❌ You've maybe been told that holding your breath and bearing down as hard as you can is just part of giving birth. This is the ONLY way babies are born.

But while this is a common pushing strategy, it’s not always the best one for your pelvic floor or overall birth experience.

✅ Instead of going along with forceful pushing, here’s what you try FIRST to work with your body for a gentler birth!

✨Gentle = less risk for injury and all the unwanted postpartum symptoms.

What can I do differently?

✔️Know What Open-Glottis Pushing Actually Is

Your birth class may mention “open-glottis” or “open-throat” pushing, but then they don’t actually teach you how to do it or WHAT it feels like in your body.

✨This technique allows for a gentler, more controlled descent of your baby, reducing strain on your pelvic floor. Practice it now so it feels natural when the time comes!

✔️ Focus on Deep, Steady Breaths

The instinct in intense moments (like birth) is often to hold your breath and tense up 😖.

And usually, the birth team (especially in a hospital birth) will most likely encourage you to hold your breath for 10 seconds and bear down as hard as you can.

✨🌬️ But breathing deeply and steadily helps release your pelvic floor muscles rather than clenching them. A relaxed jaw and pelvic floor allows your baby to descend with less strain and pressure, reducing the risk of tearing.

✔️ Wait Until You Feel the Urge to Push (or Ask About Laboring Down with an Epidural)

Many birth settings encourage pushing as soon as you reach 10 cm, even if your body isn’t signaling that it’s time.

✨If you’re unmedicated, waiting for the natural urge to push can make the process faster and reduce unnecessary stress on your tissues.

✨If you have an epidural, requesting to “labor down” gives your body extra time to move baby downward without extra force, meaning less energy spent on pushing and often a smoother delivery.

🚨 There are risks and benefits to laboring down with an epidural, so make sure you discuss with your birth team ahead of time!

✔️ Use Gravity to Your Advantage 

Many hospital births default to pushing while lying on your back, which actually narrows baby's exit and requires you to push...uphill! Absurd.

✨Positions like hands-and-knees, side-lying, or even a supported squat can create more space in the pelvis, reducing the need for forceful pushing and lowering the risk of tearing.

Work with your birth team to find positions that support both you and your baby.

🚨💔 These are the things typical birth classes just aren't talking about and you deserve to know.

💡If you're ready to learn how to protect your pelvic floor, reduce tearing, and navigate birth with confidence, I cover all of this in detail (and more!!) in my step-by-step Pelvic Floor Protection Plan, so you can go into birth knowing exactly what to do and when.