Breathing During Labour

Normally we breathe in and out through our nose. In deep breathing exercise, I recommend exhaling though your mouth. This is because during strong contractions in labour, as in all vigorous activity, most women naturally tend to breathe out through their mouth.

So while you usually breathe in and out through your nose without thinking about it, you might like to breathe out through your mouth when you practice deep breathing exercise.Regular practice of this exercise will deepen your breathing, helping you to breathe with your whole chest capacity and to use your diaphragm muscle correctly.
It will also teach you to focus inwardly and concentrate on the basic rhythm of your breathing.

Unlike the rhythm of the heartbeat, or the contractions of the uterus, which are completely automatic, the rhythm of the breath is the only body rhythm that is both voluntary and involuntary. We are able to alter our rate of breathing consciously and this has a direct effect on our state of consciousness.
Your breathing as you will soon feel, is very closely linked to your mind and emotions. Turning inwards and focusing your attention on your breath is a simple and effective tool for experiencing deeper states of consciousness.

While you are pregnant practicing deep breathing helps you calm yourself and quiet your mind, so that your thoughts subside. You can then experience the stillness within yourself and also focus on the presence of your baby inside your womb. Deep breathing can deepen your sense of the peaceful and pleasurable times of the pregnancy and help when you feel anxious or out of sorts.

In labour, breathing can help you cope with the deep and intense feelings you experience. There are no special techniques you need to remember for labour, your breathing can be spontaneous. However, if during labour you feel tense, anxious or fearful you can use deep breathing to calm and centre yourself and to focus your awareness inwards. This will help you to ignore what is going on around you and to achieve the state of consciousness that is appropriate to labour.

Focusing on breathing deeply is also a powerful help when the contractions begin to get painful. By concentrating on long slow exhalations through the peaks of the contractions, you will find it easier to stay relaxed during contractions and also to rest in between them. As contractions increase in intensity, you may find it helpful to release low deep sounds along with the exhalations. Breathing this way will help you to express the pain rather than keeping it all inside and becoming tense and overwhelmed.

Practicing deep breathing regularly in pregnancy will enhance your ability to focus on your breathing rhythm in labour. The more you practice ahead of time, the easier it will become to use your breathing without any special mental effort on the day. Deep breathing becomes a more powerful tool with regular practice. It is a good idea to practice your breathing with your partner who will be with you when you give birth.

When you begin to practice deep breathing, at first you will enjoy a pleasant feeling of calm and relaxation. After a time this feeling will deepen into blissful meditation, uniting your mind and body and enhancing your awareness of your baby in your womb. This is very much like the peace between contractions during labour. Deep breathing will also help you to relax when you are learning to feed and care for your baby in the days and weeks after birth.

I would like to acknowledge Janet Balaskas Active Birth.