3 Practical Ways to Prepare for Natural Birth

One benefit of home birth is having access to a birth tub!

While swearing off epidurals might be your first step towards a natural birth, in my experience women need more support than a fear of epidural needles to get to the finish line of the labor marathon.

For most women, labor is a marathon and not a sprint. The average labor of a first time mom is roughly 18-24 hours. There are a variety of reasons to desire unmedicated birth: evidence supporting limited interventions and better postpartum outcomes, shorter pushing times, desire to be deeply connected to the experience, fear of the epidural placement, and chronic or congenital issues that take epidurals off the table to name merely a few.

But when when it comes down to actually making it through the labor marathon here are three practical ways to preparing for a natural birth through mind, body, and support system

1. Prepare Your Mind for the Intensity of Labor

Mental preparation for labor can be just as important as physical preparation. Many moms tell me they want a natural birth but worry they will not be able to do it because they are “low pain tolerance people.”. Former Navy SEAL and BUD/S instructor Andy Stumpf in an interviewdiscussed how the people who made it through Navy SEAL training were not always the people you would think: the athletes, the tough guys, or those with high pain tolerances.

Those who became SEALs were the men who could drown out the finish line, and focus solely on the task ahead of them. He said when people quit hard things, it is often not because their body has given out, it is because they become emotionally overwhelmed and start focusing on how far they are from the finish line instead of the next step in front of them.

“People really focus on neck down muscles,

you really need to focus on the neck up ones.” - Andy Stumpf

Contractions come in waves, and the key is learning how to stay present with the wave you are in instead of spiraling toward, “How much longer can I do this?”

This is where the mental training comes in. Practice it in the shower: turn the water to full cold and see how long you can withstand the discomfort by focusing on just taking the next breath. If you have learned a breathing technique you want to try in labor, practice it in the cold water or while holding an ice cube.

Instead of focusing on how far you are from delivery, practice asking:

• “Can I do this contraction?”

• “Can I soften my body for this breath?”

• “Can I get through the next 60 seconds?”

If you are in labor and start thinking about changing your plan, such as asking for an epidural, that does not mean you failed. It simply means the intensity is asking for your attention. One helpful strategy is to set a small goal to work towards

“I’m going to try five more contractions, then reassess.”

Or:

“Let’s try this comfort technique for the next five contractions, then I’ll decide.”

That small reset can help you make a decision from clarity instead of overwhelm. And if you still decide you want an epidural, that decision can be made with peace and not out of panic.

2. Prepare Your Body for Labor

In labor, the body is under the difficult task of simultaneously contracting the uterine muscles while softening and relaxing the pelvic floor to make room for baby. Preparing for both of these physical needs of labor is critical and shown to be beneficial in the data. A study from Andargie et al. even showed that routine exercise throughout pregnancy was associated with an “increased rate of normal delivery by 14% and a decreased rate of cesarean delivery by 34%” (2025).

Ways to prepare:

• regular pregnancy-safe activities: walking, swimming, or prenatal strength work

• stretching and mobility through yoga

• seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist

• chiropractic care when appropriate

• using positions from Spinning Babies to make space for baby

ACOG states that, in uncomplicated pregnancies, physical activity is safe and beneficial for most pregnant people, and pregnant patients are encouraged to begin or continue safe movement during pregnancy when there are no contraindications. This being said please consult your physician before beginning any exercise

Pelvic floor physical therapists are especially helpful for assessing tension, coordination, breathing patterns, and pushing mechanics. Often preparing for birth is not about making the pelvic floor “stronger” — it is about helping it learn how to relax, lengthen, and coordinate the muscles.

Chiropractic care, bodywork, and mobility also support comfort and alignment during pregnancy. While none of these tools can guarantee a certain birth outcome, they are supported by the data as being beneficial towards having a natural vaginal birth.

3. Prepare Your External Support Tools

When labor gets intense trying to come up with ideas as to what will be most comforting to you is nearly impossible. Even support people (spouse, partner, mom, sister etc) often struggle to come up with ideas, don’t know what options are available, or forget to implement things learned prior to labor in the intensity of seeing their loved one in pain. You do not want to be deciding from scratch what might help. You want a prepared toolkit of physical pain management techniques for labor.

That toolkit might include:

• counter pressure

• hip squeezes

• labor combs

• TENS unit

• Bath or shower (where available)

• music

• affirmations

• guided imagery

• breathing prompts

• position changes

ACOG supports comfort-focused, low-intervention approaches in labor, including education, hydration, positions of comfort, frequent position changes, and individualized support for low-risk laboring patients.

This is also where doula support can make a difference. A large Cochrane Review found that continuous labor support is associated with improved birth outcomes, including a lower likelihood of cesarean birth, less use of pain medication, and a greater likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth.

At The Elgin Doula, we do not just tell you to “just relax.” We help you and bring a variety of tools that work for your body in that moment. Sometimes that is a hip squeeze. Sometimes it is changing positions. Sometimes it is turning the lights down, starting music, and helping you return to one breath at a time..

The Bottom Line

Preparing for a natural birth is not about tough you are. It is about preparing wisely.

Train your mind to stay present.
Support your body before labor begins.
Build a toolkit of comfort measures and a team who knows how to use them.

The macro goal is meeting your baby.
The micro goal is this contraction, this breath, this moment.