How to breathe correctly during childbirth and contractions. Breathing during childbirth Correct breathing during pushing

All pregnant women have heard at least once about the importance of proper breathing during labor and childbirth. There are rules recommended by obstetricians all over the world, and they are based on many years of medical experience and key techniques for facilitating labor. If a woman follows these rules, childbirth will be much easier, the condition of the baby throughout the entire birth process will be more stable, and the risk of complications for the woman in labor and the baby will be much lower. In this article we will talk about how to breathe correctly during contractions and pushing.

What is it for?

The intensity of a person’s breathing, the type of inhalations and exhalations immediately affect the well-being and internal processes in his body. If you don’t believe me, you can try right now to take a series of short and shallow inhalations and exhalations through your mouth (like a dog breathes), and within a minute you will notice that slight dizziness has appeared.

Breathing can activate or slow down gas exchange in the body, saturate it with oxygen, and activate blood circulation. Calm and even breathing perfectly calms you down even in a stressful situation.

At the first stage of labor - during contractions, even and calm breathing provides the opportunity to fully relax in the intervals between them. Such relaxation may well replace painkillers. It is with relaxation that women usually experience the biggest problems. Most often, fear of childbirth, of pain, about which a woman has heard and read so much, does not allow her to relax.

If you rehearse correct breathing in advance, for example, during training contractions (although they themselves do not require proper breathing or drug pain relief), then when real contractions occur, it will be easier for a woman to tune in to the correct breathing rhythm.

The more she can relax during the initial latency stage, the less physical pain she will experience during contractions. This has been proven by doctors, tested by many women in labor and is beyond doubt.

During the expulsion of the fetus from the uterus, following the rules of breathing makes each push more effective, which means that the baby will be able to be born at least a few pushes earlier. Compliance with breathing rules reduces the likelihood of maternal injuries during pushing; it is not without reason that experienced obstetricians urge women not to breathe haphazardly, not to scream, so that there are no ruptures of the cervix or vagina.

The child also benefits from correct inhalations and exhalations during the active stage of labor. With intense gas exchange, a woman’s blood is more easily saturated with oxygen; the baby receives it even after the water breaks, even during the passage of the mother’s genital tract, if there is no premature placental abruption. The “Children's Place” fulfills its functions to provide the baby with everything necessary until the last moment.

Rhythmic breathing technique during childbirth allows a woman to better control herself, listen and hear all the commands of the medical team, and carry them out in a timely manner. This reduces the likelihood of complications and birth injuries for the baby. It has been proven that childbirth proceeds faster with proper breathing, the woman and child feel much better after it, and the baby’s head is born softly and non-traumatically.

The rules of breathing during contractions and during pushing are taught to women completely free of charge in courses for expectant mothers at any antenatal clinic. But for some reason in Russia these courses are neglected; only 15% of first-time mothers attend such classes. Among multiparous women, this percentage is even lower - no more than 2%. Classes at school for expectant mothers are not considered mandatory; women in Russia can attend them or not attend them at their own discretion. In some European countries, pregnant women are not given such a choice - in order to get to the maternity facility with the chosen doctor, the expectant mother is simply obliged to take classes and provide the appropriate document about this.

Refusal for Russian women to attend courses does not seem very correct. Many questions and difficulties could have been avoided if the woman, by the last trimester of pregnancy, knew well at least how she herself should act in the event of the onset of labor, the breaking of water, and the onset of labor pains.

The reasons for refusal may be different - busy at work, at home, studying, feeling unwell, etc. But then you need to spare no personal time and still become familiar with the key breathing techniques during labor. Starting from the second half of pregnancy, experts advise the expectant mother to practice breathing techniques for about 10 minutes a day.

Basic techniques

There are several techniques, but they are all based on certain types of breathing. In everyday life, we breathe either from the chest or from the abdomen (watch yourself right now, and you will understand that you are quite comfortable in both ways, besides, from time to time we breathe mixedly - both from the top and from the peritoneum at the same time). You will have to forget about such chaotic breathing at the crucial moment of the birth of a new life. To learn how to breathe the way you should, you should start by mastering the key types of breathing that will be useful to you. Master them in the order in which they are indicated, do not get ahead of yourself.

