Pregnancy

5min

Second Trimester Birth Prep Tips: Movement, Mindset & Strength

Nancy Anderson

September 25, 2025

Why Birth Prep Matters in the Second Trimester

The second trimester is often called the “sweet spot” of pregnancy, energy usually returns, nausea fades, and your body is adapting to its growing baby in new ways. But this is also the ideal time to start second trimester birth prep.

Why? Because building awareness of your body, training the right muscles, and learning strategies now gives you time to feel confident, capable, and calm as labor approaches.

At Natal, our Labor Prep Program is designed to meet you here, helping you build strength, release tension, and understand what’s happening inside your body. Whether you’re preparing for a vaginal delivery, hoping for a VBAC, or simply wanting to feel more empowered about birth, the second trimester is when you can set the foundation.

👉 Want guided step-by-step routines? Explore the Labor Prep Program in the Natal app and get started today.

The Core Formula for Second Trimester Birth Prep

When you think “birth prep,” don’t just think about cardio or squats. True preparation is a system that includes:

Mobility: Keeping the pelvis, ribs, and spine flexible so baby has space to move.
Strength: Training glutes, hips, and posture muscles to support alignment during pregnancy and delivery.
Breathwork: Using the diaphragm, ribcage, and pelvic floor in sync to manage pressure and guide you through contractions.
Release Work: Easing tension in the pelvic floor, hip flexors, and back to help baby descend smoothly.
Mindset & Education: Understanding what’s happening in labor and feeling empowered with options for pushing, positions, and interventions.

This holistic approach is what transforms preparation from “random workouts” to science-based strategies that actually support labor and recovery.

Movement: Training for Birth in the Second Trimester

Breath Work for Core + Pelvic Floor Connection

Breath training isn’t just about relaxation, it’s your first step in core and pelvic floor coordination.

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Expands the ribcage, reduces tension, and improves oxygen flow.
Pelvic Floor Drops + Engagements: Teaches you how to both release and gently activate, skills you’ll need in labor and postpartum recovery.
Breathwork in Labor Positions: Practicing breath in side-lying, hands-and-knees, or squat positions sets your body up for real-life scenarios.

👉 Inside our program: three progressive breathwork sessions to guide you through these skills step-by-step.

Mobility for Pelvis + Ribs

A flexible pelvis helps baby move through the birth canal more smoothly. In the second trimester, focus on:

Upper Body Mobility: Foam roller thoracic extensions, banded rib openers. These help breathing mechanics and reduce rib cage stiffness.
Lower Body Mobility: Hip openers, adductor stretches, and glute releases that keep the pelvis balanced.
Total Body Mobility Flows: Combining spine, hips, and shoulders for alignment across the whole system.

This isn’t about being “bendier”, it’s about creating the right mobility for labor efficiency.

Strengthening for Support

Labor is physical work. The stronger and more balanced your body is, the more stamina and alignment you’ll bring to birth. Key areas to train include:

Glutes + Hips: Bridges, side-lying clams, banded squats. Strong glutes stabilize the pelvis and reduce low back pain.
Posture Muscles: Rows, wall slides, band pull-aparts. These keep shoulders stacked and reduce the strain of carrying baby.
Core (Pregnancy-Safe): TVA activations, dead bugs with breath, and controlled anti-rotation drills that train pressure management instead of crunches.

👉 Our Labor Prep library gives you guided strength and mobility routines, designed with pregnancy in mind, no guesswork, just safe progressions.

Release Work to Reduce Tension

Tight muscles create resistance during birth. Release work in the second trimester teaches your body to let go when it needs to.

Pelvic Floor Release with Ball: Using a yoga block or small ball to relax overactive pelvic floor muscles.
Hip Flexor Release: Foam rolling and gentle holds to ease the tension that often builds as your bump grows.
Pelvis Release: Myofascial techniques for the psoas, glutes, and paraspinals to restore balance in the whole pelvic system.

Learning release now means you’ll be better able to soften and open when it matters most.

Birth education program to prepare for labor and delivery

Mindset: Preparing Mentally for Birth

Labor isn’t just physical, it’s deeply mental. The second trimester is the right time to start cultivating calm and confidence.

Understand the Stages of Labor

When you know what’s happening at each stage, how baby moves down, how contractions shift, how to breathe through the waves, you remove fear and step into labor informed.

👉 In our Educational Birth Program, we break down the stages of labor with visuals, expert guidance, and strategies you can actually use.

Practice Pushing Positions

If planning for a vaginal birth: squatting, side-lying, hands-and-knees, or leaning forward on a ball, different pushing positions create different amounts of pelvic space. Practicing them now helps you feel comfortable moving between them later.

Build Your Support Team

Who will advocate for you in the room? What positions feel safest? What coping strategies help you stay grounded? Second trimester is the time to communicate with your partner, doula, or provider so your birth plan feels like a team effort.

pregnancy strength training program for 2nd trimester

Strength: Building Resilience for Birth

The word “strength” in birth prep isn’t just about lifting weights. It’s about building resilience, physically and emotionally.

Physical Strength: Endurance in your legs, balance in your hips, mobility in your pelvis.
Emotional Strength: Confidence in your knowledge, calmness in your breath, readiness for unexpected turns.
Postpartum Strength: Knowing that the work you’re doing now sets up your recovery later, making the return to movement smoother.

👉 Join the Natal App Labor Prep Program to start layering movement, release, and mindset into a routine you’ll actually enjoy and benefit from.

Sample Weekly Schedule for Second Trimester Birth Prep

If you’re wondering how this fits into your week, here’s a sample from our Labor Prep plan:

Blended with other fitness:

Mon – Strength or cardio workout of your choice
Tues – Labor Prep: Breath Work + Total Body Mobility
Wed – Strength or cardio workout
Thurs – Labor Prep: Pelvic Floor Release + Lower Body Mobility
Fri – Strength or cardio workout
Sat – Labor Prep: Total Body Stretch
Sun – Rest

Labor Prep–focused:

Mon – Breath Work 1 + Total Body Mobility
Tues – Pelvic Floor Release + Lower Body Mobility
Wed – Breath Work 2 + Total Body Mobility
Thurs – Pelvis Release + Upper Body Mobility
Fri – Total Body Stretch
Sat – Breath Work 3
Sun – Rest

This balance keeps you active, flexible, and labor-ready without burning out.

How Our Programs Support You

Labor Prep Program (Best for vaginal or VBAC prep): Movement + mindset routines to prepare your body for the demands of labor.
Educational Birth Program (Best for all moms): Covers everything that happens in labor: unmedicated, medicated, inductions, C-sections, even complications, so you feel informed and empowered no matter your birth path.

👉 Download the Natal app for free today and choose the path that best supports your journey.

Final Thoughts

Second trimester birth prep isn’t about doing “more workouts.” It’s about intentional preparation teaching your body and mind to work together for labor, delivery, and recovery. By combining breath, mobility, release, and education, you’re not just preparing for one day, you’re preparing for the transition into motherhood with strength and confidence.

Your baby’s birthday will be one of the most powerful moments of your life. Start preparing now so you can step into it feeling informed, empowered, and strong!