Many antenatal clinics and other medical institutions providing pregnancy services conduct “courses for future parents.”

Lecturers, as a rule, are practicing obstetricians, try to prepare their pregnant wards as much as possible for passing one of the most important exams in their lives.

Therefore, when talking about the course of the birth process, they must explain the importance of observing breathing techniques during childbirth and how to breathe correctly during contractions and pushing. Proper breathing during labor and childbirth helps you relax during labor, speed up the dilation of the cervix and relieve pain during contractions and pushing.

The rules of breathing during labor and childbirth, recommended for use by women in labor in our country, are in many ways similar to the principles that French obstetrician F. Lamaze proposed as part of his “Painless Childbirth” method. Long-term observations have shown that proper breathing during childbirth has a beneficial effect on the course of the birth process, namely:

• helps relieve psycho-emotional stress;
• allows you to significantly reduce pain sensitivity;
• facilitates compliance with “birth discipline” - control the body and follow medical commands. personnel, which is extremely important at the pushing stage;
• maintains the quality of blood supply to the body of the mother and fetus at the required level, preventing.

During labor, depending on the stage of labor, the woman in labor is recommended to use appropriate types of breathing.

The effectiveness of breathing techniques during childbirth increases many times over if the woman is accompanied by a trained assistant (usually the child’s father or a close relative), who changes the frequency, depth and pace of her breathing during the birth process. Then the task of the woman in labor is to breathe synchronously with the accompanying person.

How to breathe correctly during childbirth?

In order to be able to concentrate on breathing during childbirth and get the necessary effect from using breathing techniques, the expectant mother should learn to breathe correctly in advance.

Abdominal breathing

First of all, a woman needs to get used to the “abdominal” type of breathing during childbirth. This means that during inhalation and exhalation the stomach should “shake” and the chest should remain motionless.

During the first training, the palm of one hand should be placed on the stomach, and the other palm on the chest.

While inhaling (deep enough), you should ensure that the palm lying on your stomach rises as high as possible (to parallel with the floor, or higher).

As you exhale (smoothly), the palm on your stomach gradually returns to its original position. The palm on the chest should remain practically motionless while breathing.

After some time, you will be able to breathe with your stomach without manual control. Then you can move on to mastering the next type of breathing, the main type of breathing in childbirth.

Full breath

The combination of “thoracic” and “abdominal” breathing is called complete. With the full type of breathing, you need to inhale “from below”, as deeply as possible, imagining how oxygen first fills the stomach, then the diaphragm and lungs, as the baby inhales in the womb at the same time as the mother. You should exhale in the reverse order, without effort, just relax the muscles of the chest and abdomen.

While mastering full breathing, the expectant mother can also place her palms on her stomach and chest and make sure that her hands change their position in the correct order.

After a woman has mastered the technique of full breathing, she will need to learn to “save” the oxygen received during inhalation. This will come in handy during labor and labor, during which you will need to hold your breath.

Economical breathing

Breathing in which the duration of inhalation and exhalation are in a ratio of approximately 1:2 is called economical.

You should master economical breathing gradually, during the first lessons lengthening the duration of exhalation in relation to the woman’s usual inhalation.

However, it should be borne in mind that the respiratory cycle with economical breathing should not be lengthened by more than twice as much as is usual for a woman.

Rapid breathing

Breathing, the cycle of which is much shorter than usual (but no more than twice) is called rapid. During childbirth, several types of rapid breathing are used, which should be mastered in advance:

• “candle” – breathing cycles are frequent and continuous; there are several of them in one fight. A short inhalation is immediately replaced by a short exhalation. The effort required to exhale is similar to that required to blow out a candle flame.
• “big candle” - the principle is the same as with the “candle”, but the breathing cycles become even more frequent. Breathing requires effort. You need to inhale sharply, retracting your nostrils and exhale sharply, puffing out your cheeks, as if you need to quickly blow out the candles on a cake.
• “Doggy style” - frequent shallow breathing through the mouth, with the tongue hanging out and pressed against the upper teeth.

When training, you should alternate between types of rapid breathing, devoting about 30 to 40 seconds to working on each type (taking into account, on average, the duration of contractions). And also alternate the cycle of rapid breathing with full breathing for recovery.