Abdominal, lower (belly breathing)– the chest remains motionless; when breathing in and exhaling, only the stomach rises and falls. Place one palm on your chest, the other on your stomach. When training, the hand that is on the chest should not rise, and the second one, which is located on the stomach, should rise as high as possible. Inhalations should be taken deep enough, exhalations should be smooth.

• Full combined- When you inhale and exhale, both the chest and abdominal wall rise and fall. The difficulty (at least at the very beginning of classes) arises in order to do all this in waves - from the bottom up. Imagine that you are breathing from your lower abdomen. First, the stomach is filled with air (an element of abdominal breathing), then the air smoothly flows from the stomach to the chest, and then goes back.

It will also be easier to learn by placing your palms on the chest and abdomen. As you inhale, the palm on your stomach smoothly rises; as you exhale, it lowers, and the palm on your chest rises.

• Economical breathing– after you succeed in breathing the combined type, you need to learn how to save oxygen. Continue to breathe in combination, but now the inhalation remains the same in duration, and the exhalation becomes twice as long. Exhaling for a long time will help with pushing.
• Rapid breathing- a series of short inhalations and exhalations. This type of breathing will be especially useful during contractions. Popularly, the main technique is called a “candle” - after a short inhalation, a woman exhales sharply and briefly, the same way she would exhale to extinguish a candle flame if it were in front of her face. The “Big Candle” technique involves stronger, repeated exhalations, as if a woman needs to blow out several candles at the same time. Breathing “like a dog”, with your mouth open, may also come in handy.

• Pushing technique- This is a special breathing that should be trained during pregnancy with extreme caution. It will come in handy during the process of expulsion of the fetus. As soon as the obstetrician gives the command to push, the woman draws as much air into the chest as possible with her mouth. Imagining how the air “cushion” begins to press on the uterus from above, helping the baby to be born, you need to hold your breath. You should exhale briefly after it becomes impossible to hold your breath. Immediately you need to take a breath of air again and push again. As soon as the obstetrician asks you to relax, you need to breathe in the full (combined) type, which was mastered earlier.

Breathing exercises should become the best “friend” of the expectant mother during the second and third trimester. You can practice in any position, but it is best to perform exercises in different positions of the body in space - standing, lying, sitting and even while walking. This will help bring the ability to breathe correctly to almost automaticity; during childbirth, even if it begins suddenly, there will be no special problems in remembering the necessary techniques and reproducing them.

At different stages of labor the basic techniques will be combined differently. Therefore, let's look at the process of giving birth to a child from the point of view of breathing rules from beginning to end.

Contractions

During labor contractions, the muscle fibers of the cervix shorten, it becomes shorter, opens and frees the exit for the baby. This stage can last several hours, on average - from six to ten hours. Full dilatation of the cervix will automatically mean the beginning of the second stage of labor - the expulsion of the baby from the mother's womb, which has become too small for him.

Proper breathing at this stage can relieve pain during contractions. But it all begins with a preliminary period, which smoothly turns into the development of contractions. Contractions gradually intensify, and therefore at the very beginning, when they are still rare and weak, a woman should breathe in a combined type, calmly and deeply enough. This will give her the opportunity to relax, relieve fear, tension, and saturate the body with oxygen. If there is a lot of oxygen, it works as a natural anesthetic in the body, pain decreases. With an excess of oxygen in the body, endorphins begin to be produced, which help relieve pain during contractions.

At this stage, you do not need to use only abdominal breathing or rapid breathing; it will be quite enough to take a long, slow inhalation and an equally slow and long exhalation.

As the contractions intensify, combined breathing will no longer bring relief, and it will be necessary to add elements of frequent breathing to it. This is where the ability to “blow out a candle,” extinguish a “big candle,” and also breathe like a dog comes in handy.

Frequent breathing increases the concentration of oxygen in the body, endorphins begin to be produced with renewed vigor, and the woman feels contractions less painfully. At this stage, you can independently choose any of their techniques (“Candle” or “Big Candle”), focusing entirely on your own feelings. The main thing is to set the breathing rhythm so that holding your breath does not coincide with the peak of the contraction.

When the contractions become strong, around the end of the first phase, the woman needs to build a rhythm in such a way that she inhales through her nose and exhales through her mouth. At the beginning of the contraction, you need to breathe more calmly, at the peak - more often, and as soon as the contraction subsides, you need to even out your breathing again to a calm one.

