Proper breathing during pregnancy. During the push

The most important substance necessary for human life is oxygen. The oxygen supply must fully meet the needs developing organism. In this article we will tell you what should be the correct breathing during pregnancy.

Proper breathing during pregnancy

The fetus does not use the lungs for breathing, but receives oxygen through the placenta directly from the blood. Therefore, in order to provide the child with the amount of oxygen he needs, the mother must breathe properly and stay in the fresh air as much as possible.

child development during prenatal period life occurs due to substances contained in the mother's blood. Through an amazing organ that is formed during pregnancy and develops with the child - the placenta - from blood vessels The uterus receives the nutrients necessary for the fetus.

During pregnancy, there are many changes in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of a woman. And this is not surprising, because the heart is only responsible for delivering oxygen to its destination, while the lungs deliver it to the body of the expectant mother. Second function respiratory system- "ventilation", or ventilation of the lungs, to remove carbon dioxide from them. Sometimes during pregnancy, the lungs begin to ventilate more than usual, as a result, completely healthy women there is shortness of breath - and not only after walking or physical exertion. However, this is not a cause for concern: rather quickly the body gets used to the ongoing changes and stops responding to them in such an unusual way for you.

And in order for the heart and lungs to successfully cope with the increased load during childbirth, it is worth finding time during pregnancy and learning how to breathe correctly. Principle correct breathing lies in control, i.e. in controlling inhalation and exhalation.

In addition to proper breathing during pregnancy, the mother should be able to fully relax during contractions in order to facilitate blood circulation in the muscular membrane of the uterus, thereby quickly replenishing oxygen consumption.

How to breathe during pregnancy?

Most people use an incomplete lung capacity when breathing. This means that they need more breaths to maintain an adequate supply of oxygen than a person with proper breathing. With more frequent breathing, the respiratory muscles additionally tighten and the load on the heart increases. During pregnancy, this can be a significant difficulty. Therefore, during this period, when the supply of oxygen to the body becomes so important, a pregnant woman first of all needs to learn how to breathe correctly, for which you need to master only the simplest exercises.

Breathing exercises during pregnancy

  1. Place your palms on your lower ribs, raise your head, straighten your shoulders.
  2. Open your mouth and inhale slowly, filling the upper and lower lungs.
  3. When you have inhaled as much air as you can, begin exhaling slowly and completely.
  4. In order to exhale the remaining air, lean forward slightly. Don't be afraid, it won't hurt.

This slow and deep breathing should be devoted every day for 5-10 minutes in the morning and evening. Many women are surprised to note how much better they begin to feel after just 2 weeks of such daily exercise. Such rapid progress is due to the wide adaptive capabilities of the trained organism.

Normal breathing pregnant woman can be tense and relaxed. If you force a too deep breath or breathe too quickly, then tension arises in the diaphragm and ribs. When relaxing, inhalations and exhalations should not be tense. The so-called sleepy breathing, i.e. filling with air not the upper, but the lower parts of the lungs, contributes to more rapid relaxation. When a person is relaxed, the abdominal wall rises and falls very slowly. As relaxation deepens, breathing becomes more and more even and often almost inaudible. In a relaxed state, the body requires much less oxygen than in a tense or moving state. Interrupted breathing and deep breaths unnecessarily indicate tension or incomplete relaxation.

Breathing technique for pregnant women

If you want to achieve relaxation, it is very important to learn how to consciously slow down your breathing.

  • To do this, take a slow deep breath, but do not overdo it, you do not need to fill the upper sections of the lungs.
  • When inhaling, the diaphragm descends, this can be traced by how the abdominal wall rises.
  • Then exhale slowly while trying to relax.
  • Now repeat everything again.
  • Try not to fix your attention on thoughts, but focus on your breathing.

After a few slow, deep breaths, the person usually begins to yawn, which indicates the success of a conscious attempt to slow down breathing.

Slow down breathing

As slow, deep breathing continues, the person becomes more and more relaxed, breathing becomes spontaneous, without any special effort.

