If you want to start a fight at the next party you go to, bring up birthing politics. Hospital or Home. Drug-Free or Epidural. Birth Tub or Stirrups. But not so long ago, there was only one option. It was called, Your Doing This Now, Whether You Want To or Not.
I have no problem stating my personal preference for a natural, drug-free, non-hospitalized birth. The scientific and statistical evidence supports that, if all goes well, this is the ultimate in “healthy” experience for the mother and child.
One of the biggest supporting arguments of natural and non-hospital births is that the birthing process is a instinctual and natural event, happening for hundreds of thousands of years without outside aid. This is true. But there are many additional things the hunter-and-gathering mother were also doing that prepared the delivering muscles much better.
Looking back a hundred years, the birth-induced mortality rates (of both baby and mother) of non-industrialized civilizations were more favorable than rates of births happening in city areas. Medical journal articles from the 1800s were looking at this fact back even back then! Why were women who lived in the larger, industrialized areas of London having such a difficult time birthing than Gypsy women and Tinkers? The populations without medical intervention fared better (less death and cranial deformity in babies and less death or injury in the mothers) than those with the advantages of surgeons, antibiotics, and a more sterile environment. Why?
The answer back then, and still quite relevant today, had to do with movement habits, specifically the quantity of walking done per day as well as the practice of squatting to use the restroom. The squatting action, preferably done since birth, creates a wide pelvic outlet (the space where the baby passes out). Starting from childhood, squatting to bathroom aids in the ideal ossification (bone shaping) of both the pelvic bones and the sacrum. The wider the outlet, the safer and easier the baby passes through. Squatting also lengthens the muscles of the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and psoas. When these muscles are tight, they can actually reduce the movement of the pelvic bones and increase stress and pressure on the baby (and mama) during delivery. Back then and today still, the populations of people who move a lot (and I don’t mean exercise an hour per day) have better, easier births.
If you want to go about a birthing process naturally, then you should add in the other “natural” processes women have been doing for years – walking 5-6 miles per day (this doesn’t have to be done all at once), and restoring your muscles, joints, and bones to their correct function for a fluid and safe birth. Needing to “train” for delivery does not mean that the birthing process is not natural, only that the mother has let her “birthing equipment” adapt to un-natural living (sitting in chairs 5-10 hours per day, not stretching the bathrooming muscles of the pelvic floor and legs) and has become out of shape when it comes to whole-body endurance.
Whole-body endurance is your ability to walk long distances using the strength of the legs. Being able to support yourself with your leg weight will come in handy when needing to labor for an extended (but hopefully not too extended) amount of time. Cycling, aerobics, running, and swimming won’t get you a stronger strength-to-weight ratio. A Hunting and Gathering mother needs to mimic the daily required walking that keeps her birthing muscles in top form.
Delivery Preparation
1. If you aren’t walking at all, begin with one mile, increasing your distance by 1/2 a mile every two to four weeks, until you hit 5-6 miles per day. Doing all your mileage at once will help you with endurance, but if you are feeling tired or sore, break your distance up over the course of a day.
2. Start your squatting program NOW. Hamstring and calf tension (both muscle groups down the back of the legs) tuck the tailbone and pelvis under, instantly impacting the size of your delivery space. FUNNY STORY: I made the mistake of trying to teach my pregnant sister this exercise while she while she was giving birth. I’m not going to write down what she said here 
Learn to squat:
Holding onto a door knob will help you until your legs are strong enough (and loose enough!) to hold you in this position for a minimum of one minute. A rolled towel or yoga mat under the heels will also make this exercise more easy to start. Work up to doing it with your heels on the ground!
Note: The picture on the left shows a tucked tailbone and rounded spine, NOT the position your are trying to achieve. Also note how far forward the knees have moved. To really open the pelvic muscles, un-tuck your tailbone by sticking out your bottom (see picture on the right and note that the knees are over the ankles). This will get your pelvic bones in the right birthing (and bathrooming) position.
Not giving birth in this life time? This information still applies to anyone wanting to optimize low back, pelvic floor, and digestive system health. If you haven’t fully flexed your knees and hips in some time, it’s best to start lying on your back, pulling your knees to your chest to “warm up” the joints. All over the world, 80-year olds drop down into this squat like it’s no big deal, because they have been doing it three times a day at minimum! It’s time to get started!
The more we prepare for delivery, the more successful the outcomes. The greater the success stories of natural birthing, the more it will be seen as a viable option. Make your natural birthing story by preparing…naturally!
Great info. You really DO have change for a paradigm!
This is lovely, my dear! I am passing on these words of wisdom to my ladies!
Thanks for giving to the birthing community, darlin! Smooches & Blessings!
Great exercises for the March 27th blog topic too!
[...] The Hunting and Gathering MAMA. [...]
This is awesome! I am definitely adding this to my routine. Thanks so much!
Congrats Katy, When are you due?
Funny!
WOW! Great info! Boy do I need to get statred…I’m due in July!! Thanks!!
Love this–bravo!
[...] squatting exercise from the hunter-gathering mama (click here to view) should be done a few times a day, even in a modified form, until the tension in the knees, hips, [...]
