Relax Your Jaw, Relax Your Birth: The Fascial Connection Between Your Mouth and Pelvic Floor
If you’ve ever clenched your jaw when you’re stressed, you’ve probably also noticed tension creep into your shoulders, neck, or abdomen. But did you know that your jaw and pelvic floor are deeply connected—and that learning to soften your jaw might actually help you have a smoother, less painful birth?
As a doula, one of my favorite things to share with clients is how the muscles and fascia of your upper body (jaw, neck, shoulders) connect to your pelvic floor—and how releasing one can help release the other. Understanding this connection is especially important for people with overactive pelvic floors (which often show up in athletes, people with TMJ, chronic tension, or trauma patterns).
Let’s explore how the body is wired, what the research says, and how you can use this knowledge to support an easier labor and a more comfortable birth.
The Fascial Web: One Continuous Body
Your body is wrapped in fascia—a stretchy, fibrous tissue that surrounds and connects your muscles, organs, and bones. It’s like a web or bodysuit running from head to toe.
When one area of your fascia tightens, tension can radiate through the system. That’s why tight shoulders can affect your posture, or why clenching your jaw might contribute to pelvic tension.
A specific anatomical connection—called the deep front line, identified by fascia expert Tom Myers—runs from your:
Tongue and jaw
Through your neck and diaphragm
Down the psoas and core
Into the pelvic floor and inner thighs
So when you clench your jaw or tense your shoulders, you’re often unknowingly sending a ripple of tension down toward your pelvic floor. In labor, this can lead to resistance, ineffective pushing, and even increased tearing risk.
The Nervous System Connection: Fight, Flight, or Flow
The connection between your jaw and pelvic floor is also neurological.
Both areas are wired into the autonomic nervous system—the part of your brain that controls unconscious functions like digestion, heartbeat, and stress responses. When you feel anxious or unsafe, your body can enter a “fight-or-flight” state. This often shows up as:
Jaw clenching
Shoulder tightening
Pelvic gripping
Shallow breathing
In contrast, when you feel safe, relaxed, and grounded, your body shifts into a “rest-and-digest” state. In this state, muscles soften, oxytocin flows, and labor tends to progress more smoothly.
That’s why softening your face, jaw, and neck can send a powerful safety signal to your brain—and help your pelvic floor let go.
Why This Matters for Birth
During labor, your baby needs your pelvic floor to be both responsive and flexible—not tight and resistant.
If the pelvic floor is too tense, it can:
Slow down baby’s descent
Increase pain or a sensation of “stuckness”
Prolong second stage (pushing)
Contribute to tearing or the need for interventions
That’s why pelvic health physical therapists often work on a client’s jaw and upper body to support pelvic floor relaxation—especially in people with overactive pelvic floors (often seen in dancers, runners, lifters, and those with trauma histories).
The body doesn’t need to be forced open. It needs to feel safe enough to release.
Simple Ways to Soften Your Jaw and Pelvic Floor
The good news? There are gentle, powerful ways to support this connection during pregnancy and labor.
1. Practice “Soft Jaw, Soft Pelvis” Daily
Try this a few times a day:
Inhale through your nose
Exhale with a sigh through your mouth, letting your jaw hang loose
As you sigh, imagine your pelvic floor softening or melting downwards
Bonus: hum, moan, or make “ahhh” sounds—this activates your vagus nerve and promotes deeper relaxation
2. Relax Your Face in Labor
During a contraction, scan your face:
Soften your eyebrows, forehead, lips, and jaw
Unclench your teeth
Gently shake or wiggle your jaw
Keep your mouth open—even a “horse breath” or loose lips can encourage a relaxed pelvic floor
3. Use Bodywork or Pelvic Floor Therapy
If you suspect you have a hypertonic (overactive) pelvic floor, working with a pelvic floor physical therapist during pregnancy can help identify tension patterns early.
Craniosacral therapy, jaw massage, and neck/shoulder release work can also support full-body softness.
The Research and Evidence
The deep front line (Myers, 2001) outlines the fascial continuity between the jaw, tongue, diaphragm, and pelvic floor.
Studies have shown that hypertonic pelvic floor muscles can lead to dysfunctional labor patterns and longer second stages (Bo et al., 2017).
Pelvic health therapists frequently assess the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and recommend jaw release to help downregulate the pelvic floor (Simons & Travell, 1999).
Open mouth vocalization (like moaning, humming, or sighing) has been found to improve pain coping and parasympathetic activation during labor (Simkin & Bolding, 2004).
Final Thoughts
The way you hold tension in your face and shoulders doesn’t just live in your upper body—it can ripple all the way down to your core and pelvic floor. By learning to soften your jaw, breathe deeply, and trust your body’s design, you support a birth process that’s more intuitive, less tense, and more efficient.
Remember, you don’t have to push harder—you may just need to soften more.
Your body already knows how to open. Your job is to create the space for it to do so.
References
Myers, T. (2001). Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists. Elsevier.
Simkin, P., & Bolding, A. (2004). Update on nonpharmacologic approaches to relieve labor pain and prevent suffering. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 49(6), 489–504.
Bo, K., et al. (2017). Pelvic floor muscle function and dysfunction in relation to labor outcomes. International Urogynecology Journal, 28(9), 1301–1309.
Simons, D. G., Travell, J. G., & Simons, L. S. (1999). Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Tiran, D. (2008). Complementary therapies in maternity care: An evidence-based approach. Nursing Standard, 22(25), 35–41.
