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Get off your arse: preparation is not shaming
I want to discuss something that often gets avoided, because we don’t want to be seen as “shaming” women.
Any time someone suggests that women need to move more in pregnancy, sit differently, strengthen their bodies, or get off the couch, the immediate response from parts of the birth community is:
“We mustn’t shame women.”
“Birth is primal.”
“Women’s bodies know how to do this.”
And yes, birth is primal.
And yes, women’s bodies are capable.
But primal does not mean passive.
Instinctive does not mean sedentary.
There is a difference between shame and responsibility.
Primal bodies were not sedentary bodies
When we talk about birth being primal, we often imagine a woman in her innate power, following her instincts, moving freely.
But primal women did not live modern lives.
They didn’t sit in cars for hours.
They didn’t work at desks all day.
They didn’t recline on couches scrolling phones each evening.
They didn’t sit cross legged all day.
They walked long distances.
They gathered food.
They squatted.
They worked on the ground.
They scrubbed floors on hands and knees.
They carried water and worked on the land.
Their hips were mobile.
Their pelvic floors were dynamic.
Their glutes were active.
Their bodies were conditioned through daily life.
That is the context in which “birth is primal” makes sense.
Today, many women are living in bodies that are chronically tight in the hip flexors, weak in the glutes, compressed through the sacrum, and habitually tucked under in a slumped posture.
And then we say:
“Trust your body.”
Trusting your body also means caring for it.
Why this matters for baby’s position
We are seeing increasing rates of:
Of course, birth outcomes are multifactorial. Hospital policies, induction practices, time limits and continuous monitoring all play a role.
But we cannot ignore biomechanics.
If a woman spends most of her pregnancy leaning back with her pelvis tucked under, the baby’s heaviest part, the back, will often settle into the posterior space. It’s simply the path of least resistance and feels the most comfortable for them.
If pelvic muscles are tight on one side and weak on the other, baby will accommodate that imbalance.
If deep stabilisers are not functioning, the pelvis may not create optimal space in labour.
This isn’t about blaming women.
It’s about acknowledging that modern posture and inactivity influence foetal positioning.
And when baby is persistently posterior, labour can be:
Saying this is not shaming.
It is educating.
Active birthing requires active pregnancy
We celebrate images of women upright in labour, swaying, lunging, leaning forward, on hands and knees.
But if a woman has not spent time on the floor during pregnancy, hasn’t built leg strength, hasn’t mobilised her hips, hasn’t strengthened her glutes, how realistic is it to expect she’ll sustain those positions for hours in labour?
Labour is not a fitness class.
It draws on what your body already knows.
Active pregnancy means:
You cannot do two chiropractic sessions at 37 weeks and expect that to undo months, or years, of postural habits.
Bodywork is supportive.
It is not a substitute for daily movement.
“Don’t shame women” versus “don’t lower the bar”
There is a difference between saying:
“You’re lazy and this is your fault.”
And saying:
“Your body deserves preparation.”
Avoiding the conversation entirely because we’re afraid of being perceived as judgemental does women a disservice.
We prepare for marathons.
We train for sporting events.
We strengthen before surgery.
Yet birth, one of the most physically demanding events many women will ever experience, is often approached with information alone.
Packing a hospital bag isn’t body preparation.
Writing a birth plan isn’t body preparation.
Attending one generic class isn’t body preparation.
Body preparation is physical.
It’s daily.
It’s intentional.
Responsibility is not blame
It is the responsibility of women to get their body into optimum condition, so baby has a better chance of being in optimum position.
That is not about perfection.
It is not about guaranteeing a certain outcome.
It is about stacking the odds in your favour.
We cannot control everything in birth.
But we can influence how we inhabit our bodies in pregnancy.
When we combine:
We give physiology a better chance to work.
Birth is primal.
But primal bodies were active bodies.
If we want to honour physiology, we must also honour movement.
And that begins long before labour starts.
Read more….
Active pregnancy: preparing the body, not just the birth plan | Back to Basics Birthing
Optimal Maternal Positioning for Parents – | Optimal Maternal Positioning
Bloom Yoga Pregnancy Yoga Series
Core & Floor Restore | Strengthen your pelvic floor & core
If you have any questions or would just like more information please don't hesitate to get in touch by clicking the button below and filling out the contact form.
Contact Vicki