The Best Pregnancy Stretches for Each Trimester, According to Experts
Plus stretching safety tips to keep in mind as your body changes throughout pregnancy.
By Erin Bunch •
Is It Safe to Stretch While Pregnant?
How Hormonal Changes Affect Stretching During Pregnancy
The Benefits of Stretching During Pregnancy
Best Pregnancy Stretches for Each Trimester
Postpartum Stretches
Pregnancy is anything but comfortable; after all, it involves a drastic physical transformation unlike any other you’ll experience in life.
“Pregnancy changes the body in more ways than one,” says Dr. Christine Greves, MD, board-certified OBGYN at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital. There’s the ballooning belly and burgeoning breasts, of course, but also changes to the curvature of the spine and “all the other adjustments our bodies make to accommodate the little bundle of joy,” says Dr. Greves. This rapid metamorphosis can leave you feeling sore, achy, and desperate for any form of relief—which is where pregnancy stretches come in.
Just as is true pre-pregnancy, regular stretching during pregnancy can help alleviate and prevent aches and pains, among other benefits. Below, doctors and Peloton Instructor, Kristin McGee, weigh in on how to stretch safely and effectively during pregnancy, and offer the recommended stretches that will take you through all three trimesters.
Is It Safe to Stretch While Pregnant?
While it’s generally safe to engage in light stretching during pregnancy, says Dr. Greves, it’s important to clear it with your doctor first, especially if your pregnancy is high-risk. You should also exercise more caution than you normally would, and listen to your body carefully as you perform any stretches. “Gentle, controlled stretching is typically recommended over more intense or strenuous stretching exercises,” agrees Dr. Christy Evans, M.D, Board-Certified OBGYN at Almond.
This approach is especially important because your body produces a hormone called relaxin during pregnancy, which relaxes your ligaments and can lead to overstretching and injury. (More on this in a bit!) According to Dr. Greves, there’s an easy litmus test that will tell you if you’re engaging in a risky stretch or taking a stretch too far: it will hurt.
Dr. Greves also notes that your center of gravity may be thrown off during pregnancy due to a growing belly and breasts, so you may need to modify your normal stretches as a result to better facilitate stability. And speaking of stability, she says that whether or not it’s safe to bend down during a stretch depends on where you are in your gestational period and how stable you feel doing it, but that there is no hard and fast rule against it (despite what you may have heard). What you definitely shouldn’t do, she says, is lie on your back for a stretch after 20 weeks of pregnancy, as doing so can impact blood flow to the baby.
If stretching hurts generally—as in any and all stretching—Dr. Greves advises not only avoiding it but also talking to a doctor about why it hurts. And of course, she adds, if your doctor says you should stop stretching, you should definitely listen. In that case, you might opt for a prenatal massage or another doctor-approved intervention instead.
Ultimately, says Dr. Evans, it’s never a bad idea to speak with your OBGYN or a trainer with prenatal expertise to get personalized guidance on safe stretching techniques tailored to your individual needs and stage of pregnancy before you begin a prenatal stretching regimen.
Try Peloton Prenatal Yoga and Stretch Classes
How Hormonal Changes Affect Stretching During Pregnancy
As mentioned previously, during pregnancy, the body releases a hormone called relaxin. “Relaxin serves to soften ligaments and joints to prepare the body for childbirth. It widens the cervix, allowing for easier passage of the baby during labor. Additionally, it increases the elasticity of connective tissues, aiding in the accommodation of the growing fetus and the expansion of the uterus,” says Dr. Evans. “While essential for pregnancy and childbirth, relaxin may cause joint instability and discomfort.”
It can also lead to overstretching, and Kristin says that if you suddenly find yourself able to go far deeper into a stretch than you could pre-pregnancy it’s safest to revert back to where you were before relaxin took over your body. “Pregnancy is not the time to try to increase flexibility,” agrees Dr. Evans.
The Benefits of Stretching During Pregnancy
With those caveats in mind, Kristin says that generally speaking, the benefits of stretching during pregnancy outweigh the disadvantages. “You become so stiff and tight during pregnancy that gentle stretching can alleviate pain and prepare you for childbirth,” she says.
Dr. Evans agrees, noting that stretching generally helps maintain flexibility, reduce muscle tension and discomfort, promote better posture and alignment, and get the body ready for what’s ahead. More specifically, stretching offers the following benefits:
Relieves Tension
Your abdomen and lower back muscles may become strained in pregnancy due to the increasing size and weight of the belly, says Dr. Evans. “Gentle stretches targeting the abdominal muscles, such as the cat-cow stretch or pelvic tilts, can help alleviate discomfort and maintain flexibility in this area,” she says.
Helps Mitigate the Impact of a Shifting Center of Gravity
“As the uterus expands and the belly grows, the body's center of gravity shifts forward, placing increased strain on the lower back and pelvis,” she says. “Stretching exercises that focus on the lower back, hips, and thighs can help alleviate tension and improve flexibility, reducing the risk of lower back pain and discomfort.”
Counterbalances Pregnancy-Induced Swayback Posture
“Pregnancy hormones, changes in posture, and the increasing size of the abdomen can contribute to a swayback posture, where the lower back arches excessively and the pelvis tilts forward,” says Dr. Evans. “Stretching exercises that target the hip flexors, hamstrings, and lower back muscles can help counteract this posture by promoting better alignment and flexibility in these areas.”
Helps Prepare the Pelvic Floor for Labor and Childbirth
Certain stretching exercises, such as pelvic floor stretches and perineal massage, can help prepare the pelvic floor muscles for labor and childbirth, says Dr. Evans. “These exercises can improve flexibility and strength in the pelvic area, potentially reducing the risk of perineal tears and other complications during delivery,” she says.
