Slide show: Pregnancy exercises
Pregnancy exercises — pregnant woman practicing squats with a fitness ball
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Squatting during labor — even for short amounts of time — helps open your pelvic outlet and allows more room for your baby to descend. Practicing squats now will make it easier to squat during labor. Try squats with a fitness ball.

Stand up straight with a fitness ball behind your back and against the wall, your feet about shoulder-width apart. Slide down the wall until your knees reach a 90-degree angle, being careful to keep your heels flat on the floor. If you can't bend your knees to a 90-degree angle, simply go as low as you can — then return to the starting position. You might want to have someone stand next to you to prevent you from losing your balance. Gradually work up to 10 repetitions.
March 13, 2019