Breathing During Childbirth

Breathing during childbirth

Properly organized breathing during childbirth reduces pain, facilitates labor, and ensures adequate oxygen supply to the baby. We are talking about breathing with a certain frequency and depth. Having mastered the proposed breathing exercises before childbirth, having adapted, you will undoubtedly choose the best way of breathing for yourself during the birth of your baby.

Breathing of a pregnant woman

It is useful to know that breathing during pregnancy has some features:

A) The growing uterus moves the abdominal organs and diaphragm upward, which leads to a decrease in lung volume.
B) The chest expands, the minute volume of breathing increases.
B) The need for oxygen increases after the 24th week of pregnancy.
D) Characterized by more frequent and shallow breathing (so-called physiological hyperventilation)

Attention! The duration of breathing exercises should not exceed 10 minutes. in a day. More frequent and prolonged breathing exercises can cause a decrease in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood and dizziness.

FIRST STAGE OF LABOR (dilatation of the cervix)

1. Slow breathing

In the early stages of labor, it is best to breathe slowly and continue to do so as long as it helps. For some women, this type of breathing is most suitable for the entire period of labor.

Either way, you can breathe slowly while it works, right up until intense contractions.

How to use this method during childbirth:

1. As the contraction begins, take a deep breath. Release all tension as you exhale.
2. Inhale slowly through your nose (or, if this is difficult, through your mouth) and exhale completely through your mouth. Hold your breath as long as you can. Breathe 6-10 times per minute. This is about twice as slow as usual.
3. Inhale calmly but noisily, leaving your mouth slightly open. The sound should be the same as with a relaxed sigh.
4. Now try to just relax: relax the muscles of your chest and abdomen.
5. When the contraction ends, take a full, relaxing exhale. Then inhale as if you were sighing. The finale of the breathing exercise itself can be a pleasant yawn.
6. Relax, change your body position if you want.

2. Light (fast) breathing

If the contractions are already clearly intense, and you feel that slow breathing no longer brings relief, switch to accelerated breathing.

How to use this method during childbirth:

1. As the contraction begins, as you exhale, release all tension.
2. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, gradually speeding up your breathing. The intensity of the fight will guide you.
3. If the contraction quickly reaches a peak, you should switch to accelerated breathing earlier.
4. If the contraction reaches a peak gradually, speed up your breathing rhythm gradually.
5. As the intensity of the contraction decreases, gradually switch to slow breathing. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
6. The contraction is over - finish breathing with a deep breath.
7. Between contractions, try to relax and change position.

3. Variable breathing

This type of breathing can help if you are tired, cannot relax, and are already having difficulty fighting contractions.

How to use this method during childbirth:

1. At the beginning of the contraction, as you exhale, try to relieve tension.
2. During the contraction, breathe shallowly through your mouth. Breathing rate: 5-20 cycles in 10 seconds.
3. After every third, fourth or fifth cycle, exhale slowly, you can do this with sound.
4. End of contraction - take 1-2 relaxing exhalations.
5. Now relax completely.

SECOND STAGE OF LABOR

Now the fetal head descends into the pelvic cavity. There is a desire to push, but it is too early to avoid ruptures of the soft tissues of the birth canal.

It's time to focus on breathing, because you have already done so much!

1. As the contraction begins, exhale completely, then inhale deeply.
2. Now – three common superficial