04/25/2026
This cannot possibly be overstated -
If you have not learned what muscles to push from or how to properly engage the core while relaxing the pelvic openings, it will make laboring longer and likely more painful. There are a TON of great resources available to help you get through that before the third trimester, but my favorite is scheduling a Pelvic Floor PT appointment for before birth and after birth.
The other piece of this puzzle is your nervous system. If your nervous system is ruminating through a lot of fear or anxiety (which are both very big and VERY valid emotions for pregnancy and birth), then you may be sending mixed signals to the pelvic muscles during the labor process which will cause them to tighten and, again, make labor a longer, more painful process.
Doing things like Hypno-Birthing, meditative practices, or even peri-natal therapy is a MUST if you are struggling with these big feelings so that you can regulate and work through them before you get to the birth.
These two pieces are, in my opinion, the most important pieces of the birthing journey and will make the day of feel more affirming to your body and your mental health.
