In everyday life, we don't think about how we breathe. This happens reflexively, because it is inherent in nature. During pregnancy, the body adapts to a new state, restructuring the functioning of many organs and systems. Changes also occur with the respiratory muscle - the growing uterus puts pressure on the diaphragm, which separates the chest and abdominal cavities. There is little space for the lungs, and they are pressed up by the uterus, as if expanding in breadth. In this regard, ventilation of the lungs increases and physiological hyperventilation occurs, which helps to exhale carbon dioxide faster. This is especially important for a good oxygen supply to the fetus.
Blood saturates all organs and tissues of the body with oxygen. The baby needs to receive a sufficient amount of oxygen for 9 months and during childbirth to avoid hypoxia (oxygen starvation). If you learn to control your breathing, you can easily reduce pain during childbirth, relax easily, and also help your baby be born without complications.
The nature of the origin of labor pain
You need to prepare yourself for the upcoming birth not only by attending various courses and reading books. It is important to prepare a psychological springboard. Many women, even in the early stages of pregnancy, imagine their contractions as painful, which negatively affects their overall psycho-emotional state.
Childbirth is a natural physiological process that does not harm the female body. Pain during contractions and pushing is a reaction to an irritant, which is a change in the state of the muscles of the uterus.
They contract and stretch, because at the time of birth, these muscles are the largest in the body. Therefore, these reductions are especially noticeable.
During contractions, you need to concentrate on breathing - this will help distract you from the pain, reduce its intensity, and also help speed up delivery.
Breathing techniques during contractions
One of the most effective breathing techniques is described by obstetrician-gynecologist and perinatal psychologist Alexander Kobasa. He suggests using two types of breathing, and is completely convinced that there is no point in studying more. During labor and birth, a woman will often feel confused and will not be able to remember everything she has been taught. And even more so, apply it in practice. Therefore, he suggests one breathing technique for each stage of labor:
Breathing during contractions
Inhale deeply through the nose with relaxed lips, the tip of the tongue raised to the sockets of the upper teeth. Outwardly, it appears that the mouth is closed, but the lips do not touch each other. After inhaling, there is a very short pause for a split second, but do not hold your breath! Smooth, slow, long exhalation through the mouth. Both while inhaling and exhaling, the lips are relaxed. This breath is similar to the breath of a sleeping person. Kobasa recommends going through the contraction with drooping eyelids to relax the eye muscles. With her eyes closed, the woman abstracts herself from external visual stimuli.
The main purpose of this breathing is relaxation.
Breathing while pushing
Inhale and hold your breath. Inhalation must be done quickly through the mouth, as if we were swallowing air inside ourselves, then we hold our breath with our mouth open for a while. We direct all the force of the push down. Exhale smoothly.
Improper breathing while pushing can lead to burst blood vessels on the face and sometimes on the neck. The reason is the incorrect holding of breath and the direction of the effort. Pushing with your mouth closed and your chin tucked in is fraught with complications - it creates a very strong tension in the muscles and blood vessels of the head. The desire to push is a reflex urge that corresponds one to one with the desire to empty the intestines. But this urge is much stronger. Therefore, you need to learn to push and breathe physiologically the way you do every day.
Situational breathing
Frequent, intense breathing “like a dog”; the tongue protrudes slightly beyond the lips and seems to rest on the lower teeth.
This technique is used when you want to push, but you can’t, during the transition from contractions to pushing, when the cervix is not yet sufficiently dilated. You need to get on all fours to reduce the baby’s pressure on the cervix and breathe “like a dog” while there is an urge to push.
The second situation when this breathing is effective is at the moment of birth of the baby's head. When you can’t push, otherwise the head will tear the perineum, you need to try to relax as much as possible and breathe through this moment.
Make your exhalation longer than your inhalation. Short, deep, calm inhalation, slow, even, long exhalation. Close your eyes and imagine a place where you would like to be, for example, a sandy beach, the sound of waves.
It is not enough to simply learn to relax; it is important to apply this breathing technique whenever you are nervous or anxious.
Using breathing techniques helps you easily get rid of such unpleasant physiological conditions as stress, tension, headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, etc.