"Powered" breathing

When you command “push!”, while inhaling, you need to “swallow” as much air as possible with your mouth, filling your lungs as much as possible, hold your breath and push “down,” imagining how a balloon is pressing forcefully on the uterus from above, “pushing out” the fetus.

When it becomes impossible to hold your breath, you need to exhale briefly, while relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, again “swallow” the air with your mouth and push again. At the same time, it is important to inhale “chestwise”, keeping the diaphragm motionless. After the contraction is over, you should breathe deeply, using full breaths.

The expectant mother should carry out exercises to master “pushing” breathing carefully, not at full force, keeping in mind that the contraction during pushing lasts 40–60 seconds and during this time the woman in labor must push three times.

It will be more convenient for the expectant mother to begin mastering breathing techniques by choosing any position that is comfortable for herself: standing, sitting, reclining, etc. However, given that it is extremely difficult to remain still during contractions, she needs to learn how to perform breathing techniques while walking. At the same time, you should ensure that any studied type of breathing becomes as if habitual, and it would be possible to reproduce it naturally during childbirth.

How to breathe correctly during contractions?

The first stage of labor normally lasts 6 – 10 hours. During the period of contractions, the cervix, responding to uterine contractions, should dilate by about 10 cm.

The woman's pain increases with the degree of dilation. The types of breathing used by a woman in labor during contractions help relieve their pain.

Full economical breathing

In the latent phase of labor, when contractions are still weak, almost painless and infrequent, deep breathing helps the expectant mother entering labor to calm down and rest before the active labor phases. In addition, the “abdominal” type of breathing during contractions stimulates uterine activity.

The breathing cycle (long inhalation through the nose - twice as long exhalation through the mouth) should cover one contraction. With the end of the contraction, you need to “shake out” the “remains” of air from your lungs and breathe.

The assistant’s task in this case is to note the duration of the contraction and help the woman in labor, during the onset of painful contractions of the uterus, “adjust” the duration of inhalation and exhalation.

This breathing technique should be used as the main one from the very beginning of contractions and maintained as a “background” throughout the entire labor period, combining it, if necessary, with other breathing techniques.

Rapid breathing

From the moment when contractions cause noticeable discomfort and become more intense and frequent, and full breathing no longer brings relief, a certain anesthetic effect can be achieved with the help of rapid breathing. Gradually, depending on the degree of pain, the woman in labor can use various types of breathing techniques, intuitively choosing the most comfortable method. For example:

• rapid breathing - “candle”.
• frequent breathing - “big candle”.

The “secret” of rapid breathing is that the abundant flow of oxygen in the brain stimulates the release of endorphins into the blood. This makes the pain much easier to bear.

The assistant’s task in this case is, focusing on the duration of the contraction, to help the woman in labor choose the intensity of “inhalation-exhalation” and make sure that the woman does not hold her breath at the peak of the contraction.

Combined locomotive breathing

Proper breathing during contractions, including a combination of different types of breathing techniques, will help the expectant mother survive the period of intense contractions and all-consuming pain during the period of active uterine contractions until the period of pushing.

At the start of the contraction, the woman in labor should breathe slowly, gradually accelerating inhalation and exhalation (inhale through the nose - exhale through the mouth), in parallel with the increase in uterine spasm. At the peak of the contraction, you should try to simply “breathe” often and gradually return to slow breathing, as soon as the intensity of the contraction decreases, in order to obtain a full “portion” of oxygen for yourself and the fetus.

The assistant’s task at this time is to become the “second wind” of the laboring woman, set the pace of breathing, alternating slow with rapid, and help the woman in labor concentrate on observing the breathing technique necessary at the moment.

The expectant mother will be able to practice using a combination of rapid and slow breathing before childbirth by alternating types of breathing techniques, for example, in this way: one slow cycle for five rapid cycles.

How should you breathe when pushing?

In the second stage of labor, when the moment of expulsion of the fetus from the mother’s womb is very close, the woman’s task is to carry out the obstetricians’ commands for the benefit of the newborn baby and her own condition.

