Your Psoas Muscles – My What? What You Must Know For Pregnancy and Birth

Whenever I mention the psoas muscle in classes I tend to find no one has heard of them. Not really surprising, they aren’t muscles we tend to talk about or think about very much. I hadn’t heard of them until I started on my training to teach antenatal classes. Now I know that they play a really important role in your pregnancy and your birth.

The psoas muscles sit in your pelvis, with two muscles on either side. They are deep in your body running from the lower spine through the pelvis to the top of the femur (thigh bone) They are the muscles that connect your trunk to your legs and are important in stabilising your spine and allowing you to lift your legs. Essential in supporting you when you sit, for standing, walking, running and jumping. In fact, without thinking about it you use them all the time!

When you think about where they are you can start to imagine they must play a role in pregnancy and birth. They are taking up space in the pelvic area and are attached to the lower spine which is moving and adjusting as your baby grows and your body changes.

During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin allows our joints to move a little more. This is great to open up pelvic space and allow your ribs and spine to accommodate your baby, but it can cause some pain and discomfort as your body changes. The psoas muscles’ stabilising role can help your core stability in the midst of all these physical changes.

Tightness in the psoas muscles can cause lower back or pelvic discomfort and weaken your core stability. It can affect the way your pelvis is held in your body, impacting on the alignment and your posture and also the way your pelvis changes and adjusts through pregnancy.

Your internal organs are severely impacted by pregnancy. Everything is pushed, squashed or rearranged (amazingly!) as baby takes up more room. A tighter psoas muscle means less space for organs, particularly your digestive system which can cause some issues.

When it comes to labour, your baby needs to move down into the pelvis, usually before labour starts, and then descend and turn to be born. Tight psoas muscles can result in baby sitting high in the body. This can be uncomfortable in pregnancy (baby in your ribs) but can also mean baby doesn’t engage in the pelvis which may mean labour not starting or progressing well. The tightness can also mean baby has less space to turn or to get into the right position either in pregnancy or during birth.

So these muscles that you have never heard of could be the cause of your pregnancy aches and symptoms as well as possibly being a cause of your labour starting or progressing slowly.

Is there anything you can do to prevent tight psoas muscles?

Yes! You can think about your movement and positioning during the day.

Long periods of sitting, especially if you tend to lean back or slouch, will contract the psoas muscle. Additionally, if you wear heels, carry a bag or toddler on one side or generally have bad posture, your psoas muscles will likely be impacted.

Being conscious about how you sit, what your posture looks like and making sure that you have regular movement will help you.

Additionally, there are some specifics you can do to try and release the tightness of those muscles. If you are experiencing a lot of pain in your back or pelvis it is worth speaking to a woman’s health physio or osteopath to get an accurate diagnosis and personalised support.

Throughout your day be aware of your feet – keep toes pointing forward not turned out. And keep aware of your posture, try to maintain a neutral pelvis, this will also affect the curve of your spine and your ribs. Try moving your pelvis gently forward and back to see how it affects the rest of your body and settle into a natural feeling position.

Standing psoas release – stand with your right foot on a step and your left leg hanging down beside. Use the banister or wall to support you. Let your left leg hang a little lower that your right to release tension and then gently swing the leg back and forth. Don’t force the movement, it doesn’t need to be a big movement. Then swap sides.

Forward bend – stand facing a table or kitchen worktop with your feet slightly wider than your hips. With a flat back and straight arms, lean forward to rest your hands on the table/counter. Pull your hips back a little or sway them from side to side increase the stretch.

Lunge – start on your hands and knees. Step one foot up with your knee is above your foot. Shift your weight back and forth feeling a stretch in the front of your back leg and hip. If you need a little more space, use yoga blocks or books to support your hands. If you are able, you could come upright and gently rock there.  

Seated release – sit cross legged on the floor (if comfortable), use a block or folded blanket under your hips if more comfortable. Rest your hands out on the floor in front of you keeping your bottom on the ground. As you exhale gently walk your hands out a little further. Hold for a few breath cycles and walk your hands back in.

Child’s pose – try a pregnancy friendly version of child’s pose with your feet together and knees wide for space. Reach your hands forward to rest your head on the floor or a block or rest your head on your hands.

There is also a lot of emotion at play here. Your psoas muscle can be somewhere your body holds trauma or anxiety. These emotions can contribute to tight psoas muscles. Imagine what happens in your body in flight or fight mode; those psoas muscles are getting ready to get you moving. They hold all the tension.

Practicing your breathing and relaxation techniques can help with releasing this tension too. Your psoas muscles really do need a holistic approach!

How can yoga classes help you?

Pregnancy yoga and can make a huge difference. The regular activity will help you stay more mobile and bring more awareness to your posture and changes in your body. Learning to breath fully, and release tension as you do, will help aid relaxation all through your body. You will also be able to do movements specifically for psoas release but also learn how to release other associated muscles such as your pelvic floor.

This will be invaluable to ease any discomfort through your pregnancy as well as ensuring you have your body in the best possible shape for birth. Not necessarily being super fit but having the important muscles working in the best way possible for birth.

Book your classes with me https://www.bethowen.uk/birthing

Beth x