If a partner birth is planned, a woman can master breathing tactics in the first part of the birth process together with her husband. He will become her assistant during contractions, will regulate breathing, transitions from slow to fast, from deep to frequent and superficial.

Attempts

When pushing, a lot depends on how attentive the woman is to the obstetrician’s commands. There is no need to push without a command; this can cause the baby to receive a birth injury, as well as cause injury to the uterus and genital tract of the woman in labor. Pushing begins after the cervix is ​​fully dilated.

At the start of this labor period, you cannot use the so-called pushing breathing, which was described above. Breathing “like a dog” will help relieve the condition. Then, when it comes time to push in an organized manner, you need to start breathing with a deep breath and holding your breath for the duration of the push. Remember, if you suddenly exhale the entire volume of air during a push, the push will be in vain - the baby will move forward little or not at all. Exhalation must be smooth, otherwise the pressure of the diaphragm on the uterus will be insufficient.

No matter how strong the desire to push without a command, to scream instead of inhaling correctly while holding your breath, you need to strictly follow the given rhythm and fulfill the requirements of the obstetrician.

After the birth of your baby, you can relax and breathe as you please. This will not affect the process of birth of the placenta. In this process, little depends on the woman in labor.

Danger of Screaming

If a woman screams, she does this while exhaling, thereby forcing it. When screaming, the lower part of the uterus tenses, and the fundus of the uterus continues to contract. This is fraught with cervical ruptures and injuries to the baby’s head. If a woman in labor constantly screams, the risk of fetal hypoxia increases tenfold.

No one claims that a woman should remain steadfastly silent throughout childbirth, like a Spartan. It is allowed to make prolonged attempts to pronounce the sound “i-i-i” with the mouth closed. Screaming out loud means wasting precious energy, interfering with the normal course of pushing and the work of obstetricians who are interested in ensuring that the baby is born as soon as possible, and is born healthy.

"Cobas Breath"

A training course on breathing at different stages of labor was compiled by obstetrician-gynecologist Alexander Kobas. In honor of him, the method was called “Cobas breathing”. The doctor recommended sticking to the following regimen.

• Initial stage of contractions– even, calm breathing, through the mouth or nose, does not matter much, the main thing is that the inhalation is long and the exhalation is smooth. The doctor does not impose any special restrictions on physical activity. A woman can quite easily walk around with relaxing full combined breathing, check whether all things are collected in the maternity hospital, she can do an enema, not forgetting to inhale and exhale correctly. During this period, you cannot cry, scream, sit or lie still, drink a lot of fluids and eat food.
• Active contractions– at the beginning of the contraction, you need to take slow and deep breaths, mentally counting from 1 to 4. Then exhale even more slowly, counting from 1 to 6. At the peak stage of the contraction, short and rapid breathing (one of the types described above) is used. At this stage, the doctor no longer recommends drinking liquid, only rinsing your mouth. You can walk, sing songs, you cannot scream and cry, eat, strain, trying to “hold back” the pain, squeeze - this prevents the cervix from opening faster.

Many women are skeptical about studying breathing exercises, believing that it is not particularly difficult to breathe correctly, and it is unlikely to help relieve pain from contractions and pushing.

important Meanwhile, proper breathing during childbirth is really of great importance, because the condition of the woman and the baby and the immediate course of labor depend on it.

The meaning of breathing exercises:

• Reducing pain;
• Relieving tension, relaxing the body;
• Acceleration of the process of cervical dilatation;
• Saturation of the body of mother and child with oxygen.

Breathing technique during contractions

Breathing during childbirth can be different, and this depends, first of all, on the period and intensity of contractions. The main thing is to follow the rule: the stronger and longer the contractions, the more frequent the breathing should be.

remember Breathing exercises in the first stage of labor play a big role, because many patients clamp down and try to suppress the contraction. However, this will not bring relief, but will only worsen the situation, because in this way the contractions do not stop, and the dilation of the cervix slows down greatly, as a result of which doctors are forced to resort to drug stimulation of labor. In addition, if breathing is improper, the child begins to suffer, experiencing oxygen deficiency (hypoxia).

At the beginning of labor, when the contractions are still slightly painful and have not gained strength, you should use slow deep breathing:

• The inhalation should be shorter than the exhalation;
• Inhalation is done through the nose;
• Exhale through the mouth, folding the lips into a “tube”;
• Use counting when breathing: for example, inhale by counting to 3, exhale by counting to 4-5.

