Cut Yourself Some SLACC: A Doula’s Guide to Breathing Through Labor
When labor gets intense, the SLACC method can help ground you in your breath, body, and with the people around you.
The SLACC method is a simple, memorable, and practical breathing framework to help you stay grounded during labor.
Here’s what SLACC stands for:
S – Surf the Surge
Contractions are waves. They rise, crest, and fall. You don’t need to brace for them — you can ride them. Your breath becomes the surfboard. When you breathe with the wave, rather than resist it, you create flow and rhythm in your labor.
L – Loose Muscles
Tension can slow things down and enhance discomfort. Any tension in your jaw, shoulders, hands, etc. is often a good mirror of what’s happening in your pelvis and cervix. Soften. Release. Release again…One more time. Let your body know it’s safe to open.
A – Alto Voice
Low, open sounds help you drop into your body and activate your parasympathetic nervous system. High, tight sounds often come from fear or resistance. Let each breath move all the way into your womb, and speak from there. If you sound like the ghost of Barry White/Louis Fitzgerald/your favorite grovel-y vocalist, you’re doing it right!
C – Communal Breathing
Labor is not a solo act. Whether you’re accompanied by your doula, your partner, a friend, or a family member — your birth team should be breathing and moving with you. Shared breath and vocalization builds connection and co-regulation. It reminds you that you’re not alone.
C – Connected Rhythm
A 4-count inhale followed by a 6- or 8-count exhale can be a powerful rhythm to settle into. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s presence. Your birth team can support you in staying connected to your breath by offering gentle guideposts: they might begin the inhale with a soft tap on your wrist, gliding their hand up your arm to your shoulder by the end of the inhale. The exhale might start with a tap on your shoulder and slowly trace back down to your wrist. Even the simplest touch can mark each breath and each surge, reminding you that you're not alone, and that every moment is worth honoring.
SLACC is a reminder that you don’t have to muscle your way through labor; your body is doing that for you. Your job in labor is to listen to and honor your body, to soften and ultimately surrender.
If you’re in NYC and looking for compassionate, grounded birth support — I’d be honored to walk with you. Reach out here to book a consult.
Stay soft. Stay steady. Stay SLACC.
