.png)
Prenatal Pelvic Floor PT: How to Prepare for a Healthier Birth
- Dr. Ben Moore
- Aug 28, 2025
- 4 min read
Preparing for childbirth involves more than packing a hospital bag and timing contractions. For expecting mothers, one of the most important — and often overlooked — areas of preparation is the pelvic floor. These deep muscles support the uterus and baby throughout pregnancy and play a key role in labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery.
Yet many women experience pelvic discomfort, bladder issues, or muscle tension without realizing there’s a proactive way to manage it. That’s where prenatal pelvic floor physical therapy comes in.
At Evo Performance Therapy in Nashville, TN, we help pregnant clients build awareness, mobility, and strength in the pelvic floor — all with the goal of supporting a healthier, more confident birth experience.
The Role of the Pelvic Floor in Pregnancy and Birth
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that act like a sling to support the bladder, uterus, and bowel. During pregnancy, these muscles work overtime — not only bearing the increasing weight of the baby, but also adapting to hormonal changes that affect tissue elasticity and joint stability.
When functioning well, the pelvic floor helps manage pressure during daily movement, supports the growing uterus, and contributes to spinal and pelvic stability. During birth, these muscles must be both strong and supple — able to stretch, release, and coordinate with the diaphragm for effective pushing.
Unfortunately, many women head into labor without any awareness of how their pelvic floor is functioning — or how to prepare it for delivery. Prenatal pelvic floor PT gives expecting moms the tools and guidance to improve awareness, function, and confidence well before labor begins.
Common Pelvic Floor Challenges During Pregnancy
As the body changes during pregnancy, the pelvic floor is under constant stress — and many women begin to experience symptoms that are often dismissed as “normal” but are actually signs of dysfunction.
Some of the most common issues include:
Pelvic pressure or heaviness, especially later in pregnancy
Urinary leakage, particularly when coughing, sneezing, or exercising
Low back pain or sacroiliac joint discomfort
Pain during movement or intimacy
Difficulty connecting to core muscles
These symptoms can stem from both muscular tension and weakness, and they often affect posture, stability, and confidence during daily activities. Left unaddressed, these challenges can also increase the risk of complications during delivery and make postpartum recovery more difficult.
At Evo Performance Therapy, we help clients recognize and treat these symptoms early — creating space for a more comfortable pregnancy and a more prepared body for labor.
How Prenatal Pelvic Floor PT Supports a Smoother Labor
One of the most impactful — yet underrated — benefits of prenatal pelvic floor physical therapy is its role in preparing the body for a more efficient and less stressful labor.
When the pelvic floor is functioning optimally, it works in coordination with the diaphragm and deep core muscles to support controlled, powerful pushing. A healthy pelvic floor is also better able to relax when needed, helping reduce resistance as the baby moves through the birth canal.
Prenatal PT helps with:
Improving pelvic mobility to support proper fetal positioning
Training relaxation techniques for more effective labor responses
Building strength and control to handle the demands of pushing
Reducing the likelihood of perineal tearing through manual techniques and breathwork
Boosting confidence and body awareness for labor and delivery
By learning how to activate — and more importantly, relax — the pelvic floor, expecting mothers can approach birth with greater control, less fear, and improved physical readiness.
At Evo Performance Therapy, we guide clients through these techniques in a supportive, one-on-one setting — helping them feel empowered, not overwhelmed.
What to Expect in a Prenatal Pelvic Floor PT Session
If you’ve never experienced pelvic floor physical therapy before, it’s natural to feel unsure about what to expect — especially during pregnancy. At Evo Performance Therapy, every prenatal session is designed to be safe, respectful, and personalized to your needs and comfort level.
Here’s what a typical session may include:
Movement and posture assessment to identify imbalances or areas of tension
Breathwork training to improve core coordination and pelvic floor control
Manual therapy to address tight or overactive muscles and improve tissue mobility
Pelvic floor muscle retraining, focusing on both activation and relaxation techniques
Education on labor prep, including pushing mechanics, birthing positions, and ways to reduce perineal strain
Each plan is tailored to your trimester, your symptoms, and your birth preferences. Whether you're preparing for a vaginal delivery or recovering from a previous birth experience, our team ensures your care is aligned with your goals.
At Evo, we empower expecting mothers to feel strong, informed, and physically prepared — not just for labor, but for the months of recovery that follow.
Why Evo Performance Therapy Is a Trusted Choice for Prenatal Care in Nashville
At Evo Performance Therapy, we believe prenatal care should go beyond routine checkups — it should include education, empowerment, and proactive support for every stage of pregnancy. That’s why our pelvic floor specialists work closely with expecting mothers to create care plans that are safe, effective, and uniquely tailored to their needs.
Our approach combines expert clinical knowledge with compassionate, one-on-one care. We focus on building trust, listening to your goals, and providing tools that support a stronger pregnancy, smoother delivery, and faster postpartum recovery.
Whether you’re navigating pelvic pain, preparing for your first birth, or simply want to feel more connected to your body during pregnancy, Evo is here to help.
With a performance-based mindset and whole-person focus, we support moms-to-be in moving, breathing, and birthing with greater confidence.