Breathe Baby Out: How to Protect Your Pelvic Floor and Prepare for an Easier Birth

By Dr. Allison Feldt, PT, DPT | Body Motion Physical Therapy

Welcome, mama. I’m so glad you’re here. What you practice in pregnancy pays you back at 40, 50, 60 and beyond because when you learn to coordinate your breath, core, and pelvic floor, you can reduce interventions, protect your tissue, and recover faster post-birth.

This guide shares the core skills I teach OB nurses and pregnant clients in our Body Motion Birth Preparation Protocols. Use it to stay more comfortable now and to set up a smoother delivery later.

Why This Matters

• Fewer interventions like forceps, vacuum, and unplanned C-sections
• Less tearing and pelvic floor trauma
• Faster, easier postpartum recovery
• Better long-term core and pelvic health

The Core = Diaphragm (Top) + Pelvic Floor (Bottom)

When you inhale, your diaphragm descends and your pelvic floor should open and lengthen. When you exhale, tissues naturally recoil. This coordinated movement is the foundation for comfort in pregnancy and efficiency in labor.

Skill 1: Pelvic Floor Opening Breath (5 Minutes Per Day)

• Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly
• Inhale into the belly while keeping the chest quiet
• As you inhale, imagine the vagina and anus softly opening like a rosebud blooming
• Exhale and let tissues recoil without clenching
• If you struggle to feel it, keep practicing. Consistency trains the pattern

Skill 2: Sit on Your Sit Bones (Stop Clenching)

• Avoid crossing your legs or ankles for long periods
• To sit: hinge back, lift each butt cheek out of the way, then sit on your sit bones. Add a pillow behind your back if needed
• Check in with yourself: are you gripping your glutes?
• Relax your butt and support yourself with gentle lower belly activation instead

Skill 3: Transverse Abdominis “Hug” (Protects From Diastasis)

While standing tall:

• Place your fingers just inside your hip bones
• Gently draw your lower belly in and up while keeping your spine neutral and glutes relaxed
• Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times once per day
• Use your exhale for any effort such as standing, lifting, or getting off the couch. Think “blow before you go”

Bowel Movements = Practice for Birth

• Go within about 15 minutes of the urge. Consider magnesium (ask your provider) if constipated
• On the toilet: keep your knees apart and try a footstool or lean forward, whatever helps your body relax
• Take three belly breaths. At the top of the third inhale, gently bear down like a soft, secret fart without straining
• Visualize this as baby moving through the birth canal. This helps map your brain for labor

Labor: Breathe Baby Down (With or Without an Epidural)

• Use your opening breath during and between contractions to stay calmer and more efficient
• Many feel a strong “have to poop” urge as baby descends, often the best time to push
• If you need to push intentionally, use open-glottis pushing
  • Inhale fully
  • Keep your throat open without breath-holding
  • Bear down gently as if passing gas
  • Some prefer a low “moo” or growl sound to stay relaxed
• Closed-glottis breath-hold pushing may be faster, but it increases pressure and the likelihood of tearing. Open-glottis is gentler on your pelvic floor

Tight Pelvic Floors Are Common (And Fixable)

Pregnancy hormones like relaxin make joints looser, but many pelvic floors become tight and guarded, especially with pain, stress, or habits like squeezing or holding it in. Tight does not mean strong. You want soft, hydrated, extensible tissue that can lengthen for birth and recoil afterward.

Get Expert Help (And Why Ours Is Different)

Our Body Motion Birth Preparation Protocols include trauma-informed internal manual therapy to open all three layers of the pelvic floor, train coordinated breath, and identify your best labor positions such as standing, side-lying, or hands-and-knees.

Clients report:

• Shorter pushing phases
• Fewer or smaller tears
• Easier C-sections with more internal space and gentler extraction
• Faster, more confident postpartum recovery

If you want guidance tailored to your body and birth plan, book a consult or ask about our Online Birth Prep Program you can follow at home.

For More Information Watch This Video