This relaxed, natural, "sleepy" breathing is indispensable during pregnancy, as it helps to fall asleep at night and contributes to the achievement of complete relaxation during childbirth.

After a certain period of relaxed breathing during pregnancy, you can start moving again. After a few minutes of active housework or simple walking, breathing changes noticeably. It becomes more frequent without any volitional effort, as the body itself adjusts the respiratory rate to the increased need for oxygen.

Proper breathing during childbirth and contractions

How to breathe during childbirth?

In the first stage of labor, breathing quickens, however, despite this, you need to try to take a deep breath and exhale fully, you should not leave “used” air in your lungs. If at any point you feel the tension building up, do a little willpower and relax.

Try to fall into a short sleep and mentally reach a state of weightlessness. Inhale and exhale evenly and calmly, as in a dream. Remember that you need to breathe not with your shoulders, but with your entire chest, sending a stream of air to the most distant corners of the lungs, where the blood is saturated with oxygen. If you maintain a state of relaxation and be in a comfortable position, breathing will normalize by itself. Do not refuse pain relief: it is known that in response to pain, a person begins to breathe faster, superficially or completely delays inhalation or exhalation. However, during childbirth it is necessary to breathe, and it is better to do it correctly.

During contractions, the need for oxygen increases by 85%, and during attempts - by 150-250%. At the time of the contraction, 0.5 liters of blood returns to the heart more than usual, because of which the woman's pressure rises, and the heart begins to beat faster. It must be remembered that during contractions you just need to relax well, and breathing itself will take care of everything.

How to breathe during contractions and attempts?

  • Breathing during pushing also adapts automatically.
  • Don't hold your breath for long time.
  • You need to push with your mouth open, taking breaths with each contraction.
  • In the second stage of labor, the cervix opens completely, and the baby's head moves towards the exit from the small pelvis.
  • If you feel like pushing, but it is still too early to do so (the doctor or midwife will tell you about this), you will have to restrain the push.
  • Breathe often (like a dog), just make sure that you do not feel dizzy.
  • After the urge to push has passed, saturate the body with oxygen by breathing deeply and calmly. This avoids sharp excess pressure on the birth canal and prevents ruptures.
  • Inhale before pushing full chest, hold the air in the chest (but not in the cheeks!) and push with all your might.
  • Try to increase the strength of the push gradually, not abruptly. After that, exhale the air, collect a new portion and push again.
  • In between, breathe deeply and calmly - this is important not only for you, but also for the child, who at the time of the contraction also lacks oxygen.

Usually, immediately after birth, breathing returns to normal, and changes in cardiovascular system gradually disappear within 2 weeks after the birth of the child.

There are a lot of breathing practices - rebirthing, holotropic or energy-sensory breathing. They can be used for relaxation, healing, mental or spiritual development. Especially breathing technique is important for expectant mothers and their babies. "Women's Passions" talk about breathing exercises for pregnant women.

Proper breathing is important both during pregnancy and in preparation for childbirth.

The baby feels very well what is happening in the environment. One should not think that he “sleeps” in the womb and will wake up only when he is born.

All children at a certain period of development begin to listen to the surrounding processes and people with whom their parents communicate. Therefore, by the way, it is recommended to listen classical music She calms them down a lot.

Favorably affect the baby and breathing techniques. In addition, the child himself begins to learn to use the power of breathing for his mental, energy and physical development.

Special breathing exercises improve the well-being of a pregnant woman, help to get rid of irritability, drowsiness and fatigue, from unpleasant and painful sensations.

So, let's go directly to the exercises themselves.

You need to start with the simplest. During exercise, nothing should interfere with you. Get distracted from extraneous thoughts, tune in to the lesson and communicate with yourself and with the baby.

Exercise One: Relax

Lie on your back. Preferably on a hard surface. The arms should be parallel to the body. Relax the body: arms, legs, lower abdomen. Then gently, very slowly, take a deep breath through your nose, feel how the air penetrates into the lungs, filling every cell with oxygen.

Feel how your body absorbs something fresh and pleasant from environment. Take a slow breath. So repeat several times: inhale - exhale ... Try to feel the changes in your body: lightness, airiness, warmth or, conversely, chill.

