How to Relax the Pelvic Floor for Birth
- Dr.Bhavti Soni
- Jan 15
- 5 min read
When preparing for birth, most people focus on strengthening their bodies, managing pain, and learning how to push. But there’s one crucial piece of the puzzle that often gets overlooked: learning how to relax the pelvic floor for birth.
As a pelvic floor physical therapist (PT), I see this all the time. Many pregnant individuals assume that a “strong” pelvic floor is the goal, when in reality, a flexible, coordinated, and relaxed pelvic floor is just as important, if not more so, during labor and delivery.
The Role of the Pelvic Floor During Pregnancy
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, connective tissue, and ligaments that form a supportive hammock at the bottom of the pelvis. These muscles support your bladder, bowel, and uterus, help with continence, contribute to core stability, and play a major role in sexual function.
During pregnancy, the pelvic floor is under increased load as your baby grows. During labor and birth, these muscles must:
Lengthen significantly
Soften and widen
Coordinate with breathing and abdominal muscles
Relax enough to allow the baby to descend and be born
This means that tight or overactive pelvic floor muscles can interfere with labor, pushing, and even increase the risk of perineal tearing or prolonged delivery.
Why Pelvic Floor Relaxation Is Essential for Birth
Many people unknowingly hold tension in their pelvic floor due to a variety of factors, including chronic stress or anxiety, habitual postural patterns, previous injuries or physical trauma, and participation in high-intensity exercise without adequate focus on relaxation or recovery.
A history of painful periods, pain with intercourse, or ongoing pelvic pain can also contribute to increased pelvic floor muscle tone. From a pelvic floor physical therapist’s perspective, an overactive pelvic floor is extremely common—particularly among high-achieving, athletic, or naturally anxious individuals who are used to holding tension in their bodies.
When the pelvic floor has difficulty relaxing during birth, it can significantly impact the labor process. This tension may contribute to a longer pushing phase, difficulty coordinating effective pushing efforts, increased pelvic pain during labor, and a higher likelihood of perineal tearing or the need for an episiotomy. It can also make postpartum recovery more challenging. Learning how to relax the pelvic floor before labor begins can make a meaningful difference, supporting a smoother birth experience and promoting better recovery after delivery.
How to Relax the Pelvic Floor for Birth
Tip 1: Practice Diaphragmatic (360-Degree) Breathing
One of the most powerful and research-supported ways to relax the pelvic floor is diaphragmatic breathing, also known as deep belly or 360-degree breathing.
Why it works:
The diaphragm and pelvic floor move together
When you inhale deeply, the pelvic floor naturally lengthens and descends
This teaches your body how to relax instead of brace
Tip 2: Pelvic Floor Lengthening
While Kegels can be helpful in some situations, they are not always appropriate during pregnancy, especially if your pelvic floor is already tight. Instead, focus on pelvic floor lengthening exercises, such as:
Deep squats with breath
Child’s pose with wide knees
Happy baby pose
Supported deep lunge positions
These positions encourage the pelvic outlet to open and the pelvic floor muscles to gently stretch—similar to what they need to do during birth.
Tip 3: Visualization & Mind-Body Awareness
The pelvic floor is highly responsive to the nervous system. Stress, fear, and anticipation can cause involuntary muscle tightening. Visualization techniques can help:
Imagine the pelvic floor as a flower blooming or melting downward
Picture the sit bones widening as you breathe
Use affirmations focused on softness, openness, and release
From a PT standpoint, this mind-body connection is not “pseudoscience” it’s neuromuscular retraining, and it works.
Tip 4: Labor Positions That Encourage Pelvic Floor Relaxation
Certain positions reduce strain and promote pelvic floor relaxation during labor, including:
Side-lying
Hands and knees
Forward-leaning positions
Supported squatting
A pelvic floor PT can help you practice these positions ahead of time so they feel familiar and accessible during labor.
Why Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Is So Important for Birth Preparation
One of the most effective—and often underutilized—ways to learn how to relax the pelvic floor for birth is through pelvic floor physical therapy. While many birth preparation resources focus on strengthening and endurance, pelvic floor PT emphasizes balance, coordination, and the ability of the pelvic floor to both contract and fully relax when needed.
As pelvic floor physical therapists, we are specifically trained to evaluate how the pelvic floor is functioning as a whole. This includes assessing muscle tone, coordination, and flexibility, identifying areas of overactivity, weakness, or asymmetry, and teaching individualized strategies to promote relaxation. Pelvic floor PT also provides education on labor mechanics and pushing, helping patients understand what their muscles need to do during each phase of birth. When appropriate, we can also guide safe and evidence-based perineal preparation to support tissue mobility and confidence.
During pregnancy, a pelvic floor PT session is tailored to both the individual and their stage of pregnancy. Sessions often include a postural and breathing assessment to see how the pelvic floor works with the diaphragm and core, education on how the pelvic floor functions during labor and delivery, and external and/or internal muscle assessment (with full consent). A key focus is practicing how to relax the pelvic floor, not just tighten it, along with preparation for pushing and strategies to support postpartum recovery.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can be especially helpful for individuals who experience pelvic pain, tailbone pain, or hip discomfort; have pain with intercourse; struggle with relaxing or “letting go” of tension; feel anxious about tearing or pushing; or simply want a more informed and empowered birth experience.
Ultimately, pelvic floor physical therapy is not just about recovering after birth. It’s about preparing your body to work with the birth process, improving confidence, and supporting both a smoother delivery and a healthier recovery postpartum.
If you’re pregnant or planning to be, consider working with a pelvic floor PT to support your birth preparation and long-term pelvic health. Your pelvic floor deserves just as much attention as the rest of your body, especially during one of the most important events of your life.
Not sure if Pelvic PT is right for you? Click the button below to book your free 20-minute consult with one of our physical therapists to have all of your questions answered and see what pelvic pt will look like for you.
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