Pregnancy often adds a new level of stress to your environment, and it frequently comes with some unpleasant side effects, such as nausea and fatigue. Breathing exercises can help women manage pregnancy-related stress, as well as prepare for labor. Dedicate a set time each day to practice your breathing, or use it primarily when you need extra stress relief.
Cleansing Breathing
Exaggerated deep breaths maximize oxygen flow to your baby, while releasing tension and stress from your body. Sit in a comfortable position, with your back straight. Breathe in through your nose for five counts, filling your abdomen with as much air as possible. Hold the breath for a few seconds, and then slowly release it through your month. Repeat this exercise until you feel calmer and less stressed. During labor, followers of the Lamaze technique use these breaths at the beginning and end of each contraction to signify to their partner or caregiver the onset of a new contraction, and to help themselves and the baby recover after the contraction.
If you feel dizzy while performing this exercise, try breathing more slowly. Taking rapid cleansing breaths can potentially cause you to hyperventilate.
Patterned Variable Breathing
This breathing exercise, advocated by Dr. Fernand Lamaze, provides a distraction that can help pregnant women manage pain and stress. Commonly used during labor, the rhythmic pattern of the breathing can help you relax, and give you some control over pain. Try practicing this patterned breathing when you need extra help coping with pain or stress, even before labor.
Dr. Lamaze recommends starting with an "organizing" breath --- a sigh in and then out, releasing all tension, and allowing your body to go limp. Breathe lightly and rapidly in through your mouth, following a Lamaze-suggested rate of 5-20 breaths each 10 seconds. Following the second, third, fourth and fifth breaths, release a slightly longer breath. Many Lamaze practitioners vocalize this breath pattern as "hee, hee, who," to ensure they perform the pattern correctly.
"Sleep" Breathing
Deep, slow breaths help relax women, and allow them to focus on managing stress or pain. Dr. Robert Bradley based his suggested techniques on observations of animals' breathing during childbirth. He noticed that, instead of trying to distract themselves from the pain by using patterned breathing, they lie very still and quiet --- almost as if asleep.
To try this during pregnancy, pick a time of the day when you can relax on your bed or sofa for a few minutes. Lie on your side, and consider turning on a relaxation or meditation CD to enhance the experience. Close your eyes, and slowly breathe in through your nose until your abdomen fills with air. Slowly breathe out your nose. Focus on developing a natural, deep breathing technique similar to the way you breathe when asleep. Women using this technique during active labor usually combine it with their favorite relaxation techniques, such as visualization, meditation, or massage.
References
- American Pregnancy Association: Patterned Breathing During Labor
- Kids Health: Dealing wtih Pain During Childbirth
- Sutter Health: Breathing Techniques
- HelpGuide: Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief
- "Husband-Coached Childbirth (4th ed.)"; Dr. Robert A. Bradley; 1996