This breathing technique will help the expectant mother relax as much as possible, calm down and saturate the body with oxygen.

For more intense contractions, you should switch to frequent shallow breathing: You can use the “candle” technique:

• Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth through elongated lips;
• You need to breathe very quickly and shallowly, as if you were blowing out a candle;
• At the end of the contraction, you can switch to slow breathing, described above.

After such breathing, slight dizziness may appear, which is associated with hyperventilation of the lungs. In addition, endorphins (“happiness hormones”) are released, which leads to.

If during childbirth the “candle” technique does not have the desired effect, you can switch to breathing "big candle":

• You should breathe with effort;
• Inhalation is performed as if through a stuffy nose;
• Exhale through almost closed lips.

As a rule, this technique is used at the end of the first stage of labor, when contractions become very frequent and painful.

Separately, we should examine a situation that quite often occurs at the end of contractions, when the baby’s head begins to descend into the pelvic cavity, but the cervix is ​​not yet fully dilated. At this moment, the woman in labor begins to experience very strong pressure and the desire to push, which is strictly prohibited, because can lead to severe cervical ruptures . A special technique of breathing exercises at this moment will provide invaluable assistance:

1. Change body position (lie down, squat);
2. When the contraction begins, breathe frequently several times (“candle”), then take a short breath and then breathe frequently again. Alternate techniques until the end of the fight;
3. You should breathe normally between contractions.

It is also possible to use “doggie” breathing: with this technique, breathing during childbirth should be done very often and superficially with the mouth open, and both inhalation and exhalation should pass through the mouth.

Breathing technique while pushing

During pushing, a woman must push the child as quickly as possible, so it is very important that she behaves adequately during this period and breathing correctly:

• When you start pushing, you should take a maximum breath and start pushing into the perineum. It is important not to push on the face and head, because... this will not lead to pushing the baby out, but will only cause ruptures of small blood vessels;
• During pushing, you should try to push 3 times;
• After the head is born, you should stop pushing for a while and start breathing “like a dog,” then after the midwife’s command, they continue pushing, and the baby is born.

Preparing for childbirth

information You should learn to breathe correctly during childbirth in advance, without postponing learning until later. In most consultations at the moment there are schools of preparation for childbirth, where the doctor or midwife will tell you about all the rules and techniques of breathing and behavior during labor. You should start exercising at about 30 weeks, so that by the end of pregnancy you can bring all movements to automaticity, which will subsequently provide you with invaluable assistance during childbirth.

Useful video

Breathing during labor: period of contractions - Video lesson No. 1

Breathing during labor: period of pushing - Video lesson No. 2

Experiencing increasing pain during contractions, the expectant mother becomes nervous, her pulse quickens, her breathing becomes irregular, 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 to 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 this way.

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: take a deep breath through your nose and exhale through your mouth, sharply, aimed at the uterus and pushing out the baby, 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.

Every woman, while carrying her long-awaited baby, pays great attention to the condition and behavior of the child in the womb, as well as to her well-being during pregnancy. But when the time approaches for childbirth, the woman in labor involuntarily thinks about how she should behave during labor and childbirth. Of course, in this process, proper breathing plays a very important function, which alleviates the painful sensations of the woman giving birth and guarantees the safety of the birth of the baby.

The need for proper breathing during childbirth

By adhering to proper breathing, the woman in labor greatly facilitates this painful process for herself and speeds up labor. This method calms the woman down and relaxes her, and also prevents panic, which is a huge plus during labor. A lot of women doubt the effectiveness of breathing exercises, thinking that this method will not relieve them of painful efforts, and this is their mistake.

The importance of proper breathing

When performing proper breathing techniques during childbirth, a woman focuses on alternating inhalation and exhalation, which allows her not to pay attention to painful sensations. It is necessary to prepare for this breathing technique in advance, because its correct observance is the key to a successful, painless birth, and breathing accelerates the opening of the cervix and fills the body of the woman and baby with oxygen.

Preparation and ability to breathe correctly during contractions

It should be understood that breathing during childbirth varies, it all depends on how intense the process is between contractions. There is a rule: if contractions are strong and prolonged, then breathing should be rapid.