Exercise two: tissue elasticity

Stand up, lower your arms along the body, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your head straight. You need to relax your eyes, but do not close them. Inhale deeply, smoothly through your nose, and as you exhale, relax the tension in the tissues. Do this exercise several times.

Bring your hands to your chest at stomach level and raise them in front of you, then above your head, combining these movements with inhalation. Imagine yourself as a large absorbent porous sponge, which is immersed in very clean and transparent water.

So you take in the air around you. Everything should happen not by force, but gently and naturally. When your hands are above your head, begin to exhale smoothly, spreading them to the sides with your palms up and returning to their original position. Then inhale again as you raise your arms and exhale as you lower them.

Continue until you see nice feeling throughout the body: palms, in the lower abdomen, in the uterus. Listen to the sensations within yourself and try to remember them.

Pregnancy

The energy-sensory breathing technique also facilitates the course of pregnancy and improves the conditions for the development of the child. It consists in relaxing the perineal region. This helps to make more elastic fabric birth canal and avoid tearing during childbirth.

Skin respiration is equally important. It allows you to feel good in places where there is not enough oxygen. Energy-sensory breathing increases the supply of oxygen not only to the mother herself, but also to the baby.

Special mention should be made of breathing during childbirth. Doctors advise starting these exercises no earlier than 30-32 weeks of pregnancy.

During fights

Get on your knees and spread your legs shoulder-width apart. Rest your hands on the floor. Gradually take a slow breath - without lifting your knees from the floor, stretch your head and nose forward and up, arching your back and leaning forward with your whole body.

Then exhale smoothly and intensely, trying to lower the pelvis and perineum to the floor. Arch your back in reverse side. Do these exercises without stopping, they should completely coincide with your breathing.

During the push

Lie on your back, hands behind your head, bend your knees and place them shoulder-width apart. Gently inhale through your nose, and as you exhale, lift your shoulders and shoulder blades off the floor. Exhale intensely but gently. At the same time, your lips should look as if you are inflating a tight balloon. Returning to the original position, take a soft breath.

Relax. Repeat the exercise 10 times, then exhale and hold your breath for as long as possible. Then take a slow breath and keep breathing on. During the exercise, the muscles of the perineum should be as relaxed as possible.

The main thing here is to learn to breathe smoothly, without jerks and hold your breath for at least 40-50 seconds. Indeed, during childbirth, the rupture of the perineum occurs precisely because the mother does not know how to do these simple things.

Just remembering the exercises is not enough. You need to learn to feel your body and baby and feel what you need at a particular moment. And then there will be no fear of childbirth. After all, mommy will no longer be afraid of marriage, she will not panic, as she will know what to do: how to relax, breathe and how to move to facilitate childbirth.

During childbirth, all the theory that you once heard or read is forgotten, only those sensations and states that your body “remembered” during the exercises remain.

Anastasia Vladykina

Breathing is a vital function of the body. Everyone should know how to breathe properly, and during pregnancy, saturating the lungs with oxygen is especially important. Having mastered the breathing technique, a pregnant woman will provide herself with invaluable help during childbirth: she will be able to control tribal activity, facilitate the process of fetal expulsion and reduce pain during fights.

With the help of breathing, the blood is saturated with oxygen, which is necessary for all organs and tissues and, first of all, for the brain. Usually people in a calm state make 17-20 breaths per minute. Their number depends on age, height and size. chest, states respiratory tract and lung tissue, as well as on body position and physical activity. AT vertical position you can take a deeper breath, which is due to the fact that in this position the blood supply to the lungs decreases. But to saturate the body with oxygen, it is not the frequency of inhalations and exhalations that is important, but how correctly this is done.

How to breathe properly during pregnancy

The most correct thing is to inhale air through the nose, fully straightening up. In this position, the back muscles help the lungs work, the cells receive enough oxygen, which stimulates blood circulation, and a blush appears on the cheeks. Proper breathing is especially important in winter, when the inhaled air is very cold. The air passing through the nose is cleansed, warmed, moistened. This protects against bronchitis in winter, and in summer against irritation of the respiratory tract by too hot and dry air. Flaw motor activity and improper breathing leads to the fact that a woman begins to feel sleepy, lethargic, tired. it alarm symptom which indicates that there is not enough oxygen in the body. It is very important to monitor how to breathe during pregnancy, because the fetus suffers from hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in the first place.

