Does prenatal yoga help with labor?

There’s a saying that the experience of birth prepares a person for the experience of motherhood — that the discomfort and unpredictability of birth prepare you for the discomforts and unpredictability of motherhood. And honestly? It’s true. The challenges don’t end with birth. They just…evolve.

In prenatal yoga, we’re doing more than just stretching. The entire experience of my six-week prenatal yoga series is intentionally shaped to help moms prepare for birth by tuning into their bodies and breath and learning how to regulate their nervous systems.

And of course — on top of that, the movement itself is grounded in Spinning Babies principles and physical birth prep. We focus on encouraging mobility in the pelvis (so baby has as much space as possible to move into and through during labor) and reducing common pregnancy discomforts like SI joint pain, low back pain, tension in the neck and shoulders, and tight hamstrings — just to name a few.

So what do these “nervous system regulating” practices actually look like?

Breath awareness

We spend time focusing on the breath in a very practical way. In class, we practice a variety of breathing techniques — here’s one example. We rest the body in a comfortable position where you’re fully supported and not using effort to hold yourself up. Then we inhale for a count of four and exhale for a count of eight.

In yoga, this is called Vishama Vritti. It’s also a core tool taught in Lamaze and Hypnobirthing (even if they don’t use the yogic name). This style of breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” response) reduces stress (which is important, because stress increases pain), and helps release muscle tension. Try it the next time you’re sitting in a stressful situation — most people notice a real difference pretty quickly.

Partner connection

Class five of the six-week series is my well-loved Comfort Measures for Labor class. This class is all about partners learning hands-on support techniques to use during labor, and it’s an essential part of the series — because oxytocin matters.

The most meaningful support person in the labor room is usually the partner. They have the greatest potential to bring a sense of safety, familiarity, and connection — all of which support oxytocin release. But partners also need to know what to do. That’s what this class is for.

We practice hands-on techniques that might otherwise feel unfamiliar or outside a partner’s comfort zone, so they feel natural and accessible in the moment. The goal is to help mom feel safe, supported, and grounded during labor — regulating her nervous system during intense moments when her instinct might otherwise be to tense up, fight, or shut down.

Sitting with discomfort

In yoga, there are moments of discomfort. Not pain — if something is painful, we don’t do it. But discomfort? Yes. Holding a stretch with strong sensation isn’t exactly “fun,” and yet it can be deeply regulating.

In class, when discomfort shows up, we notice what our bodies do in response. Are our teeth clenched? Shoulders creeping up toward our ears? Hands tight? Then we practice softening — relaxing the jaw, dropping the shoulders, unclenching the hands. That’s the work.

It’s about tuning into your own experience, noticing where you hold tension in response to discomfort, and intentionally letting it go. The same skill applies in labor. When we can soften our bodies through intense sensations, the entire experience becomes more manageable.

So yes — it really does come down to nervous system regulation. When we’re calm, grounded, and regulated, we can sit with discomfort, allow oxytocin to flow, and move through intensity with more ease. And we get there through intentional breath, supportive connection, and a relaxed, focused mind.