The main thing to remember is that proper breathing in the initial stage of labor plays a huge role for the patient. In order not to aggravate the situation, do not squeeze or suppress the contraction under any circumstances. Such behavior of a woman in labor may entail the consequences of slowing the opening of the uterus and the intervention of doctors with medication, stimulating labor. In addition, if you do not adhere to proper breathing, you can cause complications to your baby, who will not receive enough oxygen, and this leads to hypoxia and further problems with his health.

The first contractions do not cause the woman much pain and discomfort; at this time, you should calm down and switch to deep, leisurely breathing:

• exhalation should last longer than inhalation;
• all breaths are taken only through the nose;
• exhale through the mouth, while the lips need to be folded in the form of a “tube”;
• inhalation should be counted to three, and exhalation to five.

This method allows the woman in labor to calm down and respond adequately to contractions, while enriching her body with a sufficient amount of oxygen. Be sure to count the time between contractions, this will help you shift your focus away from the pain a little.

During contractions, a woman should under no circumstances clench or be in a tense state. With this behavior, you will quickly get tired and exhaust yourself, but you will not eliminate the pain and you will not have the strength to give birth. Therefore, breathing techniques will help to cope perfectly with the pain of a woman in labor.

Period of intense contractions

When the period between contractions becomes more frequent, you should switch to more intense breathing. There are two breathing techniques for this period of contractions:

“Candle” technique

• with this method, you must take a long breath through your nose, and exhale through your mouth, while stretching your lips;
• your breathing should resemble intense blowing out of a candle;
• when such a contraction ends, you should switch to the slow breathing method described above.

Doggy breathing method

• open your mouth a little and stick out your tongue slightly;
• breathing should be very intense.

This technique should resemble a dog's breathing in hot weather. Don’t think about how you will look, none of the doctors will pay attention to this, because the main goal is to give birth quickly, painlessly, without harming your child.

An important factor is rest between contractions; during this period you should relax as much as possible. Partner birth helps a woman perfectly. At the moment when a woman is sufficiently weakened from contractions, her husband, who is nearby, provides her with excellent support:

• being in a constant field of view;
• holding his hands in constant contact;
• the partner makes breathing movements, and the woman repeats them while concentrating.

Joint childbirth helps the woman in labor not to feel fatigue, panic and loss of the correct breathing rate.

Behavior and breathing during the opening of the cervix

There are situations when, towards the end of contractions, the baby’s head drops into the bottom of the small pelvic cavity, and the cervix is ​​not dilated enough. At such moments, the woman giving birth experiences a great desire to push, which is strictly prohibited. This situation leads to numerous cervical ruptures. A certain breathing technique will provide excellent assistance in such cases:

• You need to change your body position by squatting or lying down.
• Before the contraction begins, you need to use the “Candle” method, and then take a sharp breath and start intense breathing again. This alternation should be applied until the end of the fight.
• During the time between contractions, you should breathe as usual.
• You can also use the dog breathing method.

Correct breathing method when pushing

When pushing occurs, the woman in labor should completely trust the obstetrician-gynecologist and listen to his advice as much as possible. The right tactics you choose, listening to the doctor, breathing correctly, pushing, will give you the opportunity to quickly give birth to a baby. Do not transfer your tension when pushing to your head, this is absolutely wrong and leads to rupture of blood vessels on your face.

How to use proper breathing when pushing:

• take a deep breath and push into the perineum;
• During the beginning of pushing, you should push two or three times.
• As soon as the obstetrician sees the baby's head, stop pushing and switch to doggy breathing.
• the next attempts are made at the command of the obstetrician-gynecologist, and the baby appears.

Preparing for childbirth in advance

Start your preparation for learning proper breathing in advance, do not put it off until later. If you understand the importance of breathing just before childbirth, then of course you are already late. You should start training around 28–31 weeks in order to have time to master all the proper breathing techniques.

How to approach the learning process correctly and competently

1. Do not try these methods at home. This can be done by people who sing, play sports or meditate.
2. Doctors insist and recommend training only in special courses, where only professionals work.
3. During the courses, you can choose a special breathing technique that will be suitable specifically for you.
4. The minimum number of training days must be at least six visits.
5. Bringing your breathing technique to automaticity will lead you to a successful birth.

After completing special courses, you will learn to breathe correctly during the entire birth process, you will understand how you should breathe during contractions or pushing, choosing the optimal method for yourself.