When the body is not sufficiently saturated with oxygen, the person, despite the fact that he had slept and rested during the night, begins to yawn. What begins in stuffy offices at the end of the working day: people walk sluggish, yawn. The thing is, yawning is a kind of defense mechanism with hypoxia. The body tries to compensate for the lack of oxygen by taking deeper breaths. In the atmosphere constant haste and stress we all do on the run, we don’t have a minute to rest, we even breathe superficially, not deeply. During pregnancy, you will have to take better care of yourself, including your breathing. Therefore, a pregnant woman needs to learn how to perform breathing exercises.

Lack of oxygen can be caused not only by shallow breathing, but also by such a simple reason as a rare exposure to fresh air. Periodically, you should ventilate the room, leave the window open at night, and take an hour-long walk before going to bed. In general, during pregnancy, you need to walk more, because you need to take care of the health of the unborn child, who will take his first breath only after birth, but for now, his mother must breathe so that there is enough oxygen "for two."

What can be done to, despite the constant lack of time, get rid of the ailment caused by lack of air? Below are some simple breathing exercises for pregnant women that will help you relax and enrich your body with oxygen.

Breathing exercises for pregnant women in the 1st trimester

First you need to sit down, relax and inhale and exhale three times as usual. On the fourth exhalation, note the time to determine how long it lasts. Then take a breath and also note the time, and then compare the results. Most likely, it will turn out that the inhalation is longer than the exhalation. Our exercises are aimed at developing such a breathing rhythm in which these results will be equal, and even better if the exhalation becomes a little longer. When performing the exercises below, you need to monitor your well-being, as a sharp surge of oxygen can cause slight dizziness. For it to pass, it is enough to stop doing the exercises and breathe as usual for a few minutes. After each exercise, you need to rest.

The respiratory gymnastics complex for pregnant women in the 1st trimester should consist of the following exercises.

Exercise 1. Sit on your heels, put one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Take a deep breath in through your nose and then slowly exhale through your mouth. Then rest a little and repeat the inhalation and exhalation. Perform the exercise 5-6 times.

Exercise 2. Stand up straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your hands up. Take a deep breath while stretching up on your tiptoes. As you exhale, lower your arms and stand on your heels. Repeat this breathing exercise for pregnant women 5-7 times.

Exercise 3 Stand up straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Place one hand on your stomach, and pinch one nostril with the fingers of the other. Inhale through one free half of the nose, and exhale through the mouth. Try to inhale as deeply as possible. Exercise slowly. Repeat 5-6 times.

Exercise 4 Stand straight, put your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, straighten your shoulders. Place your palms on your shoulders on either side of your neck. While inhaling, slightly lift your chin up and close your eyes. As you exhale, lower your chin down and open your eyes. Repeat this exercise for proper breathing during pregnancy 4-5 times.

Exercise 5 Stand up straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Stretch your arms to the sides, raise your palms up so that they are at right angles to the forearms. Exhale completely through your mouth. As you inhale (through your nose), stretch your arms out in front of you. Repeat this exercise 5-7 times, not forgetting to monitor your well-being. Take short breaks between exercises.

Exercise 6 Get on all fours with your arms fully extended. On an inhale, arch your back and raise your head. As you exhale, arch your back, rounding, and lower your head. Perform the exercise for pregnant women on proper breathing slowly and smoothly. Repeat 4-6 times.

Exercise 7 Get on all fours, as in the previous exercise; then, without taking your hands off the floor, slowly push your pelvis back until your arms and back are completely straight. Exhale completely from this position, returning to the starting position, inhale. Repeat 4-6 times.

