1️⃣ Prenatal movement + pelvic floor education
Learn how to connect to your core and pelvic floor through breath and intentional movement. This helps your body open and yield — not brace or fight — during birth.
You absolutely need to learn how to take a real diaphragmatic breath. To lengthen your PF, to relax your PF. To use your TVAs or deep core musculature. To use your voice & relax@tour ahead (because your jaw is directly correlated with your PF!!) Pushing is literally the athletic event of birth 💪🏻
2️⃣ Education, birth planning + implementation
Know what interventions can increase tearing risk (like directed pushing, perineal massage or certain positions).
If you plan on getting an epidural, make sure you can feel at least the pressure of pushing. Let your body do the work !!
3️⃣ Advocacy + labor support
You need people around you who make you feel safe — your partner, your doula, your provider.
Safety = relaxation, and relaxation allows your body to stretch naturally, not tear.
Practice role playing with your team for when the big day comes :)
PS your body tells you when to push- it’s an inexplainable feeling you cannot ignore! 🫶🏻
COMMENT PUSH PREP if you want more information on my 1-on-1 coaching programs ✨
Pushing during labor is a powerful athletic event, and preparing your body thoughtfully can make a significant difference. One crucial tip is mastering diaphragmatic breathing, which helps lengthen and relax your pelvic floor muscles instead of tensing them. This relaxation increases your body’s ability to open naturally, reducing the chance of tears even when delivering a larger baby. Using your transverse abdominis muscles (TVAs) or deep core can help support your pelvic floor and provide strength during pushing. Interestingly, your jaw tension is connected to your pelvic floor state, so consciously relaxing your jaw and voice can aid in overall pelvic relaxation. During birth planning, it’s important to be aware of interventions that might increase tearing risk. Directed pushing or certain positions can put extra strain on your perineum, so knowing alternatives and having a flexible birth plan can empower you to make choices that support tissue integrity. If you opt for an epidural, ensuring you can still feel pressure when pushing is important. When you can perceive the urge to push, your body can perform this act more naturally, and you can better time your efforts to work with your body rather than against it. Having a supportive team around you—whether it’s your partner, doula, or healthcare provider—is vital. Feeling safe and relaxed lowers stress hormones that cause muscles to tense and reduces the risk of tearing. Practicing role-play scenarios with your support team helps everyone be on the same page for the big day. Women who have successfully pushed out babies nearly 9 pounds unmedicated in just two pushes with no tearing often credit these techniques: focus on breathwork, pelvic floor education, understanding pushing signals from the body, and having a supportive birth environment. Remember, your body intuitively knows when to push, and respecting those signals while staying relaxed can make all the difference. Preparation with 1-on-1 coaching or birth education classes tailored to these principles can provide hands-on practice and personalized advice, increasing confidence and success in natural, tear-free delivery.