The most popular breathing methods are described above, but there are also methods that are used separately for each woman in labor:

1. Breathing using the counting method, choose a certain number for yourself, count and speed up to it.
2. Breathing while pronouncing words (for example, the word “dear”, while inhaling, pronounce “mi”, stretching the sound, and while exhaling, do the same, saying “ly”).

In conclusion, it should be noted that pregnancy and childbirth have always been considered a rather difficult process, so you need to prepare for it with all responsibility. Don't forget that you not only have to think about yourself, but also about the safe birth of your child. The psychological attitude and proper preparation for childbirth is a very important point. Think in advance about all the situations and rules of breathing that may occur during different periods of labor. And remember that your assistants in the delivery room are obstetricians who will help with their recommendations.

Video: what is important to know about breathing during childbirth

Childbirth is a natural process, quite painful, and it is necessary to prepare for it in advance so as not to harm either yourself or your child. The expectant mother herself can reduce the degree of pain during labor and childbirth if she knows how to properly organize her breathing at each stage of this process.

Based on the physiological changes that occur in the body of a pregnant woman, experts have developed a number of techniques for proper breathing to facilitate and speed up the process, saturating the necessary muscles of the mother and fetus with oxygen.

During pregnancy, due to the increasing need for oxygen for the body, physiological restructuring of the respiratory system of the expectant mother occurs. Starting from the 24th week, the need for oxygen increases by a third, and during childbirth by 2 times, compared to the normal state.

The displacement of the diaphragm towards the chest, caused by the constantly growing volume of the uterus, provokes a decrease in air circulation in the lower part of the lungs and their movement upward. A circular expansion of the chest occurs, making up space for the lungs.

The lack of oxygen is compensated by accelerating the rhythm of the heart and increasing the number of oxygen carriers produced - red blood cells. Such changes cause rapid breathing in a woman, a decrease in the volume of inhaled and exhaled air, and the respiratory organs become a tense functioning system.

During the last weeks, pulmonary ventilation becomes difficult for the woman in labor due to a decrease in the volume of reserve exhalation, and the respiratory rate increases by 10-15%. The process of hypoxia begins - oxygen starvation, which has a bad effect on the health of the baby and the condition of the expectant mother.

Doctors recommend learning in advance how to breathe correctly during labor and childbirth, and practicing and choose an individual option from all those offered, since all these changes are natural and inevitable in the body of every woman in labor.

Why do you need to breathe properly during childbirth?

During childbirth, all organs are subject to maximum stress and energy expenditure. Spasms during contractions and pushing stop breathing, as a result of which the access of oxygen to the pelvic muscles, placenta and fetus is stopped.

The child does not have enough strength to move towards the exit, the pelvic muscles cannot fully work due to the lack of oxygen, and the cervix is ​​pinched and weakly dilated.

To prevent oxygen starvation of the baby and her body during labor and childbirth, a woman giving birth should listen to the obstetrician and remember how to choose the right breathing method for a certain moment of labor.

During the process of childbirth, the techniques worked out in advance are automatically included in the subconscious, and the doctor’s commands will tell you which method will be most effective at this stage.

Is pre-breathing training necessary before childbirth?

When contractions begin, and then childbirth, many women panic, this especially often happens to first-time mothers. They get lost, forget how to behave in order to help the baby be born quickly and without pathologies, cause a lot of pain to themselves and, as a result, lose a lot of strength, delaying the process.

Therefore, doctors insist on mandatory preliminary training in breathing techniques during childbirth. For these purposes, special courses are created at antenatal clinics, videos are filmed, and online courses are conducted by highly qualified specialists.

After completing such training events and consolidating them in practice, future mothers are able to independently manage their own respiratory process, feel much more confident, are not so afraid of the upcoming birth and look forward to the upcoming event with joy, not fear.

You need to start learning proper breathing 2-3 months before giving birth, in order not only to acquire skills, but also to consolidate knowledge well in daily practice.

It is important to remember and fully understand how necessary the mother’s proper breathing is to obtain the required amount of oxygen for the newborn baby.

Is it possible to reduce pain during childbirth with breathing?

You can reduce pain during childbirth by using clear, slow breathing, in which the exhalation is longer than the inhalation. Relaxation of all muscles during measured inhalations and exhalations facilitates air access to the involved pelvic muscles, which reduces pain and promotes faster dilatation of the cervix.