The task will be greatly facilitated by following special breathing techniques, namely:

• Breathing like a dog.

This technique will come to the rescue at the very beginning of the pushing period, when it is necessary to endure premature pushing, allowing the baby to overcome the birth canal on his own. In this case, the desire to push will be simply colossal, and the prohibition is associated with a high probability of ruptures of the mother’s perineum and injuries to the baby.

• “Powered” breathing.

A breathing technique specific to the active period of pushing is used at the command of the obstetricians delivering the baby. Proper breathing during pushing helps make them more productive, promotes the speedy birth of the baby and minimizes the baby’s suffering from hypoxia.

After the baby is born, the woman in labor can finally relax and breathe the way she likes. The third stage of labor - expulsion of the placenta - is usually painless and does not require serious effort or special breathing. The new mother has done the most important and hard work.

Experiencing increasing pain during contractions, the expectant mother becomes nervous, her pulse quickens, her breathing becomes labored, the woman no longer controls the situation and cannot alleviate her condition - this intensifies the pain, and the dilatation of the cervix is ​​inhibited. But if you normalize breathing during labor and childbirth, the situation will change. The easiest way to see what breathing should and should not be like during childbirth is through video. There are now many educational lessons posted on the Internet to prepare for childbirth. Breathing in the video is shown both for the period of contractions and for the period of pushing.

Proper breathing during childbirth ensures:

• acceleration of labor. A woman who breathes correctly does not focus on pain, but controls the alternation of inhalations and exhalations, due to which the cervix opens faster;
• muscle relaxation. Measured breathing helps relax muscles, which means it facilitates labor;
• reduction of pain. If the muscles are “compressed into a ball,” the pain intensifies with each contraction of the uterus. With relaxed muscles, pain decreases;
• saturating the body with oxygen. Proper breathing allows you to actively supply oxygen to all the muscles that experience increased stress during childbirth, as well as the baby itself.

Breathing technique during childbirth

Breathing is an unconditioned reflex, and in the normal state, each of us breathes without thinking about it. But during childbirth, due to severe pain and muscle tension, a woman often “forgets” to inhale deeply and exhale slowly.

The technique of proper breathing during childbirth is to control inhalation and exhalation. At different stages of childbirth, a woman should breathe differently, but always by controlling the number and duration of inhalations and exhalations.

Breathing techniques during childbirth are based on the fact that the diaphragm helps breathing, and does not complicate the process. There are different breathing techniques during childbirth, videos and descriptions of these techniques will allow a pregnant woman to prepare for the process of childbirth, practice proper breathing skills in advance and bring them to automatism. After all, if a woman goes into labor, breathing and behavior, the video of which she watched, she will need to automatically repeat.

Breathing during childbirth: contractions

If contractions are already regular and the pain intensifies, the most important thing is not to strain or scream, this interferes with the dilation of the cervix. When labor occurs, the breathing and behavior of the mother in labor help the baby move through the birth canal and allow the birth process to proceed as quickly as possible and without outside stimulation. No matter how much you want to curl up on the bed and moan, you need to get up and try to move and breathe correctly - you’ll see, it will become much easier to endure contractions.

When preparing for childbirth, breathing should be measured. While the contractions are not yet so strong, you need to slowly inhale air (counting to four) and exhale even more slowly (counting to six). Breathing, in which the inhalation is longer than the exhalation, allows you to calm down and relax.

When contractions become intense, it is no longer possible to breathe so steadily. In this case, it is necessary to use dog breathing. During childbirth, this technique allows you to endure the most severe contractions without unnecessary stress. Canine panting is rapid, shallow breathing with an open mouth. You need to start breathing like a dog when the contraction just begins. The more intense the contraction, the more often you need to breathe. At the end of the contraction, when the pain subsides, you need to take a deep breath and exhale smoothly. To learn how to breathe during childbirth, video lessons and breathing techniques must be studied in advance and repeatedly practiced in their use at home.

Breathing during childbirth: pushing

The breathing and behavior of a woman in labor during pushing is usually controlled by a midwife: she tells you when and how to push, and when you need to “breathe” through the pushing. If we talk about general principles, breathing during pushing looks like this: deep inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, sharply, aimed at the uterus and pushing out the child, and not at the head.