During childbirth, due to various circumstances, the expectant mother may simply forget about how to breathe. Therefore, it is advisable to start practicing breathing techniques in advance so that during childbirth you can breathe correctly automatically.
If there is very little time left before giving birth, the main thing is not to panic! The baby in the tummy feels all the mother’s moods, especially fear. Even if you have prepared, but at a crucial moment you forgot about everything you knew, listen carefully to the doctor and midwife, follow their instructions, and know that everything will be fine! A priori!
It is no coincidence that the question of how to breathe during labor and childbirth arises among expectant mothers. Proper breathing during the process of childbirth helps relieve pain, speed up labor, and improve the well-being of the mother and her baby. But you need to study birth breathing techniques in advance. Then your baby will be born quickly and easily, and you will experience a minimum of pain and a maximum of positive emotions.
Why is it so important to breathe correctly?
- Proper breathing can speed up labor due to the fact that a woman’s concentration on alternating and controlling inhalation and exhalation distracts her from pain. As a result, her cervix opens faster and easier.
- Using the birth breathing technique, the woman calms down. When her muscles relax, the pain becomes less severe, and the diaphragm of the woman in labor does not interfere with the birth process, but on the contrary, helps it.
- When the expectant mother breathes according to a certain pattern during childbirth, her body is supplied with a large amount of oxygen. This helps the muscles contract better. And the main thing is that the baby receives oxygen without interruptions and is not in danger of hypoxia.
It is better to master birth breathing techniques starting from the second trimester of pregnancy. Daily training will help you develop your skills. It is very important.
Of course, before giving birth, your obstetrician will tell you how to breathe correctly during contractions and pushing. But if you experience anxiety, pain or fear (emotions that become frequent companions of women in labor), you are unlikely to remember these instructions. But if in the process of training you bring the performance of breathing exercises to automatism, then it will not be difficult for you to use your skills during childbirth.
What advice can you give to expectant mothers who are starting to practice breathing exercises for pregnant women?
- Before you start training, it is important to undergo a medical consultation, at which you must ask what loads you are allowed.
- It should be taken into account that each stage of labor has its own specific breathing technique. Moreover, in any of them, correct breathing lies in the ability to control the processes of inhalation and exhalation, control their duration and quantity.
- Breathing exercises are allowed until the last week before the onset of labor.
- Training can be carried out several times a day. The main thing is to monitor your well-being and not overwork.
- Breathing exercises can be performed in any convenient position. When training, it is important to try breathing correctly in different positions. At the same time, with each exhalation you should try to relax different parts of the body, helping to develop the practice of relaxing all the necessary muscles.
- It's better to train outdoors. If this is not possible, training is carried out in a well-ventilated room.
- If dizziness occurs during gymnastics, training should be stopped.
- At the end of each lesson, it is necessary to restore breathing. This requires some rest while breathing normally.
- During childbirth, keep a mental count of your inhalations and exhalations, relax and don’t panic.
- It is advisable for a loved one to be present at the birth. It will help you relax, give you a massage and remind you to breathe properly.
Technicians
Train as often as possible, but your sessions should not be too long.
At the beginning of training, symptoms of hyperventilation may appear - dizziness or darkening of the eyes, and sometimes fainting. You can get rid of them by inhaling while holding your breath or breathing into pre-joined palms.
If dry mouth occurs during breathing exercises, you should rinse your mouth with water. Touching the roof of your mouth with the tip of your tongue will also help relieve dryness.
To practice proper breathing during childbirth, four types of exercises are used.
Relaxing Breathing
Prepare a small mirror. It should be held at chin level with one hand. First, a deep nasal inhalation is taken, and then, 3 seconds later, an oral exhalation is made.
To perform it correctly, the lips are folded into a tube and the head is kept motionless. You need to inhale so that the mirror fogs up gradually. You should be able to do 10 correct exhalations in a row, and then you can train without using a mirror.
This exercise will be useful to you at the beginning of labor. It will also help you relax in between contractions.
Superficial
Inhalation and exhalation are performed quickly and easily. In this case, it is necessary to adhere to diaphragmatic breathing when only the chest moves. The stomach should not take part in breathing.
