The third trimester is when your body actively prepares for labor, and there are several evidence-based steps you can take to support a smoother vaginal delivery. From targeted exercises to dietary choices and practical planning, most of these strategies are simple daily habits you can start between weeks 28 and 36.
Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor With Kegels
Pelvic floor muscles do the heavy lifting during the pushing stage of labor, and strengthening them in advance makes a real difference in both endurance and recovery. Kegel exercises are the gold standard. To find the right muscles, try stopping your urine midstream. The muscles you feel squeezing around your urethra and anus are the ones you want to target.
Once you’ve identified them, practice when you’re not urinating. Squeeze and hold for 3 seconds, relax for 3 seconds, and repeat 10 to 15 times. Do this at least 3 sessions per day. You can do them sitting at your desk, lying in bed, or standing in line at the grocery store. Consistency matters more than intensity. Strong pelvic floor muscles also help reduce the risk of urinary incontinence after delivery.
Practice Squats for a More Open Pelvis
Squatting during labor opens the pelvic outlet and gives your baby more room to move through the birth canal. But holding a deep squat is hard if you haven’t practiced, so building this into your third trimester routine pays off. Even squatting for short periods during labor can help.
Start with supported squats: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold onto a chair or countertop for balance, and lower yourself as far as comfortable. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and rise slowly. As you get more comfortable, you can increase the hold time. If deep squatting feels uncomfortable on your knees or pelvis, a wider stance or using a birthing ball for support can help you find a position that works. The goal isn’t athletic performance. It’s getting your body familiar with the position so it feels natural when labor begins.
Start Perineal Massage at 34 Weeks
Perineal massage gently stretches the tissue between the vaginal opening and the anus, which is the area most likely to tear during delivery. Starting at 34 weeks and continuing through at least week 37 has been shown to reduce the risk of tearing, particularly for first-time mothers.
The recommended routine is about 5 minutes, three times a week. You or your partner can do it using a natural oil like olive or coconut oil. The technique involves inserting a thumb about an inch inside the vaginal opening and pressing downward toward the rectum with a gentle, sweeping U-shaped motion. It should feel like a stretching sensation, not pain. Over the weeks, you’ll notice the tissue becomes more flexible and the stretching sensation less intense.
Eat Dates in the Final Four Weeks
This one sounds unusual, but the research behind it is surprisingly consistent. Eating 6 dates per day during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy (starting around week 36) has been linked to better cervical ripening and a shorter early phase of labor. A study comparing 60 women who ate dates daily to 60 who didn’t found that date consumers had a notably shorter latent phase, which is the long, slow buildup before active labor kicks in.
Six dates is roughly equivalent to a small handful, about 70 to 80 grams. You can eat them plain, blend them into smoothies, or chop them into oatmeal. They’re calorie-dense, so if you have gestational diabetes, talk with your provider about whether this fits your meal plan.
Skip the Raspberry Leaf Tea Hype
Raspberry leaf tea is one of the most commonly recommended “natural” labor aids, but the evidence doesn’t support the claims. A thorough review of available research found no contractile effect on the uterine muscle, meaning it doesn’t reliably stimulate or strengthen contractions. There are no established guidelines for dosing, and raspberry extracts have been linked to drops in blood sugar, which is particularly risky if you have gestational diabetes. One study suggested a possible reduction in cesarean and forceps deliveries, but overall, there’s currently no evidence that women should take these preparations during pregnancy.
Stay Active With Daily Movement
Regular movement in the third trimester helps your baby settle into a head-down position, improves your stamina for labor, and reduces common late-pregnancy discomforts like swelling and back pain. Walking 20 to 30 minutes a day is one of the simplest and most effective options. Swimming and prenatal yoga are also excellent because they keep pressure off your joints while maintaining flexibility.
Pelvic tilts, done on hands and knees by gently arching and rounding your back, can relieve lower back pressure and encourage your baby into an optimal anterior position (facing your spine rather than your belly). Spending time on all fours, even just 10 to 15 minutes in the evening, uses gravity to help the baby rotate forward. This positioning can make a meaningful difference in how labor progresses.
Know What Active Labor Looks Like
For first-time mothers, active labor averages about 7.7 hours, with the pushing stage averaging 53 minutes. For women who’ve delivered before, those numbers drop to about 5.7 hours and 17 minutes respectively. These are averages, and healthy labors can run significantly longer without any problems.
The widely used 5-1-1 rule tells you when it’s time to head to the hospital: contractions 5 minutes apart, each lasting 1 minute, continuing consistently for at least 1 hour. Before that point, you’re likely in early labor, which can last many hours and is usually best spent at home where you can move freely, eat lightly, rest, and stay comfortable. Knowing this timeline helps you avoid arriving at the hospital too early, which often leads to more interventions simply because you’re there longer.
Write a Birth Plan That Reflects Your Priorities
A birth plan isn’t a contract. It’s a communication tool that helps your care team understand your preferences. For a delivery with minimal interventions, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests considering preferences like freedom to move around during labor, access to a birthing ball or squat bar, the option for a warm shower or bath during the first stage, dimmed lighting, and a quiet environment.
Other practical preferences to note: whether you want anesthesia offered only if you request it, whether you’d prefer to avoid an episiotomy unless necessary, and whether you’d like your baby placed directly on your chest after delivery for immediate skin-to-skin contact and early breastfeeding. Keep the plan to one page. Frame your preferences as requests rather than demands, and be prepared for flexibility. The value of a birth plan is that it starts a conversation with your provider weeks before labor begins, so there are no surprises on either side.
Don’t Skip Third Trimester Screening
One routine but important test happens between weeks 36 and 37: screening for Group B Streptococcus, a type of bacteria that about 25% of healthy women carry. It’s harmless to you but can cause serious infection in a newborn during vaginal delivery. The test is a simple swab, and if you test positive, you’ll receive antibiotics during labor to protect the baby. This is universal screening recommended by ACOG, not something triggered by symptoms or risk factors.
Keeping up with your regular prenatal visits in the third trimester also means your provider can monitor your baby’s position, your blood pressure, and any signs of complications like preeclampsia. These visits become more frequent in the final weeks, typically weekly from week 36 onward, and they’re one of the most straightforward things you can do to set yourself up for a healthy delivery.