If you are going into labor, the correct breathing video you watched during pregnancy should appear before your eyes. When the contraction begins, relax as much as possible, take a deep breath and exhale slowly, and if necessary, do dog breathing. Practice proper breathing in advance - this will greatly facilitate the birth process.

At the beginning of the second stage of labor, when the cervix is ​​fully opened, the fetal head, thanks to uterine contractions, begins to move down, squeezing the walls of the rectum. In response to irritation of rectal receptors, the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall and diaphragm reflexively contract: this is how pushing begins. The fetal head presses on the woman's pelvic floor and rectum, causing her to want to empty her bowels - the urge to defecate. This is an attempt.

When can you push?

Before you start pushing, you need to call a doctor so that he can determine where the baby's head is. It is necessary to push only if she has passed almost the entire birth canal and is already lying on the pelvic floor. Premature pushing leads to rapid exhaustion of the woman’s strength, weakness of pushing, disruption of the uteroplacental circulation and lack of oxygen for the baby.

All women experience the desire to push at different times. If it appears when the head is already quite low, but the cervix has not yet fully dilated, then by pushing the head forward with force, the woman in labor can provoke a rupture of the cervix. To control premature labor, a woman in labor is recommended to use a special breathing pattern.

How to breathe during childbirth

1. Take a full, deep breath.
2. Hold your breath, as if swallowing air, tense your abdominal muscles (the muscles of your thighs, buttocks and face are completely relaxed). Gently increase the pressure on the bottom. Tighten your abdominal muscles more and more, helping the baby move through the birth canal.
3. Exhale smoothly.
4. Next, when you feel that you are short of breath, exhale smoothly, but in no case with a jerk. During a sharp exhalation, intra-abdominal pressure quickly decreases and the baby's head also quickly moves back, which can lead to traumatic brain injury. After this, immediately, without relaxation or rest, take a breath - and push.

During the full push, repeat all these steps three times.

After pushing, take a full breath and restore calm, even breathing with complete relaxation. This way you can quickly regain strength for the next push.

Attention! At the moment of removing the head, the midwife will ask you not to push - breathe like a dog.

How to push correctly during childbirth?

While pushing, press your chin tightly to your chest, clasp your knees with your hands, spread them apart and pull them towards the armpit. The force of pushing should be directed to the point of maximum pain. Increased pain after pushing means that you are doing everything right and the baby is moving along the birth canal.

How long does the pushing last?

In primiparous women, this period lasts on average 2 hours, in multiparous women - 1 hour. Its duration can be influenced by various factors. Thus, the use of one of the methods of pain relief - epidural analgesia - leads to an extension of the second stage of labor by an average of up to 3 hours in primiparous women and up to 2 hours in multiparous women. A large fetus, a narrowed pelvis, weak labor, and overstretching of the anterior abdominal wall can also increase this stage of labor. Conversely, in women with well-developed abdominal muscles, the duration of the expulsion period is reduced.

How to avoid ruptures during childbirth?

Protection of the perineum begins from the moment the head erupts, i.e. from the time when the child’s head does not go back between attempts. The midwife uses three fingers of her right hand to prevent rapid advancement of the head during pushing, which leads to gradual stretching of the skin of the perineum and prevents ruptures. Normally, the fetal head passes through the entire birth canal with its smallest diameter - in a bent state (the chin is pressed to the chest). To prevent ruptures, the midwife clasps the baby's head with two fingers of her left hand and monitors its correct progression.

The occipital region of the head erupts first, then the crown, then the head extends and the face is born. From the moment the fetal head begins to unbend until the full birth of the face, the woman in labor is prohibited from pushing. It should be remembered that the integrity of the perineum depends not only on the actions of doctors, but also on the behavior of the woman herself during childbirth. Breathing through the mouth "dog" can significantly weaken the efforts. The born head is facing backward in 96% of cases; then the child's face turns to the mother's right or left thigh. Simultaneously with the external rotation of the head, an internal rotation of the shoulders occurs, then the anterior shoulder (located at the symphysis pubis) and the posterior shoulder (located at the sacrum) are born. Further birth of the baby's body and legs occurs without difficulty.