Stick to one rhythm, it is especially important not to increase it. During both inhalation and exhalation, their duration and strength must correspond to each other.
At the initial stages of breathing training, perform the exercise for no longer than 10 seconds. Then its duration is gradually increased to a minute.
This type of breathing will be needed during pushing or at times when contractions intensify, when women in labor are prohibited from pushing.
Intermittent
This exercise is performed with the mouth slightly open. The tip of the tongue touches the lower incisors and noisily inhales and exhales. Breathing should be carried out only with the help of the chest muscles. Maintain a constant and fast pace.
At the beginning of training, breathe in this way for 10 seconds. Over time, the duration of the exercise must be increased to 2 minutes.
During childbirth, this will allow you to breathe while pushing and as the baby moves through the birth canal.
Deep with inhalation hold
You need to take a deep breath and hold your breath. Mentally count to 10 and exhale smoothly through your mouth. In this case, it is important to exhale gradually, tensing the muscles of the abdomen and chest.
First, master the exercise, the duration of the pause is up to 10 seconds. In the future, you can begin to gradually increase the pause to 20 seconds.
Deep breathing with a delay in exhalation is used for “expulsion of the fetus.” A long, squeezing exhalation is necessary to prevent the baby's emerging head from moving back.
The names and variations of breathing exercises may differ, but the principle remains the same.
Breathing at different stages
The entire process of childbirth can be divided into several stages: contractions, pushing, birth of the baby and expulsion of the baby's place. At each stage you need to breathe differently.
During contractions
The first contractions increase and then subside. They are not very painful. Subsequently, contractions become permanent and are repeated after certain time intervals.
During regular contractions, you should not scream or strain, trying to suppress the pain. Such actions only interfere with the dilation of the cervix and deplete the body, without bringing relief from pain. Movement, taking relaxed poses combined with proper breathing will help ease the course of labor.
At the beginning of contractions, you need to breathe regularly. Inhalation through the nose is carried out in four counts. At the same time, with lips folded into a “tube”, an oral exhalation is made for six counts, exceeding the duration of inhalation.
With relaxed breathing, the diaphragm rises and the abdomen rounds, the coccyx rushes back, and the pelvic bones diverge slightly to the sides. This helps to increase space for the fetus, reduce pain (when the expectant mother constantly thinks, she has no time to think about pain) and reduces the risk of rupture.
Such breathing can provide:
- reassurance of the woman in labor;
- maximum relaxation of her muscles;
- supply of oxygen to the body of the baby and mother.
When the intensity of the fights increases, breathing should be accelerated. Breathe shallowly, frequently and with your mouth slightly open, similar to how dogs breathe in the heat.
This technique should be used at the beginning of the match: the more intense it is, the more often you need to breathe. When the contractions recede, take a deep breath, then exhale for a long time and smoothly.
The best way to calculate the frequency of accelerated breathing is to count respiratory cycles over a ten-second period. Moreover, if there are from 5 to 20 “inhale-exhale” cycles, this means that breathing is correct.
To reduce the most acute pain when the cervix dilates, you can use the “train” breathing technique. It is characterized by shallow breathing with rapid nasal inhalation and rapid oral exhalation with extended “tube” lips. When the intensity of the contraction decreases, breathing should be calmed.
While pushing
During pushing, it is important to listen to the instructions of your obstetrician-gynecologist, who will explain how to breathe and push correctly, and at what moments it is necessary, and at what times you can rest. At the same time, all your efforts should be aimed at the birth of the baby.
The duration of the push is approximately a minute, during which the woman in labor must take a deep breath, and then, exhaling, push and try to put pressure on the uterus with the entire volume of air.
- At the moment of pushing, you need to try so that all the tension does not enter the head, since this will inevitably rupture the vessels of the face and eyeballs.
- In cases where the inhalation is shallow, you should quickly exhale, quickly take a new breath and push.
- The most effective breathing during pushing is considered to be “breathing on a candle.” To perform it, the woman in labor makes nasal inhalation and oral exhalation as if she were blowing out a candle. During this breathing, it is recommended to sing the vowels.
