Exercises » Breathing for Birth
‘Life begins with the first breath and ends with the last.
But it is how we breathe in between which greatly influences
how well we live in this life’.
Nancy Zi The Art of Breathing
The Importance of Breathing
The obvious one is that breathing keeps you alive! Our respiratory engineering system obtains oxygen from the air and releases waste carbon dioxide out via our lungs.
Oxygen nourishes your every cell and is vital for optimum health and performance; and for the healthy development and survival of your baby
Understanding Breathing
Although the lungs are the major organ of breathing, it is the diaphragm that controls the process. The muscular diaphragm is shaped like a dome and relaxes and contracts for rhythmic movement. Breathing is 3 dimensional .Your ribs and chest expand forwards, outwards
and your and spine backwards
Breathing allows you to both mentally and physically cleanse and release tension with every exhalation and nourish and invigorate with every inhalation
Breathing for Birth
Breathing is an amazingly powerful tool for Birth
During labour deep breathing is a wonderful way to replenish your oxygen stores to both you and your baby. The exercise of deep breathing in labour relaxes muscles and improves blood flow.
The uterus when fully pregnant is a huge muscle and during a labour contraction uses up massive amounts of oxygen.
Therefore by actively deep breathing between contractions you are helping the the uterus muscle to be flooded with fresh oxygenated blood.
You are also delivering new oxygen to pass via the placenta to the baby, plus you own energy is given a power surge boost to prepare you for the next contraction.
However, sometimes when we are stressed or experience pain we have a tendency to hold our breath or panic breathe with lots of short shallow breaths.
This creates tension, stress and is an inneffctive way to inhaling valuable oxygen. It is also physically and mentally exhausting.
During a contraction when the uterine muscles are at their peak of taughtness it can be difficult to take in a deep full breath. A combination of panic, fear and pain stop us breathing deeply
This is understandable as sometimes we feel completely out of control....
However it is really important to try and embrace the fact that if you can calmly, confidently and clearly try to put into active practise the BloomingFit exercise guideline of breathing for birth we are confident it will help you
Below are guidelines of how to breath through a contraction and deep breathing between contractions:
Breathing exercise for during a contraction....
- As soon as you feel the contraction begin focus on relaxing your jaw
- Let your breath flow in shallow wisps
- Imagine gently blowing a feather away from in front of your lips.
- Keep you lips and jaw relaxed
- Concentrate only on your breathing and let any pain float away
- If you feel your self tense, panic and loose control quickly tense your jaw then immediately begin to relax it again
- Continue to calmly breath shaloow wisp until the contraction is over
Once the contraction is over remember to return to deep tummy breathing to reinvigorate you for the next one. The more revitalising oxygen you take on board, the more you can relax and let go of any muscular stress and simply let go in this interval; the better prepared you will be for the next contraction
Deep breathing exercise to energise between contractions...
- Think 'phew' that one is over and immediately go into deep breathing mode
- Be in a a comfy position and lengthen through your spine as this will expand your lungs
- Relax your jaw, shoulders and anything else which feels tense
- Breath deep and full into your tummy.
- Picture your diaphragm easily relaxing downwards rather than forcing or pushing it down.
- Be aware of your tummy expanding outwards. If you wish you can place your hands on your tummy and feel it expand.
- At the same time feel your rib cage widen, your spine expand backwards and your shoulders gently rise.
- Now softly exhale and gently pull your tummy to your spine to release the last of the breath.
- Pause for just a moment, then begin the cycle of breath again.
With regular practice this awareness will grow
These seemingly simply techniques work and repeated again and again after each contraction will hopefully lead you to the calm and confident birth of you baby.
Just as in any other exercise practise makes perfect so go ahead and try to .....
.....take breaths to a better birth