For example, deep breathing in the initial stages of labor allows you to calm down, relax as much as possible and save energy. The need to inhale and exhale at a certain count makes you distract from possible unpleasant sensations during a contraction. At the same time, the uterus receives an influx of blood rich in oxygen, which will immediately affect both its work and the well-being of the baby. Later, when contractions gradually become painful, deep breathing is replaced by various methods of frequent shallow breathing, which act as a natural analgesic. Calm, measured breathing in the interval between contractions at this stage allows you to fully relax and gain strength. In the second stage of labor, when the baby begins to descend along the birth canal, proper breathing will help the woman in labor not to push ahead of time. And the most important moment - the birth of a child - is also related to breathing: the effectiveness of pushing is 70% dependent on the air correctly collected and released from the lungs in a timely manner.

The first stage of labor - how to breathe?

The initial phase of the first stage of labor is called latent; it is characterized by rare, short, low-painful contractions. Such contractions last from 5 to 15 seconds, and the intervals between them take from 20 minutes. During the latent phase, the cervix opens slowly. It will take several hours before the contractions begin to noticeably gain strength. As long as labor does not cause the expectant mother significant discomfort, it is very important to rest, gain strength and not worry. To do this, we will try to monitor our breathing,

Deep breathing during childbirth

When the contraction begins, take a calm, deep breath through your nose. Try to make your inhalation as long as possible. In this case, there should be a feeling that all the lungs are gradually filling with air. Then slowly, without effort, exhale air through your mouth. One inhalation and exhalation should be enough for the contraction. This act of breathing involves not only the pectoral muscles, but also the abdominal muscles. This technique is called “abdominal breathing.” It is more typical for men - in a woman, when inhaling and exhaling, mainly the intercostal muscles are involved. The abdominal type of breathing is used in opera singing and yoga. Such breathing will not only help you relax, but will also help improve gas exchange in the lungs and blood flow speed. In addition, with the participation of the abdominal muscles in the act of breathing, a slight change in pressure in the abdominal cavity occurs, which also contributes to the activation of the uterus.

You can count while breathing deeply. For example, during a contraction that lasts 10 seconds, it is convenient to inhale, counting to yourself from 1 to 3, and exhale from 1 to 7. Thus, one inhalation and exhalation is enough for the entire contraction. It is easier for the expectant mother to navigate the birth process without having to go to the clock every time, and time passes faster. During a contraction that lasts about 15 seconds, you can inhale, counting from 1 to 5, and exhale, counting from 1 to 10, etc. The breathing technique itself remains the same, but the need to monitor the participation of the abdominal muscles in inhalation and exhalation disappears (with such a long inhalation, this happens by itself!). Counting while breathing is a psychological technique that allows a woman to escape from her internal feelings and fears.

Breathing exercises during childbirth

The active phase of the first stage of labor begins after the cervix has dilated by 4-5 cm. Contractions at this stage last at least 20 seconds, and the interval between them is reduced to 5-6 minutes. Contractions of the uterus become stronger and can significantly disturb the woman in labor. Around the same time, amniotic fluid can normally be released. The amniotic sac, filled with fluid, is a kind of shock absorber for uterine contractions. Its rupture allows the uterus to more intensively increase the strength of contractions, so after the water is poured out, the contractions will become stronger and longer, and the interval between them will begin to noticeably shorten. To cope with increasing discomfort during contractions, try using the following types of breathing:

"Candle" - frequent shallow breathing, in which inhalation is done through the nose and exhalation through the mouth. Try to inhale air very quickly, as if not completely, through your nose and immediately exhale it through your mouth, as if blowing out a candle located right in front of your lips. Inhalations and exhalations should replace each other continuously until the contraction ends. After 20 seconds of this breathing, you will feel slightly dizzy. At this moment, due to the oversaturation of oxygen in the respiratory center of the brain, a significant release of endorphins occurs in the body. Endorphins, better known to the reader as “hormones of happiness,” have one remarkable property: they help increase the threshold of pain sensitivity, in other words, they reduce the sensation of pain. Thus, frequent shallow breathing during contractions works as a “natural analgesic.”

