The pelvic floor plays a large role in our daily functions, such as supporting our pelvic organs, providing stability at the base of our core canister, and maintaining continence. But the pelvic floor also plays a large role during childbirth!
We need our pelvic floor to move through its full range of motion, but for most of us, we tend to live with really tight pelvic floors! So, as we prepare for birth, focusing on pelvic floor RELEASE can be really helpful!
And then during labor, we want to release tension in our pelvic floor to make it easier for baby to navigate through the pelvis.
Let’s explore three ways we can release tension in the pelvic floor DURING labor!
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Pelvic Floor Relaxation Tips For Labor
If we can release and relax during our contractions, it can make contractions less painful and also make labor go faster! Here are three ways we can release tension in our pelvic floor (that also make support relaxation in our entire body too)!
Pelvic floor release tips:
- Deep, low noises!
- The jaw is connected to the pelvic floor! So releasing tension in the jaw helps to release tension in the pelvic floor. Focusing on deep low noises can help with this!
- Supported labor positions
- Being able to relax in our labor position can help us release tension! Try holding onto your partner or using props to be able to relax into your labor positions.
- Toilet AKA dilation station!
- We have a conditioned response to release tension in the pelvic floor when we are sitting on the toilet!
If you want to learn how to release tension in the pelvic floor BEFORE labor, join our prenatal fitness programs and pelvic floor prep for birth course!
Pelvic Floor Relaxation Tip 1: Deep, low noises
The jaw and pelvic floor connections is on of our earliest myofascial connections! If we can release tension in our jaw, we tend to also release tension in our pelvic floor. And vice versa; if we have a tight pelvic floor, you may also have jaw tension such as TMJ.
A way that we can release tension in the jaw is with DEEP, LOW noises. Think like ooooo or uhhh type noises. These can help decrease that tension and release the pelvic floor!
During labor, you can focus on making those types of noises during your contractions! The vibration also tends to provide some labor comfort, as well! Watch the video below for a sample from our free pelvic floor prep for birth mini-course on how to make these deep noises to release jaw tension.
The pelvic floor plays a large role in our pregnancy comfort, birth, and recovery postpartum! Prepare your pelvic floor for birth with our online course!
This online course includes:
- Thoracic and hip mobility to move the spine and hips
- Breathing drills to connect the diaphragm and pelvic floor
- Pelvic floor relaxation exercises to release tension prior to birth
- Labor tips to release the pelvic floor tension so you can move easier through your birth!
Unsure if you’re ready to commit to our full course? Explore our free mini pelvic floor prep for birth course to gain a better understanding of our teaching style and what you will learn from us in our full course!
Pelvic Floor Relaxation Tip 2: Supported Labor Positions
Supported labor positions allow us to release and relax as we have a contraction. The more relaxed we are with contractions, the less pain we will experience and the faster labor will go!
A way that we can find some release is to feel supported in our positions. This could mean sitting on a ball, on all fours, or doing partner-supported labor positions.
If baby is in the top of the pelvis, focusing on spread the knees wide and sinking into deep squats could help create more space for them to more easily navigate the pelvic inlet.
Try laboring in supported squats if baby is high and allow yourself to relax and release tension in the glutes and legs.
IF baby is in the midpelvis, we want to create more space asymmetrically. I love incorporating hip shifts into labor positions to create that diagonal opening in the midpelvis.
You can do a standing hip shift holding onto your partners hand or holding onto the labor bed. As you do this hip shift, we want to ensure that we are sinking into the hips and allow the tension to be in the upper body not the legs.
Here is a breakdown video of the standing hip shift! This movement helps to open the midpelvis, particularly the lower midpelvis, helping baby finish their rotation under the pubic bone!
And then if baby is really low in the pelvis, a supported hinge position can be helpful! Think push your hips to the wall behind you to focus more on opening the bottom of the pelvis.
Labor tends to go faster if you have been exercising throughout your pregnancy because you can maintain an upright position and move a lot longer before getting fatigued! You can explore these movements and ensure that these movement patterns are accessible to you during pregnancy, which will ensure that you can open each pelvic level during birth to avoid a labor stall.
If you want more of a breakdown of WHAT to do throughout your prenatal workouts, check out our prenatal fitness programs! We offer it in two formats:
- 40-Week Prenatal Strength in the Teambuildr App (traditional delivery format)
- Full Version: Workouts 45-75 minutes in length, designed for the athlete with gym access or a home gym set up
- Mini Version: Workouts 15-20 minutes in length, designed for the busy person!
- Prenatal On-Demand with full-length workout videos that you follow along as you workout
Pelvic Floor Relaxation Tip 3: Toilet - The Dilation Station
During labor, we can use conditioned relaxation responses to help us release tension, and the toilet is one of those places! We tend to release the pelvic floor when we sit on the toilet, so laboring on the toilet can help us RELAX.
Try sitting on the toilet facing forward, leaning on your partner, or sit backwards and your partner can press against your sacrum!