- Between attempts, it is important to exhale not sharply, but smoothly, so that the child only moves forward and is not pulled back by muscle contractions. In addition, this prevents the fetus from being expelled too quickly, which can lead to unwanted ruptures in the mother.
- When the baby's head appears, you should switch to free breathing or use the "doggy" breathing method. If the expectant mother breathes correctly during pushing, the baby is born in about 3–4 pushings. If the woman in labor lacks strength, the medical staff gives her the opportunity to rest.
Proper breathing during pushing reduces the risk of damage to the birth canal, as well as the degree of injury to the female genital organs.
When expelling the placenta, special breathing techniques are not used. At this moment, the woman in labor can breathe in a way convenient for her.
Video “Breathing during childbirth”
Video by Alexander Kobas on how to breathe during contractions and pushing
Childbirth requires careful preparation from the expectant mother. It is important not only to rehearse correct breathing until it becomes automatic, but also to prepare yourself psychologically for childbirth. You should think through different situations and choose behavioral tactics for different stages of delivery. Do not forget that the obstetrician-gynecologist is your assistant. Therefore, all his instructions must be carefully listened to and followed. And the breathing techniques you have mastered will help you not only relax and concentrate as much as possible on the process, but also make it easier to endure childbirth, experiencing a minimum of pain.
How to leave yourself a good memory of childbirth, and also help your baby not experience discomfort during birth. Modern methods of natural methods of labor pain relief, specialist recommendations and doula advice.
Systemic, inhalation, and regional anesthesia are used as medicinal methods of pain relief during childbirth. But it must be remembered that there is not a single drug anesthesia during childbirth that does not penetrate the placenta and does not affect the fetus to one degree or another. If there are medical indications, depending on the condition of the woman and child at the time of birth, the doctor will definitely prescribe medication for pain relief.
“You should not use medications to anesthetize childbirth unless there are special indications for this. Any intervention in childbirth must be strictly justified and then it will be effective. A female large animal who gave birth under anesthesia does not accept it and refuses to feed it. Conclusion: pain relief during labor suppresses maternal instincts. The female did not live through the birth of the cub, did not feel its birth on a physical level.
If a woman is forced to undergo labor pain for some reason, this does not mean that she is a bad mother or that she will have problems with the child. If you can avoid it, avoid it at all costs.”
Can a woman be given any drugs during childbirth without her consent?
If the situation gets out of control and threatens the life of the woman and child, no one will ask, they do what is necessary, because in this state the woman is not responsible for herself. She may refuse, which will lead to more serious consequences.
Therefore, there are natural types of labor pain relief (breathing, relaxation, massage techniques), including all the resources a woman has. They make it easier to go through all stages of labor without the intervention of medications.
Modern methods of labor pain relief
Breath
Remember, when you are stressed, you hold your breath and tense up. For example, when the stomach suddenly grabbed or a ligament spasm occurred. This is a normal protective reaction of the body that saves lives in difficult situations. During contractions, you need to do the opposite. During pregnancy, you need to develop a new reflex so that you don’t get pinched during childbirth. Then the pain will be easier to bear, and perhaps not even be felt.
Places to pay attention to while relaxing:
- stomach
- pelvic floor
- Hands
- lips
- shoulders
Hold as you inhale, and relax as you exhale. Do not tuck your tummy, as in Pilates; on the contrary, you need to relax it and not create unnecessary inconvenience for the baby. Both hands are a projection of the cervix. If they are clamped, the cervix will take longer to open. You need to learn how to relieve tension in your lips and not clench your teeth. The neck and shoulders are the projection of the pelvis. If the collar area is tight, giving birth will be more difficult. In this case, massage will help.
To learn the correct breathing technique, courses with a partner will be more effective. If you learn this at home, then you need to put in more effort and do 3-5-8-10 repetitions so that this breathing becomes automatic. As the contractions intensify, you need to breathe with forced exhalation. It can be with sound, you need to collect all the discomfort and throw it out of yourself.
