The Flower Bloom Breath 🌸 (A Gentle Breathing Tool for Birth Prep)

One of my favourite breathing tools to share with pregnant mamas is called the Flower Bloom Breath 🌸 — and no, you don’t need to be a meditation expert to do it.

This breath is all about helping your body soften and open for birth. It encourages pelvic floor relaxation, calms your nervous system, and can be incredibly helpful for managing labour sensations. Think of it as giving your body permission to let go.

I usually recommend practicing this daily for 3–4 weeks before your due date, and it works beautifully alongside perineal stretching too.

Here’s how it goes:

🌸 Start by taking a few slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.

🌸 As you inhale, imagine your ribcage gently expanding like a balloon. As you exhale, let it soften and deflate.

🌸 Notice your ribs moving in all directions — side to side, front to back, and even slightly upward.

🌸 Now imagine your perineum (that space between the vaginal opening and anus) softly blooming and fluffing open like a flower with each breath.

🌸 Check in with your jaw — are your teeth clenched? See if you can let your jaw relax, your lips part slightly, and your tongue soften.

🌸 Notice any tension in your cheeks, around your eyes, or across your forehead — and let it melt away.

🌸 Soften your throat. Imagine space and ease there.

🌸 Let the base of your ribcage and your breathing diaphragm soften and melt with each exhale.

🌸 Gently relax your sacrum, tailbone, pubic bone, and sit bones.

🌸 Scan the rest of your body — neck, shoulders, legs, feet — and invite any tension to release.

🌸 Whatever you notice is okay. There’s no “right” way to feel. If thoughts or judgments pop up, simply notice them and return to your breath.

You can repeat this breathing sequence as often as you like — during early labour, active labour, and even while pushing.

If you have questions about this technique or want more birth-prep support, please reach out. I’m here for you, mama 🌸

Mia Dang, PT, is a pelvic physiotherapist with extensive supplementary training in pelvic floor physiotherapy and perinatal care