Reclaim Your Sacred Birth Story

• Difference between pain, discomfort, and pressure

• Natural ways to manage labor pain

• The role of mindset, breathing, and relaxation

1. Recognize

• What it means: Be aware of your contractions and the sensations in your body.

• Why it matters: Recognizing each contraction helps you respond instead of resisting, and lets your support team know how to help.

2. Relax

• What it means: Relax your muscles, jaw, shoulders, and hands during contractions.

• Why it matters: Tension can make pain worse and slow labor. Deep breathing, gentle focus, and letting your body soften helps labor progress.

3. Release

• What it means: Let go—physically and mentally—into the contraction instead of fighting it.

• Why it matters: Releasing tension allows your body to work efficiently, making each contraction more effective and helping you stay calm.

• Optimal labor positions for comfort and progress

• Using movement, walking, rocking, and changing positions

• Use of birth balls, stools, or support tools

• Partner-assisted massage techniques

• Counterpressure for back labor

• Handholding, comfort touch, and emotional support

• Using water for labor relief (showers, tubs)

• Creating a calming birth environment (lighting, music, scents)

• Temperature and sensory adjustments

Pelvic awareness is about understanding and connecting with your pelvic area—your muscles, joints, and how they move—so you can use this awareness during labor and birth to increase comfort and efficiency.

What it means:

• Paying attention to sensations in your pelvis, hips, and lower back.

• Noticing tension, tightness, or areas that feel relaxed.

• Being aware of how your body responds to movement, positions, or contractions.

Why it matters in labor:

• Better positioning: Helps you adjust your pelvis to ease labor pain and help baby descend.

• Improved comfort: Relaxing pelvic muscles can reduce back or hip pain.

• Effective pushing: Awareness of pelvic muscles supports better coordination during the pushing stage.

• Prevention of strain: Helps avoid unnecessary tension or injury during labor.

How to practice:

• Gentle pelvic tilts or rocking on hands and knees or a birth ball.

• Breathing into the lower belly and pelvic floor.

• Mindfully relaxing the hips and perineum during contractions.

• Noticing which positions feel most open and comfortable.