Opening your hips for labor is really about creating more space in your pelvis so your baby can descend and rotate through the birth canal. The pelvis isn’t a fixed, rigid structure. It’s made up of several bones connected by ligaments that naturally soften during pregnancy, and specific positions and exercises can increase your pelvic dimensions by meaningful amounts. The key is understanding which movements target which part of the pelvis, because different stages of labor benefit from different positions.
How Your Pelvis Changes During Pregnancy
Your body already starts preparing for birth on its own. The hormone relaxin increases throughout pregnancy, breaking down collagen in your ligaments and making them more elastic. This is why your joints feel looser and your hips may feel wider as pregnancy progresses. Relaxin triggers the release of enzymes that soften connective tissue, particularly around the pelvis.
Your pelvis has three key zones your baby passes through: the inlet (the top opening), the midpelvis, and the outlet (the bottom opening). Each has different dimensions, and here’s what matters: different body positions change these dimensions in different ways. MRI studies of women in various postures found that moving from a supine position to a kneeling squat increased transverse diameters by about 15 mm and outlet diameters by 4 to 5 mm. The inlet changed less in raw size but shifted its shape and angle. Those millimeters make a real difference when a baby’s head is navigating a tight space.
Why Squatting Works So Well
Squatting is one of the most effective positions for opening the pelvic outlet, which is the space your baby passes through during the pushing stage. A computational simulation of pregnant women found that squatting increased the pelvic outlet by 6.1 mm front-to-back and 11 mm side-to-side. For non-pregnant women doing the same squat, the increases were only 4.1 mm and 2.6 mm, meaning the hormonal changes of pregnancy amplify the benefits of squatting significantly.
One interesting finding: the peak increase in pelvic diameter happened during the dynamic portion of the squat (the movement itself) rather than the final resting position. This suggests that gently bouncing or shifting in a squat may open more space than just holding still at the bottom.
To practice, try a deep supported squat where you hold onto a sturdy chair, countertop, or your partner’s hands. Keep your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart with toes turned out. Let your weight sink down while keeping your heels on the floor if possible. If your heels lift, place a rolled towel under them. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds at first and build up over time. You can also sit on a birth ball and let your knees drop wide, which provides a gentler version of the same pelvic opening.
Stretches That Release Tight Hip Muscles
Your hip flexors, particularly the deep muscles that run from your lower spine through your pelvis and attach to your thigh bone, can get chronically shortened from sitting. When these muscles are tight, they pull on the pelvis and limit its ability to open fully. Releasing them creates more freedom of movement during labor.
The half-kneeling stretch is one of the most accessible options. Kneel on both knees, then plant one foot in front of you so both knees are bent at roughly 90 degrees. Keep your back straight and squeeze your glutes as you gently lean forward into the front leg. You’ll feel a deep stretch in the front of the hip on the kneeling side. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and switch sides. The key here is form: if you arch your lower back, you lose the stretch entirely.
If you have a stability ball, draping your upper body over it while kneeling can help lengthen those same deep hip muscles passively. And for a truly gentle option, lie on your back near the edge of a bed, hug one knee to your chest, and let the other leg dangle off the side. The weight of the dangling leg creates a slow, comfortable release that counteracts the shortening caused by hours of sitting.
Asymmetric Movements for Baby Positioning
Not all hip-opening work is symmetrical. Some of the most useful techniques involve moving one side of the pelvis at a time, which helps your baby rotate into a better position for birth.
Curb walking is a simple daily practice. Walk with one foot on the curb and the other on the street, alternating sides. This shifts your pelvis side to side with each step, encouraging your baby to settle deeper into the pelvis and find a more optimal position. There’s no hard evidence it induces labor, but it can realistically help your baby engage during the late weeks of pregnancy.
The side-lying release is a more targeted technique. Lie on your side on a firm surface (a table or firm mattress, not a couch) with your head level on a pillow and your neck straight. Scoot your hips about two inches from the edge. A partner stands in front of you, bracing their leg against the surface edge to keep you stable. Straighten your bottom leg and flex that foot toward your knee. Then lift your top leg just high enough to clear the bottom thigh, bend the top knee, and let the top leg hang by its own weight off the edge of the surface. Hold for two to three minutes or until the leg drops slightly lower, then repeat on the other side. This temporarily creates asymmetric space in the pelvis and is recommended by programs like Spinning Babies as one of three core balancing techniques alongside a forward-leaning inversion and gentle hip jiggling.
The Miles Circuit for Late Pregnancy
The Miles Circuit is a specific three-position sequence designed to help babies settle into an optimal position. It’s commonly used in the final weeks of pregnancy or during early labor.
- Open knee-chest position (30 minutes): Get on your hands and knees, then lower your chest toward the floor while keeping your hips high. This uses gravity to lift the baby slightly out of the pelvis so they can reposition.
- Exaggerated side-lying (30 minutes): Lie on your side with your bottom leg straight and your top leg draped forward over a stack of pillows, creating an exaggerated twist in your pelvis. This encourages rotation.
- Upright movement (30 minutes): Walk, sway, do lunges, bounce on a birth ball, or climb stairs. The movement and gravity help the baby descend into the newly opened space.
The full circuit takes about 90 minutes. Many people repeat it daily in the last few weeks of pregnancy or use it during early labor when contractions are still manageable.
Pelvic Floor: Flexibility Matters More Than Strength
There’s a persistent myth that training your pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy will make them too tight for birth. The opposite appears to be true. A systematic review of randomized trials found that pelvic floor training during pregnancy actually shortened both the first and second stages of labor, with no negative effects on birth outcomes. The likely reason is that training these muscles improves your awareness of how to both contract and relax them, increases blood circulation, and makes the tissue more flexible.
For labor specifically, the skill you need most is the ability to consciously release your pelvic floor. Practice this by doing a Kegel contraction, holding for a few seconds, and then slowly letting go completely. Focus on the release. Many people find it helpful to practice this relaxation during exhales, since breathing out naturally encourages the pelvic floor to soften. Perineal massage, which you can start around 35 weeks, also helps the tissue stretch more comfortably during delivery.
When to Start and How to Build a Routine
UT Southwestern Medical Center recommends beginning pelvic floor exercises right after the first trimester. General hip-opening stretches and squats are safe throughout pregnancy for most people, and many prenatal yoga classes incorporate them from the start. More targeted techniques like the Miles Circuit and curb walking are most useful in the final six weeks. Perineal massage can begin at 35 weeks, and perineal bulging exercises should wait until the last three weeks.
A practical daily routine in your third trimester might look like this: spend 10 minutes on hip stretches (deep squats, half-kneeling stretches, and butterfly stretches), practice your pelvic floor relaxation during those stretches, take a 20-minute walk that includes some curb walking, and sit on a birth ball instead of the couch in the evening. A few times a week, add the side-lying release or the full Miles Circuit. Consistency matters more than intensity. Five minutes of squatting every day does more for your pelvic mobility than one long session a week.