"Big Candle" , in fact, is a forced version of the previous type of breathing. You continue to alternate short shallow breaths through your nose and exhales through your mouth throughout the contraction. But now you should breathe with some effort. Inhale as if you are trying to “breathe” through a stuffy nose, exhale through almost closed lips. If you look in the mirror at this moment, you will notice that the wings of the nose and cheeks are involved in the act of breathing. This method is used when normal candle breathing is not enough for pain relief.

"Locomotive" - breathing, which is very helpful at the moment of complete opening of the cervix. At this time, the baby's head passes through the opening in the cervix. The uterus is in an excited state, which is manifested by frequent, strong and long (from 40 to 60 seconds) contractions, alternating with very short - sometimes less than 1 minute - intervals. The essence of such breathing is to “breathe” the fight. For this, a combination of the two previous types of breathing is used. The sensations during a contraction can be graphically depicted as a wave: any contraction begins with minimal sensations, then they gradually increase, reach their peak and also smoothly fade away. The “train” breathing intensifies and accelerates according to the sensations experienced by the expectant mother during contractions. First, this is “candle” breathing. As the contraction intensifies, like a train picking up speed, breathing also intensifies, as in a “big candle.” When the strength of the contraction reaches its peak, breathing with a “big candle” accelerates as much as possible. Then, when the contraction subsides, breathing gradually calms down - the “locomotive” drives up to the station, where rest awaits.

When using any type of rapid shallow breathing at the end of a contraction, you must take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This allows you to relax, even out your pulse and rest before the next contraction.

Second stage of labor - how to breathe?

After the cervix has fully dilated, the baby, under the influence of uterine contractions, begins to move along the birth canal. The resulting stretching of the soft tissues of the small pelvis, including the wall of the rectum, makes the expectant mother want to push. A similar sensation occurs when it is necessary to empty the intestines. When pushing, a woman in labor tenses her abdominal muscles, helping the baby “push” toward the exit. However, at the beginning of the second period it is too early to push - on the contrary, at this stage it is necessary to relax in order to allow the baby to descend along the birth canal as low as possible. In addition, in some women, pushing begins when the cervix has not yet fully opened. In this case, if you start actively pushing and moving the head along the birth canal, the cervix will rupture. How can you restrain the pushing?

Here again a special breathing technique will help us. In order not to push ahead of time, they use breathing. When a contraction begins and there is a desire to push, you need to open your mouth and breathe quickly and shallowly. With this type of breathing, both inhalation and exhalation are done through the mouth. It really does sound like a dog breathing after a fast run. By breathing in this way, you force the diaphragm to constantly move up and down, which makes pushing impossible (tension of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall).

When it finally comes time to push, it is very important to take a proper breath before the contraction. The effectiveness of the contraction directly depends on how you use your breathing at this moment. When the contraction begins, you need to take a full chest of air with your mouth - as if you were going to dive. Then you should hold your breath and push, tensing your abdominal muscles. Exhalation with a slightly open mouth at the end of the attempt should be smooth - then the walls of the birth canal will gradually relax, allowing the baby to “strengthen himself in occupied positions.” During the contraction, you must take in air three times, push, and then exhale. We can say that correctly inhaled and exhaled accelerate | your meeting with your child!

Let's summarize the lesson:

• As long as contractions do not cause discomfort, it is better to use “abdominal”; type of breathing.
• For pain relief, various options for frequent shallow breathing are helpful: “candle”, “large candle” and “train”.
• So as not to start pushing early! time, during a contraction you need to breathe like a dog.
• In order for the pushing to be as effective as possible, it is important to learn how to correctly - as when diving - inhale air, hold your breath while pushing, and at the end of the contraction - exhale smoothly.

Every woman wants to know how to give birth without pain. What is proper breathing and when to use it - let's talk in more detail.

Proper breathing is a set of breathing exercises that relaxes the muscles of the body and reduces labor pain. And no matter what pain threshold a woman has, she can control the process of muscle relaxation even during contractions.

