02Week by Week
Your Week by Week Guide to Birth Ready
Each week builds on the previous session, giving you opportunities to learn new concepts, practice techniques, and develop a better understanding of your body as you prepare for birth.
Week 1: Know Your Body
Your first session focuses on understanding your body during pregnancy, with an emphasis on pelvic health and the role of the pelvic floor.
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that support your pelvic organs and contribute to bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and core stability. These muscles also play an important role during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery.
What to expect:
- An introduction to pelvic floor anatomy and function
- A better understanding of how your pelvic floor supports your body
- Education about common pelvic health changes during pregnancy
- Opportunities to ask questions about your individual concerns
Week 2: Breathe, Relax & Manage
Breathing and relaxation can be valuable tools during labor. This week focuses on developing awareness of your breathing patterns, managing tension, and exploring ways to respond to the physical demands of childbirth.
Rather than focusing only on strengthening your pelvic floor, birth preparation also involves learning how to relax and coordinate these muscles.
What to expect:
- Breathing techniques for relaxation and body awareness
- Strategies for recognizing and reducing unnecessary muscle tension
- An introduction to coordinating breathing with pelvic floor movement
- Practical techniques you can continue practicing at home
Week 3: Prepare Your Pelvis
This week focuses on pelvic mobility, movement, and understanding how your pelvis and surrounding muscles contribute to comfort and function.
Your hips, pelvis, abdominal muscles, and pelvic floor work together as part of a coordinated system. Learning how these areas move and interact can help you explore different positions and strategies for managing discomfort during pregnancy and preparing for birth.
What to expect:
- Education about pelvic movement and function
- An introduction to comfortable pelvic mobility exercises
- Strategies for recognizing and managing tension around the hips and pelvis
- Discussion of how positioning and movement may support labor
Week 4: Labor Movement & Comfort
Movement and positioning can be important tools during labor. Different positions may help you manage discomfort, respond to your body’s needs, and work with your birth team’s recommendations.
This session explores ways to move through labor, change positions, and find comfort strategies that work for you.
What to expect:
- Exploration of different labor positions
- Movement strategies for comfort and mobility
- Techniques for working with your breathing during contractions
- Ideas for how a support person may assist with comfort and positioning
Week 5: Birth & Pushing
This session focuses on understanding the pushing stage of labor, including the role of breathing, pelvic floor coordination, and positioning.
You’ll explore how your body may respond during this stage and learn about different approaches to pushing.
What to expect:
- Education about the pushing stage of labor
- Discussion of breathing and pelvic floor coordination
- An introduction to different pushing positions and strategies
- Opportunities to ask questions about birth and delivery
Week 6: Preparing for Birth & Beyond
Birth preparation doesn’t end when your baby arrives. The postpartum period brings its own physical changes, recovery needs, and adjustments.
The final session brings together what you’ve learned throughout the course while looking ahead to birth and life after delivery.
What to expect:
- An overview of common postpartum physical changes
- Education about pelvic floor recovery after birth
- Discussion of bladder and bowel changes, pelvic discomfort, and core recovery
- Guidance on recognizing when additional pelvic health support may be helpful
- An opportunity to ask questions about preparing for the postpartum period