Larisa Cheprasova, head of the family development center “Family Circle”, perinatal psychologist, obstetrician, doula:
“You cannot scream loudly and piercingly at high notes; only low sounds relieve tension and relax. Remember the mantras, when someone meditates, from one word “om” you are already in nirvana, and if a pregnant woman squeaks and squeals, it will only hurt her more. Hiss like a snake, groan, gasp, moan, whine, this way the throat relaxes and opens. If you shout, then it’s right.”
During pushing, when you can’t push because the cervix has not yet opened and the baby is already low, breathing more frequently, like a dog’s, or, for example, when you really want to go to the toilet, will come in handy. This is the kind of breathing that will help.
Rest, relaxation
These relaxation methods help you endure contractions more easily and get proper rest. If possible, you should sleep between contractions. In this case, the labor partner does not interfere and gives the pregnant woman the opportunity to rest. A woman needs to run to the toilet as often as possible, which her partner should remind her of every hour. Due to this, the next contraction will be softer, which means that the pregnant woman will feel better.
Pain relieving massage
Alexander Kobasa, obstetrician-gynecologist, perinatal psychologist, leader of specialized courses on preparation for childbirth at the Mother and Child Medical Center:
“If you need to iron it, do so only through clothing, otherwise you can damage the top layer of skin. If your wife tells you not to do this or that, dad, don’t do it! Even if you were taught a lot in class and you know everything, still don’t do anything, it will be best.”
Direct stroking of the back, kneading the sacrum with fingers or the base of the hand. To prevent your hands from getting tired, massagers will help. Massage helps tremendously, but there are places where a woman giving birth may not like stroking. Therefore, the partner needs to find and study these places in advance, otherwise during childbirth you can get caught.
Choosing a pose
The woman in labor takes the position that is comfortable for her right now: lying on her back, lying on her side, sitting on a chair, on her partner’s lap, on the bed, on a fitball...
Alexander Kobasa:“During childbirth, a woman’s behavior is controlled by the child, and the mother’s task is to understand what he wants. If you want to lean back, lean back, if you want to bend over, lean over.”
You can sit until the baby has descended into the pelvic floor. After this, the pregnant woman should sit down so that there is space between her legs. For example, on the toilet, on my husband’s lap, sitting facing each other. In this position you can push, and your partner can also rock from side to side.
It is best to lie on your side, this way you can reach out and give the massage that a woman requires, both on the back and on the tummy. In a lying position, you can even fall asleep and relax. When a woman lies down, she is better able to relax her stomach, perineum, pelvis and legs. In between contractions, rest will help restore strength.
But there is one point: if a woman first “ran” and then lay down, the interval between contractions may increase. It is normal if the contractions were every 2 minutes, but after I went to bed, they became every 4-5 minutes. But then the contractions will be strong and of high quality.
When a woman chooses a position, first of all it is comfortable for the child. To save energy, it is better to take a strong fight vertically. Under the force of gravity, the baby will descend faster and the cervix will open.
As labor progresses, the cervix opens and stretches over the baby’s head like a golf ball. It can be either very tight and uncomfortable if the woman is tight and tense, or soft and loose if the woman allows herself to relax.
“Dads, in terms of a woman’s behavior during childbirth, you must be prepared for anything. A woman will do whatever she wants, and there is no need to stop her, much less shame her. Any behavior must be accepted as normal and due. Dad’s direct task is to help and not interfere,” says Alexander Kobasa.
The most powerful means of pain relief during childbirth is to switch women's attention from themselves to the child. After all, the woman knows that this situation, which at the moment seems difficult, will be a certain experience in a couple of years. But for the child there is no such experience; for him it is discomfort when the mother bends over, puts on her shoes, feels hungry, and lies uncomfortably.
It also all depends on the woman’s attitude. If she is afraid, the child will also be afraid for the company. And during childbirth, the woman in labor needs to switch her attention to the baby and understand how he feels in the womb. Under epidural anesthesia, a woman does not always feel what the child needs at the moment.
A woman definitely needs to prepare for childbirth, watch videos, take courses. Larisa Cheprasova:“You need to leave yourself a good memory of childbirth, this is an important event in a woman’s life. And for a child this is generally the only option for birth. You can adjust everything and give birth at sea a second time, but this first time, spend time specifically for your child, the birth that he and you need, and you will do great!”
