How to Make Labor Easier: The One Thing Most Birth Prep Misses

Let me start by saying easier doesn’t necessarily mean easy!
Labor is literally that, hard work.

But I do believe that the right preparation beforehand can make a world of difference—you might even say the right preparation can make labor easier 😉.

And I think there’s one really important piece of birth prep that gets overlooked:

We spend so much time learning about labor that we forget to practice for it.

You've probably been told to learn your breathing techniques.

Learn labor positions.
Write your birth plan.
Take the childbirth class.
Maybe you've even saved a dozen Instagram posts about what to do during contractions.

But here's the question:

Have you actually practiced what you'll do when things get hard?

Because knowing what to do and being able to access that tool when you're uncomfortable are two very different things.What happens when things get hard?

What does “practice actually mean?

It's simple:

1. NOTICE

First, notice what your body does when things get hard.

Do you hold your breath? Clench your jaw? Tighten your pelvic floor? Freeze? Immediately want to get away from the sensation?

None of these responses are wrong. They're just information.

2. TRY A TOOL

Then, try something that helps you respond the way you want to.

Maybe that's slowing your breath, softening tension, moving, making sound, changing positions, or shifting your focus.

You're experimenting—not trying to find the one perfect technique.

3. REPEAT

Then do it again.

And again.

Because the goal isn't to magically become someone who stays calm through every contraction.

It's to become familiar with your own patterns and have tools you already know you can reach for when things get intense.

Want to actually practice this?

I've created a FREE 30-minute Practice for Labor Starter Session where I'll guide you through manageable physical intensity while you experiment with different labor coping tools.

I learned this the hard way.

Before my first birth, I prepared in all the typical ways.

And I still ended up with a failed epidural, four hours of pushing, and a birth experience that left me with a lot of trauma.

The second time around, I did something different.

I still hated contractions. In fact, I experienced some of the most intense pain I'd ever felt.

But I didn't panic.

I had practiced how I wanted to respond when things got hard.

I had a positive, unmedicated birth—and pushed for just four contractions.

The difference wasn't that my second labor was easy.

It was that I had practiced what I wanted to do when it got hard.

You can read more about my birth experiences here if you want to.

Imagine getting to labor and already knowing:

When I'm uncomfortable, I tend to hold my breath.
I know I clench my jaw.
I know movement helps me.
I know a long exhale helps me soften.
I know I have a few tools I can try when things get intense.

That's a very different feeling than simply knowing you're “supposed to breathe through contractions.”

You don't need to know exactly how your labor will go.

You don't need to stay calm through every contraction.

You don't need to have the perfect birth plan.

You just want somewhere to go when things get hard.

That's what practice gives you.

And you don't have to figure out that practice by yourself.

Maybe you're thinking:

Okay...but how do I actually practice this?

That's exactly why I created the Practice for Labor Starter Session.

It's a free 30-minute class where I'll guide you through manageable physical intensity and help you experiment with breathing, movement, mindset, and coping tools.

You don't have to decide what to practice.

I'll guide you through it.