The woman is distracted by controlling the count of inhalations and exhalations, and the fetus moves faster through the birth canal. At the end of the contraction, a deep breath and a maximum, relaxing and calming exhalation will ensure less pain in the next contraction.

During the period of increasing frequency of contractions, an accelerated breathing rhythm is used to relieve pain; inhalations and exhalations should be fast and superficial. Between attacks of contractions, you need to exhale and relax as much as possible, allowing the uterine muscles to be enriched with oxygen for subsequent maximum contraction.

Is it possible to avoid ruptures with proper breathing?

Having studied the techniques and methods of proper breathing before childbirth, you can independently both anesthetize the body during contractions and eliminate cervical ruptures. Accelerated blood circulation in the pelvic region supplies a large dose of oxygen in the blood while the muscles in this area are completely relaxed.

Inhalations and exhalations with the required frequency and depth saturate the uterine muscles with oxygen, which in this case contract faster, opening the cervix easier and faster. At this point, it is very important to listen to the obstetrician’s commands and try to strictly follow them.

The doctor sees the amount of dilation and tells you when to breathe and when to push. With quality breathing, the cervix relaxes and opens faster, eliminating ruptures.

Husband's help during childbirth

The presence of a husband during childbirth has a positive effect on the psychological and emotional state of the woman in labor. The husband morally supports his wife, helps her calm down and relax. Having previously studied with his wife a course on proper breathing techniques, he tells you when and how to breathe and helps with counting.

If the contractions go on for a long time, the woman is weakened and has lost count, the husband can perform the necessary breathing actions, and she will simply repeat the inhalations and exhalations after him. In this case, partner births provide tremendous assistance, according to experts.

How to breathe correctly during contractions?

At different stages of labor, experts recommend using appropriate types of breathing techniques. There are several ways of breathing during contractions, and every pregnant woman can choose the most effective one for herself by practicing in advance.

Types of breathing during childbirth, or how to breathe correctly during labor and childbirth when you push

The basic rule is maximum relaxation and rhythmic breathing for maximum access of oxygen to the abdominal muscles of the woman in labor and the fetus. Proper breathing at all stages of contractions allows you to use energy sparingly, without harming yourself and the baby, and acts as a natural anesthesia.

Abdominal breathing

At the first signs of contractions, you must immediately begin to breathe slowly, measuredly, with mandatory relaxation after exhalation. Alternating between slow, deep breaths through your nose and long exhalations through your mouth helps you calm down and relax.

When inhaling, you should try to slowly fill the maximum possible volume of your lungs with air. In this case, the pectoral and abdominal muscles are involved, blood circulation is increased and ventilation of the lower parts of the lungs is improved.

In this way, all internal organs are massaged, pressure in the abdominal cavity is evenly distributed, stimulating uterine contractions.

The duration of exhalation should be 2 times longer than inhalation, and the time for 1 inhalation/exhalation should be enough for a 10-15 second contraction. With this method of deep breathing, the abdominal muscles participate in the process automatically and do not require special attention.

Economical breathing

When contractions begin to occur regularly, but are still weak and short, doctors recommend using sparing breathing. With this technique, the duration of inhalations and exhalations is lengthened while maintaining a pause between them. Inhalations and exhalations are performed while controlling the pulse: inhale for 3 pulse beats and exhale for 3 pulse beats.

Gradually, the length of exhalation increases to 6 pulse beats. At the same time, carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood, which dulls the sensitivity of nerve cells and helps eliminate muscle tension.

At the beginning of each subsequent contraction, you need to exhale completely through your mouth, relax your whole body as much as possible, and then take a slow deep breath in through your nose, pause and calm, long exhale. The longer and stronger the contraction, the calmer, deeper and slower you need to breathe. In this way, the muscles are given the opportunity to relax and rest before childbirth.

Rapid breathing

As spasmodic labor attacks become more frequent, slow breathing may become ineffective and provide little pain relief. In such a situation, you should switch to frequent, shallow breathing. Inhale briefly through your nose and then exhale through your mouth, without pause, without holding the air inside. So it is necessary to breathe throughout the entire period of the contraction, from its beginning to the end.

To enhance the result, you need to exhale air through slightly parted or elongated lips. You can imagine that you need to blow out a candle, this will make it easier to remember the technique.

Possible slight dizziness due to an overdose of oxygen is relieved at the end of the contraction by holding your breath for 20-30 seconds. The high oxygen content increases the pain threshold and is a natural analgesic.