Exercise 8 Stand up straight, put your hands on your belt, straighten your shoulders. Taking a deep breath, slowly get on all fours. Rest your hands on the floor. Then slowly return to the starting position, releasing the air. Give yourself time to rest and repeat the exercise 5-6 times.

Exercise 9 Lie on your back, preferably on a hard surface. Stretch your arms along your back. Taking air into your lungs, slowly raise your legs up to make a corner. It is very good if the angle is 90 °. Then lower your legs, exhaling the air. Do this exercise slowly, taking breaks. Repeat 3-4 times.

Exercise 10 Stand straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart, put your hands on your belt. Take a deep breath and, without releasing the air, rotate the torso. Try to keep your pelvis and legs still. After completing one rotation, slowly exhale the air. Taking breaks, repeat this pregnancy breathing exercise 3-4 times.

Exercise 11 Lie on your back on a flat, firm surface. Put your hands on your stomach and close your eyes, try to relax as much as possible and breathe as usual. This exercise is designed to restore breathing. Remain in this position until you feel that your breathing has fully recovered, then slowly stand up.

Breathing exercises to help pregnant women during childbirth

The following are breathing exercises for pregnant women, which are designed to help with childbirth and support oxygen balance. This complex is performed in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy lying down or sitting in Turkish, leaning on something with your back. The chosen position should be comfortable and not overbearing. discomfort. At the same time, you should take a position in which breathing will be free, uncomplicated.

Exercise 1 for chest breathing. Take the most comfortable position of those suggested above. Before starting the exercise, exhale completely. Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Then draw as much air as possible into the chest, inhaling it through the nose. Inhaling, inflate the nostrils as wide as possible. Control yourself with your hands: the hand lying on the stomach should hardly move, and the hand lying on the chest should rise. During such an inhalation, the ribs move apart and rise, and the diaphragm descends. At the height of a full inhalation, hold your breath, and then very slowly, gradually exhale through your nose. At the same time, keep in mind that the exhalation should be four times longer than the inhalation.

Exercise 2 for chest breathing. Take a candle, light it and hold it at the level of your chin. Learn to exhale air through your nose so that the flame of the candle is deflected, but not extinguished. Do this exercise 10 times, rest and repeat. Having learned to breathe in this way, you can not light a candle, but repeat the exercise several times during the day (useful for the upper abdomen and chest). After you have mastered this respiratory gymnastics exercise for pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimester, you can move on to more complex types. chest breathing: delayed, intermittent and shallow.

Exercise 1 for chest breathing with a delay is performed as follows: take the starting position, as indicated above. Take a deep breath through your nose, at the end of the breath, hold your breath and mentally slowly count to 10. Then exhale sharply through your mouth. Having mastered this time of holding the breath, gradually lengthen it, bringing the count to 20, 30. This breathing will help when the period of labor comes, called the expulsion of the fetus.

Exercise 2 for chest breathing with a delay is performed as follows: take a deep breath through your nose, hold your breath and stretch your hands to the ceiling, as if trying to touch it. At the same time, do not tear your heels off the floor. Then exhale slowly as you lower your arms. Hold your breath for about 5-10 seconds. Take a short break and repeat the exercise. Hold your breath for 2-3 seconds longer each time. Repeat the exercise 5 times. Then do this exercise a few more times, but already standing on your toes. Such breathing exercises during pregnancy not only help maintain oxygen balance, but also serve as gymnastics for certain muscle groups.

Breathing exercises during pregnancy for shallow breathing are done by taking a comfortable position that does not restrict breathing. You need to inhale and exhale through the nose, easily and quickly, without noise. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that only the chest moves, the stomach should remain almost motionless. Such breathing should be very rhythmic, and the duration of the inhalation should be equal to the duration of the exhalation. Do not immediately try to breathe in this way long time. At first, you can breathe like this for no more than 10-15 seconds, and then gradually increase the time of intermittent breathing by 10 seconds. The systematic implementation of this exercise will allow you to breathe in this way for 60 seconds by the end of pregnancy.

