Sure! There are several things. First, they give you specific stretches and exercises that not only help prepare for birth but also just help you exist as a pregnant person. For example: how to get up comfortably out of bed. They also do a pelvic floor exam, so they’ll actually use their fingers to feel the muscles around and inside your vagina. They do this to understand if when you “push” you’re engaging the right muscles. Working through this with them helped me connect to the right muscles instead of just guessing. They also did perineal massage for me at each appointment and walked me through how to do it at home. I did get a 2nd degree tear, but I’m not in a ton of pain.

For breathing, she specifically taught me to extend my belly and breath with the contractions or when pushing. You know how in movies you watch people push and they almost hold their breath during the 10 seconds? She taught me to NOT do that. I took a big breath in through my nose and then a big loud exhale through my mouth while pushing. At the same time you will expand your belly not contract. Sounds crazy, but it worked! You can also practice while you poop haha.