Breathing will help you get rid of fear

Since ancient times, mothers passed on to their daughters knowledge about how to give birth. And these were two parting words: listen to your body, its desires and perform correct breathing, then on a whim.

Professional vocalists are good at a set of breathing exercises. Anyone who has sung in a choir since childhood knows that when you exhale, the stomach retracts, and when you inhale, on the contrary, it should protrude. And don't get confused.

This breathing is ideal for childbirth: calms the nerves, conserves strength, relaxes muscles, helps to correctly push the fetus out without tearing. With frequent exhalation and inhalation, hyperventilation of the lungs occurs due to rapid breathing. As a result, CO2 is washed out of the blood, brain vessels narrow and the subcortex is activated, which causes experiences that are repressed from consciousness.

Naturally, you should not constantly use such breathing in everyday life, because it was invented exclusively for such stressful loads as, for example, childbirth.

If you doubt how prepared you are for childbirth and proper breathing, then sign up for courses for pregnant women. All over the world, pregnant women are taught to give birth correctly, with an emphasis on breathing and positions that will help.

Breathing training during contractions can be done in pairs or individually. Of course, partner childbirth is a good example of proper breathing. A loved one reminds the woman in labor how to breathe during contractions, which eases her pain.

The true story of childbirth without pain

From personal experience

Svetlana, 27 years old:

“I can say that I gave birth without “that same” pain. Yes, there were contractions, there was enormous pressure on the spine and pelvis. It seemed that now my consciousness would fly off somewhere into space, but during the birth, I never screamed. The thing is that not only did I practice proper breathing throughout my pregnancy, but I also went to give birth with my husband.

He took a huge share of responsibility upon himself- negotiate with not always polite nurses, carry a heavy IV with me, organized absolute calm and concentration in the ward on the child.

My husband was constantly nearby and made sure that I had proper breathing. When you are alone, without the help of a loved one, you can get confused during contractions and forget about how to alleviate your condition.

In such cases, you can give in to panic, start screaming, strain your facial muscles - all this will not help the child in any way, but will knock the woman in labor out of such a necessary balance. The main thing here is to breathe.

Therefore, when during contractions a loved one was nearby and reminded me of breathing, repeating the exercises, I never screamed. The oxygen relaxed the muscles of the whole body, I calmed down and even allowed myself to sleep between contractions, which surprised the nurses.

At the ninth hour of proper breathing, my husband put our baby girl to my chest. It was funny, but when he laid our baby on my chest, we exhaled and smiled together. Breathing during childbirth is not only a natural pain reliever, breathing during childbirth is joint family happiness.”

Breathing helps the baby to be born

Modern gynecologists and obstetricians have long proven that, thanks to breathing, women not only facilitate the birth process itself, but also make conditions more comfortable for the baby during such great stress.

Doctors constantly remind you that even if you don’t feel sorry for yourself, feel sorry for yourself when giving birth to your baby., give him the opportunity to be born in peace, without tearing the blood vessels of the body, providing oxygen, without squeezing the birth canal with a cry.

The method of collaboration between obstetricians and women in labor was developed by the French doctor Lamaze. In his honor, this type of work with correct breathing during childbirth was named “Lamaze”.

The obstetrician was engaged in psychoprophylaxis of expectant mothers and taught women various types of breathing. The basis included training that improved a woman’s ability to control her muscles during contractions.

It was assumed that a woman's concentration on her breathing would provide the ability to relax the uterus during contractions. And mastery of such skills will not only reduce pain, but will also help convince the brain of its complete absence.

During childbirth using this method, a woman should not only breathe correctly, but also think about how difficult it is for the child to move through the birth canal. Breathing is also very important so that the child receives sufficient oxygen.

It has been proven that mothers with an adequate sense of responsibility during labor cause the least damage to both themselves and the child. Mothers in labor are advised to take mandatory courses in proper breathing in order to avoid psychophysical complications during childbirth. It's quite simple - you need to learn to breathe correctly.

This method of working with women in labor has become especially popular since the 60s of the twentieth century. Rhythmic breathing (which is synonymous with the Lamaze method) is widely used in various clinics around the world. Such breathing is considered the key to the birth of the baby with minimal pain, both for him and for the mother during labor.