This type of chest breathing, despite its rapidity, should not be erratic. This means that the pace chosen at the beginning of the exercise is maintained throughout the entire period of intermittent breathing. Do not accelerate the rhythm of breathing during the exercise. It is better to breathe not so fast, but at the same pace. On average, inhalation and exhalation should be 2 s. But you can not immediately force yourself to breathe at this speed. You should start at such a speed that you can maintain without causing an overstrain in the body. It is advisable to do this breathing exercise exercise during pregnancy in the 2nd and 3rd trimester with eyes closed. This type of breathing will help with strong contractions that accompany the opening of the cervix.

Interrupted breathing is performed as follows: cover your mouth, stick out your tongue and take noisy breaths in and out, as dogs do after a long run. As in the previous exercises, only the chest should breathe, the stomach should be almost motionless, and the breathing rhythm should be quickened. You should take about one breath and exhale in one second. The duration of this exercise at the beginning of classes should be small, only 10-15 seconds. Gradually, you need to increase the time of such breathing to 30-60 minutes. This type of breathing will help at the end of the birth of the fetus.

After performing each breathing exercise during pregnancy, it is necessary to fully restore breathing, for which it is necessary to take a break and breathe in the usual way.

After all types of breathing exercises have been mastered, one should take a pose, as at the birth of a fetus, that is, put pillows under the back, bend the legs at the knees, and spread the hips to the sides. In this position, breathing exercises should be done in the following sequence: first, holding breath, which helps with attempts, then continuous, and then intermittent breathing, which makes it difficult for attempts, since this may also be necessary during childbirth. It is not easy to make the transition from holding breathing to intermittent breathing, so it will take some time to master it.

Abdominal breathing exercise. Place one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest. Take a deep breath before beginning the exercise. Then inhale through the nose, lifting the abdominal wall as if you were trying to break the belt around your waist. The hand lying on the stomach should rise, and the other (on the chest) should hardly move. Then exhale slowly through your mouth, gradually lowering the abdominal wall, which will return to its original position by the end of the exhalation. In this exercise, as in the previous ones, the hand helps to make sure that you are doing the exercise correctly. After a few days, control is no longer required.

Full breathing exercise. This breathing exercise for pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimester combines the previous two. Before starting the exercise, exhale completely, then inhale slowly, lifting the abdominal wall; continue to inhale, gradually drawing air into the chest. Hold your breath at the end of the inhale. Then slowly exhale first through the mouth, then exhale from the chest, lowering the ribs. After that, tighten your stomach well. Rest for a few seconds and repeat the exercise. Full breath allowing maximum oxygen to enter the lungs, can cause dizziness. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the exercise lying down, no more than 3-4 times in a row.

And now watch the video of breathing exercises for pregnant women, which shows all the basic exercises:

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Firstly, the correct breathing of a pregnant woman gives the baby required amount oxygen as it moves through birth canal, secondly, properly concentrated breathing allows you to control the process of the movement of the child and speeds up his birth, thirdly, the correct breathing of a woman allows you to get rid of pain in childbirth. During the whole period prenatal development, and even more so in such complex process like childbirth, the baby must uninterruptedly receive the necessary amount of oxygen through the umbilical cord, and proper breathing and physical activity women.

Pregnancy is accompanied by great changes in the body of the expectant mother, and this is not only the growth of the uterus and, accordingly, the abdomen, it is also an increase in the number of heartbeats per minute, blood thinning, an increase in elasticity and length of blood vessels. A pregnant woman, especially when the period "passes" for 25 weeks, feels that her heartbeat has become faster than usual, she may be disturbed by shortness of breath at the slightest physical activity, or without them. The lungs of a pregnant woman are ventilated more than usual in order to have time to saturate the blood with oxygen, and their volume even increases during this period.

How to learn to breathe correctly?

They increase the oxygen and nutrient needs of the woman and child by 85 percent, and the labor force by up to 250 percent, which must be corrected by the woman herself with the help of proper breathing.

1. A woman must learn not only to breathe in the air with a full chest, but also to exhale it with a full chest so that no stagnant air remains in her lungs. This exercise should be done several times a day, preferably sitting, focusing on both inhalation and exhalation, trying to push all the used air out of the lungs. You need to breathe as calmly and slowly as possible, it is better - to a relaxing melody.

