09/15/2025
One of my favorite (and often overlooked) ways to help progress labor is simple: bathroom breaks.
Once a client reaches active labor and the pressure builds in the pelvis, it’s common for them to feel like they need to use the restroom every few minutes. Instead of seeing this as an inconvenience, I see it as an opportunity because those bathroom trips are actually doing a lot of good for labor.
✨ Here’s why bathroom breaks help labor progress:
🚶🏽♀️Encourages movement: Getting in and out of bed, walking to the bathroom, and shifting positions naturally helps open the hips and create space for baby to descend.
🧘🏽♀️Pelvic floor relaxation: Sitting on the toilet (sometimes called the “dilation station” in birth work) instinctively relaxes the pelvic floor and sphincters, which can encourage more efficient contractions.
🧍🏽♀️Gravity & positioning: Being upright, even just for a short walk, uses gravity to help baby find an optimal position and move further into the birth canal.
🤰🏽Full bladder = slower labor: A full bladder can actually block baby’s descent and make contractions more uncomfortable. Emptying it frequently removes that barrier and allows more space in the pelvis.
🚽Mental reset: Stepping away from the birth space to a private, familiar place like the bathroom can help the client release tension and surrender more fully to the process.
📊 Fun fact: Research shows that frequent position changes and upright movement in labor can shorten the active phase by up to an hour and reduce the likelihood of interventions like Pitocin or assisted delivery.
So, when a client is in active labor and asking for yet another bathroom break? I say: “Perfect! Let’s go!” It’s one of the simplest, most effective tools for progress.
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