How to Relax Your Pelvic Floor to Push!

The last thing you want to do while you’re pushing your baby out is create extra tension in your pelvic floor.

It’s helpful to remember that the jaw and the pelvic floor are connected. When you clench your jaw, your pelvic floor often responds by tightening too.

So in the pushing stage, try this: soften your face, unclench your jaw, and let your shoulders melt down. Take a slow breath in, then as you exhale, imagine sending your breath down and out through your pelvis, creating space for your baby to move.

Your breath also connects you to your deep core muscles, especially your transverse abdominals (TA). While your uterus is doing most of the work, you can support the process by gently engaging your TA—almost like giving your uterus a helping hand—to add more downward strength with each push.

Cue to practice now: “Take a breath in through your nose. As you breathe out, sigh the breath away and let your jaw soften. Feel your shoulders drop. Imagine the breath moving down, clearing the path for your baby.”