Breathing "Locomotive"

When the interval between contractions is reduced to 1 minute, it is recommended to use the “Locomotive” breathing method. This is a combined breathing technique: starting with slow and deep breathing, the frequency gradually increases, and the depth of inhalations and exhalations decreases.

Breathing gradually becomes shallow, in proportion to the increasing strength of the contraction. As the contraction subsides, the breathing rhythm also slows down.

The technique can be compared to a steam locomotive leaving a station, picking up speed, and then slowing down before the next station. After using any variants of rapid breathing at the end of the contraction, you must take a deep breath of air through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. This procedure is necessary for relaxation, rest and relaxation before the next stage.

How to breathe correctly when pushing?

At the time of the pushing period of delivery, the technique of proper breathing allows you to avoid ruptures of the cervix and perineum, speed up the process itself, and not cause harm to either the child or the mother. Difficulty may arise if pushing occurs when the cervix is ​​weakly dilated.

Breathing with counting

Contractions and attempts must be breathed out until the cervix is ​​fully dilated using alternating breathing methods. Frequent and superficial during contractions and slow, deep and relaxing between attacks.

Counting breathing begins with a complete exhalation of air, a deep breath, then 4-5 shallow inhalations and exhalations are made, and then again a complete exhalation of all the air through the lips extended into a tube. Exhaling in this way, the woman in labor focuses her attention on blowing out air and is distracted from pushing.

Breathing like a dog

To restrain the effort, the “doggy” breathing method is also used. You need to start it at a slow pace and speed it up as the contraction progresses to 1-2 breaths per second. Breathing movements are done quickly and superficially through the mouth, like a dog breathing in hot weather. In this way, the diaphragm is in constant motion and is kept from pressing on the fundus of the uterus, and the pushing stops.

After which you need to switch back to slow, deep breathing. By listening to the advice of the obstetrician, premature pushing can thus be respite.
You can push when the intervals between spasms are less than a minute. During this time, you need to do maximum relaxation to access the greatest amount of oxygen to the uterine muscles and the baby.

During pushing, you need to strictly follow the doctor’s instructions on how to breathe at a certain moment. When pushing, you need to inhale a large volume of air and direct it to the diaphragm and fundus of the uterus, pushing the fetus towards the exit. Then exhale completely and smoothly and repeat the breathing actions 2 more times.

When exhaling, it is not recommended to take short breaths so that the diaphragm does not rise and the strength of the effort does not decrease. After the head comes out, you need to exhale, relax and, at the command of the midwife, take a deep breath and repeat the breathing procedure for the baby to come out completely. Another push will be required after a few minutes to release the placenta.

How to breathe to relieve tone?

Proper breathing is used to relieve the tone of the uterus. When the first signs of tone appear, you need to sit on the floor and lower your head to your chest. Then you need to completely relax your facial and neck muscles, making calm, deep breathing movements through your mouth.

Tension is released with each exhalation a few minutes after the start of the exercises. The second option for removing tone is performed on the knees. Place your palms on the floor and lower your head.

Raising your head, arch your back and take a deep breath. As you exhale, arch your back and lower your head. All movements, inhalations and exhalations are performed slowly and calmly. Repeat the exercise 5-6 times. After the procedure, you need to lie down for about 2 hours.

How to breathe to relieve stress?

Having mastered the breathing technique in advance, a woman will know how to breathe correctly in order to reduce the pain that causes stress during contractions, pushing and childbirth.

The most effective way to relieve stress is to breathe slowly, deeply and relaxingly.

A long, deep breath is taken deeply through the mouth, and the exhalation is doubled. This results in an increase in the amount of oxygen in the tense muscles, which reduces the threshold of pain sensitivity.

Such breathing manipulations are done with a count that helps control the length of inhalation, pause and exhalation. By being distracted by counting, a woman in labor automatically comes out of a stressful state. Frequent breathing during the period of pushing must alternate with slow and deep, relaxing and soothing breathing.

Experts recommend not to ignore courses teaching expectant mothers how to breathe properly. Having studied existing methods and understood the physiological changes in the female body during pregnancy, the expectant mother will be able to choose a breathing method that is suitable for herself and her baby.

Video about breathing during childbirth

Video about breathing during contractions:

Breathing during childbirth. What is taught incorrectly: