Birth Preparation Classes

Birth preparation classes help you understand the birth process and learn how you can support your body through it. From a physiotherapist's perspective, the classes focus on how breathing relates to movement, on relaxation, on changing positions, and on your pelvic floor's ability to contract and let go. Moving and trying different positions during contractions can help you feel more comfortable. Breathing and pelvic floor coordination during the pushing stage are also part of the class. The content is tailored to your week of pregnancy, your needs and your healthcare team's recommendations.

Book an Appointment

Tuğçe Atalay

Birth Preparation Classes: Getting to Know Birth Through Breath, Movement and the Pelvic Floor

Body Awareness and Mind-Body Connection

In these classes, you practice noticing how your body responds to breathing, tension and relaxation. Through body awareness exercises, you learn to observe what you feel during birth and to move according to your needs.

Breath, Movement and the Pelvic Floor

We work on how your breath, your movement and your pelvic floor muscles coordinate with one another. By trying different positions and practicing contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor, you discover the options that feel comfortable for you.

Physical Preparation for Labor and Birth

Beyond sharing information about birth, the classes make room for hands-on, physical experience. With breathing, relaxation and movement exercises, you get to practice in advance the skills you can use during labor. The World Health Organization also supports the use of methods such as breathing, relaxation and movement during labor, according to the woman's preference.

Would you like information or an appointment?

Book an Appointment

Common and Treatable

A 2025 study found that people who attended antenatal education had a lower fear of childbirth.

"I want to better understand what will happen in my body during birth."

"I want to try out which birth positions might feel comfortable for me."

"I don't know how to relax my pelvic floor muscles."

Zaman A, Fadlalmola HA, Ibrahem SE, ve ark. The role of antenatal education on maternal self-efficacy, fear of childbirth, and birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Midwifery. 2025;9:13.

Birth Preparation Classes FAQ

What do you learn in birth preparation classes?

The classes cover how your diaphragm moves as you breathe in and out and how it coordinates with your pelvic floor muscles. Through body awareness exercises, you learn to feel these movements and experience how you can use your breath, your pelvic floor and other parts of your body during labor contractions.

How do the diaphragm and pelvic floor work together when you breathe?

When you breathe in, your diaphragm moves down, and your pelvic floor follows this movement by lengthening and relaxing. When you breathe out, your diaphragm rises and your pelvic floor returns to its starting position. In class, we don't just talk about this coordination; we help you notice it in your own body.

Do I need to squeeze my pelvic floor during a contraction?

A contraction is the work of your uterine muscles; you don't need to squeeze your pelvic floor separately with each contraction. In class, we practice continuing to breathe without holding your breath during a contraction and softening your pelvic floor as much as possible. The stage of labor and your healthcare team's guidance also shape what you do in the moment.

How should I breathe during contractions?

There is no single breathing technique that works for everyone. In class, we practice noticing your breath, keeping it flowing without holding it, and finding ways of breathing out that feel comfortable for you. Breathing and relaxation techniques can be used during labor according to your own preference.

How does the pelvic floor work during pushing?

During the pushing stage, uterine contractions and your body's urge to push work together. In class, we focus on getting to know your pelvic floor muscles and experiencing relaxation; during birth itself, the timing and way you push are guided by your body's signals and your healthcare team.

Do the classes cover birth positions and movement?

Yes. By trying different positions and movements, you can notice which ones feel more comfortable for your body. Movement and choice of position during labor may vary depending on your needs in the moment, your health and your birth team's recommendations.

Do I need to memorize a specific birth position or technique?

No. By trying different positions and movements, you discover which ones feel more comfortable for your body. During labor, your choice of position depends on your needs in the moment, your health and your birth team's recommendations.

Are pelvic floor exercises only about strengthening the muscles?

No. In class, we focus on feeling the muscles, contracting them when needed and then being able to relax them. When preparing for birth, understanding how your pelvic floor functions goes well beyond simply practicing squeezing.