I’m looking forward to incorporating the squats into my pregnancy exercise and stretching regime. I squat a ton at work as part of my job (veterinarian), but I’ll make a point of doing it rather than trying to avoid it.
I do have to point out an inaccuracy, however. You bring up the observation that a century ago,and in the 1800s, women in non-industrialized settings had better birth outcomes than women in Industrial Revolution settings, and then go on to say that this was true in spite of antibiotics and better sterility.
The truth is that there were no antibiotics, and sterility was a concept that had really not taken hold. These are the major reasons that birthing in a hospital used to be so dangerous.
I’m very much for natural childbirth too, but let’s not misconstrue facts about the past.
Thanks for your comment Nicolette! You are correct in that the antibiotic and high level of sterile science we see now was not in wide practice as it is now. However, my graduate research on female pelvic floor history is from a global perspective as opposed to an American one. The perception that antibiotic use/medicine began with Pasteur is not entirely correct. In actuality, in London (where almost all of the early pelvic/birthing research was written) there were major attempts at “cleaning up” birth practices occurring during this time.
In the 1840s, Ignaz Sammelweis mandated that physicians wash their hands before attending women in childbirth. According to the Carnegie Trust Report of 1894, physicians following his guidelines saw an immense reduction in new mother deaths from childbed fever. A few years later, physician and researcher Joseph Lister simultaneously proved germ theory and developed the first antiseptic to be used in the hospitals in these areas as well.
My mention of antibiotics was really to highlight that the rates of healthy births in modern times (2000s) are still not better from a statistical perspective when considering these “advantages”.
Good luck with the squats and Congratulations on your pregnancy!
[...] ask? Katy Bowman, MS, a biomechanical scientist and author of the blog Katy Says, describes how repeated squatting changes the physical structure of our body to prepare it for birth: “The squatting action, preferably done since birth, creates a wide [...]
How can someone (like me) who is restricted from doing deep squates due to major knee/cartilage issues still tone her pelvic floor?
Of course! You can do all of the exercise on You Don’t Know Squat that precede the actual squat and focus on hip opening. The Glute contraction needed to keep the sacrum opposing the PF muscle action constantly is also maintained by walking via Hip Extension – meaning you are pushing back with your leg to move you forward (think Ice Skating). So, long walks (Not on a treadmill), but pushing back and the hamstring and calf exercises shown on my squat blog will help.
I will also be publishing some additional exercises for glute strength shortly.
Good day!
Hi Katy,
I can’t seem to view the photos depicting the correct way to squat and the incorrect way. Any way you could e-mail them to me?
Thanks!
-Anne – due 9/2010
Anne:
Check out You Don’t Know Squat for the squat breakdown. If you’re having problems seeing the images, copying the blog and pasting it onto a doc helps. You can then print it out and put it on the fridge! Solved and Solved!
This makes a lot of sense. but how do you fit in 5 mile walks with a little one? not pregnant again yet, but just wondering!
Cassie
theresapickleinmylife.blogspot.com
[...] and do some PC contractions in a squat. You can find the pictures about how to squat properly here and the video that explains everything (IS safe for work) and isn’t freaky at all [...]
Thank you, Katy!
For Cassie: A sling will help you tak your little one on long walk with you and also help strengthen muscles.
[...] The first exercise suggested by Katy is the deep squat. She goes into the how and why here. [...]
This info is so true! I love gardening and spend a lot of time squatting in my gardens planting seeds, plants and pulling weeds. The day I went into labor with my first child, I had been in my yard for a few hours planting daylilies. I was in labor for 4 hours and pushed 2 times. The doctor told me I had it easy because of my flexibility.
[...] of flexing your kegels all day, Katy recommends doing squats. She suggests going all hunter-gather mama and squatting down several times a day to tone the glutes and get everything in place. And since [...]
[...] The Hunting and Gathering Mama. Even in the 1800s, medical journals were observing that rural women — living a more traditional existence involving lots of physical activity and little sitting — fared better in childbirth than city women. The trend continues today. This article explains why walking and squatting as much as our hunter-gatherer ancestors did is perfect — and necessary — preparation of the body for childbirth. Includes very helpful instructions for squats! (Katy Bowman, MS, KatySays) [...]
I really apprecitae this article. It makes so much sense. I’ve often thought to myself that we’ve lost something with our change in lifestyle since we were farmers or hunters and gatherers, but I didn’t know exactly what. As a birth doula and childbirth educator myself, I am happy to have something simple to share with my clients.
Its also affirming to know that common but less natural forms of exercise such as bicycling, aerobics, running and swimming (which I doubt hunter gatherers did on a daily basis) are not the most effective ways to prepare for birth. Walking just makes sense.
Just shared it on my Facebook page.
Thanks!
How long should you hold the squat when you do it 3x a day?
I have often spoken of this same thing…..I’ve called it “the third world squat” because you often still see country people from around the world squatting on their haunches waiting for a bus, or playing dice and such. I still can’t do this, my heels have to come off the ground instead of the flat foot posture they are able to accomplish. Despite this, I have walked an enormous amount over the years, first via waitressing and then as a RN. I gave birth naturally at 42 years old, took less than 1/2 hour of pushing, need no pain medication at all afterwards….not so much as an aspirin. So I can attest to the veracity of your article. Happy Birthing!