Best Pregnancy Stretches for Each Trimester
Your body changes so dramatically during pregnancy that certain stretches may benefit it more in one trimester versus another. Below, Kristin offers specific stretch recommendations for each trimester.
Pregnancy Stretches for the First Trimester
In the first trimester, she says, it’s generally safe to engage in your normal stretching routine. “You’re still safe to lie on your back, so you can do some gentle, supine stretches,” says Kristin. Her specific stretch recommendations include the following:
Supine Figure 4 Stretch
Lie on your back and bring your knees to a tabletop position.
Place the outside of your left ankle just above the right knee to make a figure four shape with your legs.
Reach through your legs to clasp your hands behind your right thigh, and gently pull your legs toward your chest, keeping your lower back planted on the ground.
Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
If you don’t feel comfortable lying on your back, you can perform this exercise from a seated position in a chair, making the same figure four shape and gently leaning forward over your legs.
Supine Cow-Face Pose
Lie down with your knees bent and your feet planted on the floor.
Rotate your inner right thigh inward while lengthening your right leg.
Rotate your inner left thigh inward and bring your left thigh over your right.
Place your hands behind your knees or, for a deeper stretch, on the bottoms of your feet, and gently pull both knees toward your chest.
Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Happy Baby
Lie on your back.
Bend your knees toward your chest at a 90-degree angle.
Face the soles of your feet toward the ceiling.
Reach forward and grab the inside or outside of your feet.
Spread your knees outward toward your armpits.
Flex your heels into your hand.
Rock gently from side-to-side.
Continue for as long as is comfortable.
Stretches to Avoid in Your First Trimester
According to McGee, you should still be able to do most stretches at this stage in pregnancy; however, she advises avoiding any stretch involving a deep twist.
Pregnancy Stretches for the Second Trimester
In the second trimester, your changing body may make some stretches more difficult or uncomfortable. Here, two stretches Kristin specifically recommends for this period of pregnancy.
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Cobbler's Pose
Sit tall with your legs outstretched in front of you.
Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet to touch, letting your knees fall out to either side.
Press the outer edges of your feet together.
Continue to sit tall and hold the position for as long as is comfortable.
Seated Straddle
Begin in a seated position with the legs outstretched as far to either side as is comfortable. “You don’t have to go super wide,” says McGee.
Point your toes up at the ceiling.
Place your hands on the floor and walk them out as far forward as is comfortable, keeping the chest lifted and the spine long.
Hold for 30 seconds.
To help open the shoulders, you can also lift your hands from the floor and gently bend to one side of your straddle, lifting the opposite arm overhead, and then the other.
Stretches to Avoid In the Second Trimester
As Dr. Greves noted earlier, it’s important to avoid lying flat on your back during the second trimester. She advises ceasing at around 20 weeks, but you can begin this modification earlier if it feels right for you. You’ll also want to keep avoiding deep twists and other contorting postures, as well as backbends. As this is also when your body starts to produce more relaxin, you’ll want to beware of overstretching as well, says Kristin.
Pregnancy Stretches for the Third Trimester
During the third trimester, many stretches can prove challenging. Kristin suggests focusing on calf stretches during this time, as this is when pregnant women tend to experience leg cramps. Additionally, she specifically likes the Ankle-to-Knee Stretch as well as the following Straddle Stretch modification:
Standing Straddle
Stand with your feet apart slightly wider than shoulder-width distance.
Inhale and reach your arms upward.
Exhale and fold forward as far as is comfortable. “You don’t have to go all the way down where your head is falling to the floor,” says McGee.
If this feels difficult due to the size or your belly or unstable, you can do a seated straddle instead; Kristen offers this variation because it can be harder for some women to get on and off the floor during the third trimester.
Ankle-to-Knee Stretch
Start in a seated, cross-legged position.
Bring your right shin parallel to the front of the mat.
Stack your left ankle on top of the right knee. The left shin should be parallel to the right shin.
Inhale while lengthening your spine.
Exhale and flex both feet.
Hold for 30 seconds, or as long as comfortable, and repeat on the other side.
Stretches to Avoid In the Third Trimester
During the third trimester, you should continue to avoid stretches avoided in the second trimester—backbends, deep twists, and other contortions, as well as anything that requires lying flat on your back. At this stage in your pregnancy, it’s more important than ever to listen to your body as you stretch and make modifications accordingly. Many positions may be more difficult to achieve than they were in earlier trimesters due to the size of your bump. Rather than pushing to make your body move as it did before the belly, adjust for more gentle stretching.
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Postpartum Stretches
After giving birth, Kristin says you can return to many of the stretches you did in your first trimester of pregnancy. “You can lay on your back again, and it can feel really nice to take a load off of your feet and ankles because as a new mom, you’re standing on your feet all day,” she says. Kristin also says you can incorporate gentle twists back into your routine, but to exercise caution when doing so.
Some specific stretches Kristin recommends include the Ankle-to-Knee Stretch and the Supine Cow-Face Stretch. She also recommends adding in stretches specific to the pelvic floor, such as Happy Baby, Child’s Pose, Supine Figure-Four, and Cat-Cow.
Stretches to Avoid When Postpartum
According to Dr. Evans, relaxin remains in your body for weeks to months after you deliver. “After vaginal delivery, avoid deep stretches or poses that strain the pelvic floor muscles, especially in the early postpartum period. Instead, focus on gentle stretches that promote mobility and flexibility in areas like the hips and upper back,” she says. “If you've had a C-section, it's crucial to avoid stretching exercises that directly engage the abdominal muscles or put pressure on the incision site until you've been cleared by your OBGYN.” In either case, it’s best to proceed with caution. “Always start off lightly to see what you can tolerate,” says Dr. Greves. “If you have any pain, you need to stop.”
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.
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