Birth Preparation
Helping women have an informed and wonderful birth through our Prepare For Birth Plan!
Prepare Your Body for Birth
Most birth preparation focuses on what to expect during labor.
Pelvic floor physical therapy focuses on how to prepare your body for it.
At Evolve Physical Therapy, our birth prep program is designed to help you better understand your body, improve comfort during pregnancy, and feel more prepared going into delivery and recovery.
What Is Pelvic Floor Birth Preparation?
Your pelvic floor plays a key role during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery.
A birth prep program with a pelvic floor physical therapist helps you:
- Learn how to relax and lengthen the pelvic floor for delivery
- Coordinate breathing, core, and pushing
- Improve mobility to support labor positions
- Reduce strain on your body during pregnancy
- Prepare for recovery after birth
This is individualized care based on your body, not a one-size-fits-all class.
How This Differs From Traditional Birth Classes
Traditional classes are valuable for understanding the stages of labor, hospital procedures, and general expectations.
Pelvic floor PT adds a different layer by focusing on:
- Your specific movement patterns and mobility
- Muscle coordination and control
- Physical preparation for pushing and delivery
- Addressing pain or tightness during pregnancy
Many women find that combining both approaches helps them feel more prepared overall.
What We Work On During Birth Prep
Your sessions are one-on-one and tailored to you. Depending on your needs, we may focus on:
- Breathing strategies for labor and pushing
- Pelvic floor relaxation and control
- Positions that support more efficient labor
- Perineal massage education
- Hip and pelvic mobility
- Managing common pregnancy discomforts
The goal is to give you tools you can actually use during labor and recovery.
What Does Our Prepare For Birth Plan Look Like?
Initial Visit:
- Review of Medical History
- Education on labor and delivery (L&D)
- Discuss your birth preferences
- Review of pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms/pregnancy related discomfort
- Complete an orthopedic evaluation and treatment
- Personalized home exercise program to begin preparing for labor/delivery.
Visit 2:
- Pelvic floor internal examination
- Teach you how to coordinate pelvic floor for lengthening and expansion
- Learn how to complete perineal massage to decrease tearing during delivery
- Learn L&D position options and how to push effectively
- Continued hands on treatment to optimize baby positioning
- Hands-on manual therapy to manage pregnancy related discomfort.
Visit 3:
- Continued hands on treatment to optimize baby positioning
- Manage pregnancy related discomfort and improve pelvic floor flexibility
- Education on spontaneous vs. induced labor
- Learn how to complete Miles Circuit & Spinning Babies Daily 3.
- Learn pain management options including TENS unit & partner-assisted techniques
- Education on C-sections
- Preparing an abdominal birth preferences plan
Visit 4:
- Continued hands on treatment to optimize baby positioning
- Manage pregnancy related discomfort, and improve pelvic floor flexibility
- Education on immediate postpartum expectations for vaginal or abdominal delivery
- Education on postpartum self-image and mental health
- Education on pelvic floor, core, and upper/lower body exercises to start with from day 0- week 2.
Visit 5:
- Continued hands on treatment to optimize baby positioning
- Manage pregnancy related discomfort, and improve pelvic floor flexibility
- Education on postpartum recovery essentials for the birthing person to have stocked
- Education on parenting body mechanics to reduce stress/strain during childcare tasks
- Planning return for postpartum pelvic floor PT at 2 weeks after delivery and expectations for recovery timeline.
Potential Benefits of Birth Preparation
Every pregnancy and delivery is different, but pelvic floor birth prep may help:
- Improve coordination for pushing
- Support more efficient labor
- Reduce risk of excessive strain or tearing
- Decrease pregnancy-related pain
- Improve confidence going into delivery
- Support smoother postpartum recovery
When Should You Start?
Many women begin birth preparation in the second or early third trimester (around 22–28 weeks), especially if there is no current pain.
If you are experiencing discomfort, earlier support can also be helpful.
What to Expect at Evolve
- 1-on-1 sessions with a Doctor of Physical Therapy
- A personalized plan based on your body and goals
- Education you can apply during labor
- Ongoing support as your pregnancy progresses
Our approach is collaborative, supportive, and focused on helping you feel informed and prepared.
Our Approach
At Evolve, we aim to provide care that is:
- Individualized
- Evidence-based
- Focused on long-term outcomes
- Supportive of both performance and recovery
We work with a wide range of women—from first-time moms to those looking for a different experience after a previous birth.
Ready to Prepare For Birth?
If you’re interested in preparing your body for birth or have questions about whether this is a good fit, we’re happy to help.
Birth Prep Blogs Written By Our Birth Prep Specialists!
Birth Prep In 3rd Trimester - What Does It Include?
