache, or other aches and pains, or your baby might find it more tricky to find a good position. This is important, because a baby in a good position can usually be born more easily.

Depending on the cause of pain, bringing symmetry to your body can help to alleviate it.

Bringing balance to your body can also ensure that your womb naturally settles into a good position. This means that your baby can do the same and it will be easier for them to wiggle their way down through your pelvis ❤❤

Remember - good foetal position improves the chance of a smooth birth for both of you.

What can you do?

You can align your body during pregnancy with specific, gentle movements. If you try to do too much too quickly, the muscle reacts by contracting even more! Repetiton, little and often, over a longer period, is better.

Go to a class

A movement-based pregnancy class should help you to achieve this goal. The classes I offer have this at their core, and we also practise movement that is beneficial for labour and post-natal recovery. Whichever class you choose, remember to listen to your body and always stay in your own comfy range of movement.

Relaxation is also key - many of these imbalances are caused by greater tension on one side than the other. Relaxation is an effective way to help achieve balance and gently align your body.

The Psoas

What in the name of blazes is a Psoas muscle anyway? 🤔🤔🤔

Your psoas is a big juicy muscle that connects your spine to your legs. It goes from T12 (bottom of your spine), through your pelvis and connects to each inner thigh.

It's one of the muscles that affects alignment of the pelvis, which in turn affects the position of the womb and baby. So we really want it to be well-balanced - not shortened on one side. Releasing this muscle helps to correctly align your pelvis, allowing your uterus to settle into a good position - which helps your baby to do the same.

A baby in a good position can often be born more smoothly, and that's the goal!

A tight psoas muscle can restrict blood flow to pelvic organs, which, as you can imagine, isn't great news at the best of times, but certainly not in pregnancy! It can also contribute to constipation, back pain and lordosis of the spine. These are all common pregnancy aches and pains that can be alleviated by being kind to your psoas!

When it is shortened, it can also cause your pelvis to rotate forward, making it more difficult for your baby to find their best position, and harder for them to journey down through it.

We tend to hold fear and tension in our bodies, and one way we do this is with a tight psoas muscle. It's like it's constantly hitting the "yikes!" button, leaving you in a heightened state of nerves or anxiety. This means that releasing it can be good for our mental wellbeing, as well as the physical.

A tight, contracted psoas muscle is very common in people who do a lot of sitting (long commutes, office jobs), but also in people who do a a lot of walking, running or sit ups.

Remember: gently lengthen and release from it's point of origin gradually.

Beyond the Physical

There's more to balance than just the physical, though.

• We need balanced information to make informed decisions about our care.
• We need to balance caring for others, with self-care.
• We need to balance physical activity with rest.
• We need to balance a good evidence base against our own intuition and what feels right for us.

🤰"I imagine my baby in their ideal position, in a perfectly supported and equal hammock ❤ "

Thank you for reading! I hope you found this helpful or interesting. Let me know what you think. I am always happy to hear from mothers about their experiences.

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Book your class, and bring balance to your body.