How to prepare for childbirth

Once your water has broken, you've showered and are in the delivery room, start preparing your body for those last 30 minutes when your baby arrives. During the pushing stage, breathing will change again. Usually obstetricians tell you what to do, but it doesn’t hurt to know for yourself.

As soon as contractions begin, you need to deeply exhale all the air and immediately inhale deeply through your nose. Exhale again, but briefly, and take in air with three short and intermittent breaths.

Breathing varies depending on the stage of labor. When these are the first contractions, it is correct if you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Breaths should be deep, slow, even.

The main thing in childbirth, as it turned out, is not to be lazy to breathe. When contractions are just beginning, women think that they can stop breathing. “It will go away on its own.” This misses the important point of muscle preparation.

When contractions intensify, without breathing preparation, women in labor begin to scream loudly, strain their bodies, independently increasing their pain. You shouldn't do that. We need to remember how to breathe correctly.

Strong contractions, unfortunately, cause women to panic. Women in labor forget about technique and hold their breath at the peak. In such cases, labor pain intensifies. This is an incorrect setting, as a result of which the breathing rate is disrupted, and the child begins to receive an insufficient amount of oxygen.

Childbirth without panic

Contractions are a difficult process for self-control, so mothers are advised to find a point of concentration at the initial stage. It could be either a watch, or a door handle, or something else.

This is how a woman creates a visual impulse for herself and the signal goes to the brain. Each time contractions intensify, a woman in labor can focus her gaze on a selected point and calmly inhale air, which will help not to lose control of her breathing.

Rhythmic breathing should be continued until the contractions begin to weaken. There are several types of inhalation and exhalation during contractions. For example, one long breath in through the mouth and then two gentle exhalations through the mouth.

A calm breathing rhythm is important here. As soon as contractions are approaching, you should take a deep breath through your nose and two short exhalations through your mouth. The longer the contractions become, which indicates the degree of advancement of the fetus towards the exit, the deeper it is worth inhaling air. A calm inhalation rhythm is important.

When completing another contraction, do not forget to breathe deeply: Inhale completely through your mouth so that your lungs become free.

In order not to lose the correct breathing technique during childbirth, you can simply repeat the pattern to yourself. Remember how to breathe correctly: exhale, inhale (one, two, three), exhale, inhale (one, two, three).

When the doctor says you can push, take a deep breath and work exclusively with your diaphragm, pushing the baby out. Don't strain your forehead, eyes, don't shout. Just press with your diaphragm until there is air in your lungs. Then inhale again and repeat.

You need to start learning proper breathing 2-3 months before giving birth. Classes require daily effort of 20 minutes, so that breathing technique does not raise any questions before childbirth. Childbirth should take place in a calm and prepared environment.

Exercises for proper breathing during childbirth:

• Take a position that is comfortable for you. It is individual for everyone. Some people want to lie on their sides, some want to stand on all fours, some want to stretch out along the wall like a cat.
• Inhale deeply while sticking your stomach out. Exhale, drawing in your stomach. Repeat 10 times. This breathing will help you relax and concentrate your energy on childbirth. If you start training your diaphragm during pregnancy, the effect will be much more powerful.
• During frequent contractions, start breathing faster, using the same technique. Don’t be distracted by external factors, find a point of concentration, think only about the birth of your baby and don’t forget to breathe.
• During pushing, an already trained diaphragm will be very useful to you. If you do not scream or strain, but work exclusively with the diaphragm, then you will not only help the child at such a difficult moment, but also will not suffer internal ruptures.

Expert opinion:

Founder and director of the family center Yulia Gusakovskaya-Starovoitova:

“Of course, breathing during childbirth is very important and our center has such classes. There is a diagram for breathing correctly. But you shouldn’t take any plan for the birth itself. During childbirth, the main thing is to turn off your head and listen only to your body. Breathing is the key to proper childbirth. The main thing is to breathe."

Dear readers! How was your birth? Have you attended birth preparation courses? Were these courses useful to you? Do you know how to breathe correctly during childbirth? We are waiting for your comments!