Your pelvic floor plays a big role during your pregnancy and during your birth – an important role that it needs to play during labor is to release and let go so baby can navigate through the pelvis more easily. In this blog, we’re going to break down three different ways that we can release tension within our pelvic floor during birth.
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1. Jaw-Pelvic Floor Connection
Your jaw and pelvic floor are connected in ways you might not expect. This connection is one of the earliest to develop in our bodies and can significantly impact how we experience labor. When you clench your jaw during contractions, it can inadvertently cause your pelvic floor to tighten up as well.
To counter this, focus on relaxing your jaw. Try gently shaking it out or even massaging the area to help release built-up tension. Additionally, pay attention to the sounds you make during labor. High-pitched screeches or tense vocalizations can create more tension, whereas deep, low noises can encourage relaxation. Think of sounds like “mooing” or “oohs” to help facilitate this release. During my own contractions, I find that making a humming sound with my hands on my belly helps me to let go and relax.
2. Laboring on the Toilet
The toilet is an often-overlooked spot for labor, but it can be incredibly effective for pelvic floor relaxation. Our bodies have a natural response to relax when we’re on the toilet because it’s a familiar place for relieving ourselves.
You can sit on the toilet in the traditional position or turn around so that your back faces the tank. Adding a Squatty Potty or any similar device to elevate your feet can help achieve a better hip angle and further encourage relaxation. Experiment with different positions to see what feels most comfortable for you. The act of sitting on the toilet can help your pelvic floor release in a way that promotes a smoother labor experience.
3. Jiggling and Shaking
Jiggling is another fantastic method to help relax your pelvic floor during labor. This technique stimulates the fascial layers, which can release endorphins and promote relaxation. There are two main ways to incorporate jiggling:
Manual Jiggling: Your partner can gently place their hands on either side of your thighs and perform a light, shaking motion. This can extend to the glute area as well. The key is to keep the movement gentle but effective.
Fabric Jiggling: Using a rebozo or similar fabric, your partner can create a “shaking the apples” effect by placing the fabric across your buttocks and moving it from side to side. Ensure there’s enough tension in the fabric so that the movement comes from your body rather than just the fabric itself. This technique can feel surprisingly soothing and can help in releasing pelvic floor tension.
If you want more daily workouts to support a strong pregnancy as you prepare for birth, join our online prenatal fitness programs!
MamasteFit is unique in that we are one of the ONLY prenatal/postnatal training facilities in the United States. We develop our workout programs from our experience of working with in-person pre/postnatal fitness clients and work closely with physical therapists to refine our programming. In addition, we are birth workers, so we combine our experience as perinatal fitness trainers and birth professionals to ensure that our programs actually support your birth preparation and recovery!
Our prenatal fitness programs are offered in several formats:
- 40-Week Prenatal Strength Program in the Teambuildr App:
- This program is a self-paced workout with shorter demo videos. This is ideal if you like to workout in a gym setting and prefer a traditional workout delivery format.
- This program syncs to your current week of pregnancy, so you can start anytime, with one-time payment or month-to-month payment options.
- This program has a full and mini version, depending on how much time you have to dedicate to workouts!
- Prenatal On-Demand Fitness Program:
- If you prefer to follow a video as you workout at the same time, this workout program will be the best option!
- This program syncs to your current trimester, so you can grab the trimesters you need!
- Birth Prep Workout Program:
- If you already have a workout routine or you only want birth prep-focused workouts, check out this program!
- This program includes full-length workout videos to follow as you workout at the same time.
- Prenatal Yoga Classes:
- If you want prenatal yoga, join our prenatal yoga program! This also syncs to your current trimester.
Conclusion
To summarize, here are the three strategies to help release pelvic floor tension during labor:
- Relax Your Jaw: Unclench your jaw and make deep, low noises to encourage relaxation in the pelvic floor.
- Utilize the Toilet: Laboring on the toilet can leverage our natural physiological response to relax the pelvic floor.
- Incorporate Jiggling: Gentle shaking of the thighs or using a fabric can stimulate endorphins and promote a release of tension.
Prenatal Support Courses
Learn the science of pregnancy and birth to take the mystery of labor away! Understand why you are feeling what you feel, and learn strategies to confidently move through pregnancy and birth!
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Workout on-demand with our prenatal fitness workout videos! Each workout is 30-40 minutes to follow along as you exercise at the same time!
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Find comfort and relief from pelvic girdle pain throughout your pregnancy and postpartum period! This program incorporates myofascial sling focused exercises to stabilize across the pelvic girdle joints.
- 3 Weeks
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