Lamaze breathing is part of a childbirth method made famous by Dr. Ferdinand Lamaze. According to Lamaze International, the French obstetrician introduced these techniques in 1951 in France and they became extremely popular in the United States in the late 1950s. Lamaze breathing helps women in labor control their pain by using particular breathing patterns. You can learn the method in formal classes or practice on your own at home. Lamaze works in part by helping the mother focus on a task so her pain will be lessened during childbirth. Practice the breathing techniques in the months prior to giving birth to ready yourself for labor.
Step 1
Determine your baseline breathing. Do this by laying your hand on top of your abdomen and counting each rise and fall for a period of 60 seconds. By knowing your baseline breathing rate, you can adjust to faster or slower breathing as necessary for different Lamaze techniques.
Step 2
Take a cleansing breath which acts as signal to your body that a contraction is on the way. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly from your mouth. This breath will help calm you as you enter labor.
Step 3
Inhale for a count of five and then exhale for the same count. Loosen your jaw and let your shoulders drop. This pattern of breathing will be useful at the beginning of a contraction.
Step 4
Relax even more by using blowing breaths when a contraction subsides. Inhale gently and slowly through the nose then exhale by slowly blowing the air out of your mouth. Act as though you are softly blowing out a candle with the exhalation.
Step 5
Take slow normal-depth breaths to help you relax between contractions. Focus on breathing comfortably while your body readies itself for another contraction.
Step 6
Complete your practice with an ending cleansing breath.
Tips and Warnings
- Change your breathing patterns as you are comfortable. Do not feel constricted to your practice pattern when true contractions hit. Do what feels best to manage your pain.
- Patterned breathing may not be enough to control the level of pain often experienced in childbirth. The Lamaze method makes no recommendation as to the use of medication during childbirth. Know your options prior to giving birth and discuss these with your physician so you can make informed decisions regarding types of pain relief.
