Everyone is talking about curb walking, or at least that’s how it seems to me. Maybe because I’m looking out for it? You know, like when you say, “I need a new sofa,” and suddenly, it seems like furniture ads are everywhere.
I received many messages from mamas wanting to know when they should start curb walking. And I realized, hey, that’s pretty important! So I tried to make that crystal clear here.
By the way, here are some videos you would like to watch about how it is being done by mamas worldwide who posted those on different social media.
When Should I Start Curb Walking?
Since the idea of curb walking is to induce labor, the best time to start curb walking is when your body and baby are more ready for that big event. It’s an excellent idea to talk to your doctor about this before you get started.
Generally, this will be in the last few weeks of your pregnancy, but you will also want to make sure you’re showing the signs that you and your baby are ready for the big show.
Therefore, you must ensure that your baby is a full term (37 weeks). Please, only curb walk once you get to this point. You can do regular walking all you want, but do not curb walk.
Additionally, the baby’s head must be down. Do not attempt to curb walk if your doctor has told you that your baby is in a breech position or if you have any other medical problems related to your pregnancy.
If these conditions are satisfied, you can start curb walking when your cervix has begun dilation and you’ve lost your mucus plug.
I must stress here that I’m not an OB/GYN, so please talk to your doctor and find out if this is safe in your situation. For many women, it will be, but I do not know where you are in your pregnancy or anything like that. Ask your doctor and see if this will be helpful at your current stage.
Important Things to Remember During Curb Walking
I know you want to do things the right way for the sake of you and your baby’s health. That said, I want to remind you that you should always go curb walking with someone. Hold their hand, or if you have no one to go with, find a place with a railing and hold it.
I recommend the former simply because:
It’s always good to have company
If anything should happen, such as losing balance, you have someone to help you.
I also want you to take it easy…you should not be curb walking for more than 10 minutes daily. In fact, if you’re tired after 5 minutes, stop.
I had a mama named Stephanie ask me how many steps to take during curb walking, and I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that. It will depend on how long you can endure this unusual gait. For some of you, this could be just 100 steps. Others can go for more.
I think measuring by time is a better metric. In this way, you listen to your body rather than feel like you MUST get in X amount of steps.
Who Should NOT Curb Walk?
While you will want to talk to your doctor about curb walking, some of you should NEVER do it. Again, run it by your doctor though I’m sure they will tell you the same thing.
Do not curb walk if your baby is in the breech position (feet are down towards your birth canal instead of their head). This is why talking to your doctor is important. They will tell you if the baby is in the proper position. And if so, they will likely say it’s good to curb walk.
Mamas that aren’t full-term should only curb walk once they are. You can exercise well by walking normally, so stick with that until you get closer to your due date.
Additionally, if you have cord prolapse, placenta previa, or an active outbreak of herpes infection, you shouldn’t do the curb walk.
Your doctor should tell you if it’s the right match for you. Remember, in the last month of pregnancy, you’ll be going for checkups once per week. It’s a great time to see how everything is progressing as you get closer to meeting your baby!
Leslie Berry lives with her husband and two young daughters in Los Altos, California, where she loves helping other moms get comfortable with motherhood and embracing the insanity with facts peppered with laughs.