2. After the deep breathing exercise, a woman should relax as much as possible, rest - it is better to do this while lying down. You can listen to a pleasant melody, imagine beautiful pictures nature. Breathing during periods of rest should be calm, but not very deep - approximately, as during sleep.

3. When breathing, a woman should pay attention to her chest, because during pregnancy it is most correct to breathe not with her shoulders, lifting them up, but with her chest, expanding it to the sides. Such breathing allows you to saturate the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe lungs fresh air and, accordingly, oxygen, eliminating stagnant air. “Thoracic” breathing also relieves the burden on the pregnant woman’s stomach, because when the lungs are filled, the pressure is not on the diaphragm and stomach, but on the ribs.

4. During an attempt, a woman should breathe very often, superficially, such breathing is called “dog-like”, but in no case should she hold her breath at all. Frequent breathing during an attempt eliminates pain, allows you to concentrate not on painful sensations, but on the breath. Such breathing should be used when it is not yet necessary to push, but the attempts have already begun - this will relieve unnecessary stress on the uterus.

5. After period rapid breathing, when the attempt has already receded, the woman should remember about deep, calm breathing with the entire chest, and focus all her attention on it in order to provide the baby and herself with oxygen until the next attempt.

6. When a woman has to push to push her baby out, air must be held in her lungs, not her cheeks. Breathing must be held, and the force of the attempt must be controlled so that it increases gradually. After an attempt to exhale the air, breathe in "deep" breathing, then draw air into the lungs and push again.

7. Between attempts, a woman should focus all her attention on calm and even, deep breathing, because it calms the heartbeat, allows you to gain new strength before the next attempt, delivers oxygen to both the mother and the baby, relaxes and gives rest to all the muscles of the body.

8. At the birth of a baby, a woman, as a rule, breathes deeply and calmly - this is influenced, of course, by the fact that such a difficult stage in her life and the baby has been overcome.

9. Proper breathing during attempts, which a woman learned in preparation for childbirth, will help her in the process of breastfeeding, because the baby always hears the mother’s heartbeat and breathing, and adapts to this rhythm. The calmer and more confident mother is, the calmer her baby will be.

Practicing proper breathing exercises future mom help yourself and your baby to overcome difficult period childbirth without problems and pain. These exercises can be done lying in bed, immediately after waking up in the morning, sitting at your desk, or during the daytime, leaning back in your chair. The most important thing in these exercises is to focus not on the number of inhalations and exhalations, but on their quality, depth. A woman should feel how her lungs are saturated with oxygen, how breathing calms her, allows her to get rid of bad thoughts and fears associated with the upcoming birth. During deep breathing, a woman can listen to beautiful calm music, stroke her stomach, talk to the baby, enjoying these moments, believing in a prosperous future.

A pregnant woman would really do well to learn different ways correct breathing. If you train daily, then by the end of your pregnancy you will really be well prepared to help yourself and, of course, your baby during the passage through the birth canal. The ability to breathe properly helps not only to relax in time and calm down during contractions, but also, in the end, to control the force of contraction of one's own muscles.

It is quite possible to perform breathing exercises even lying down, but if it is more convenient for you, you can also sit in Turkish, but it is still advisable to lean on something with your back, say, on a hard pillow.

Proper breathing during childbirth is extremely important and responsible.

You simply have to allow your uterine muscles to get enough oxygen, and be sure to be much less painful. female body is designed in such a way that lack of oxygen or hypoxia instantly causes pain.

Proper breathing helps:

  • Control, which in turn helps protect the baby from birth injuries
  • Making the same efforts more efficient and thus provides the necessary pressure of the diaphragm on your uterus, which in turn helps the baby to be born. When the expectant mother draws air simply into her cheeks, this does not help the baby in any way, he does not advance, and the attempts become ineffective.
  • So that the baby’s head can come out gently, without in any way injuring itself and without harming the mother’s birth canal
  • Make sure that the baby also does not suffer from a lack of oxygen, all the same hypoxia.

Videos breathing during childbirth and pregnancy

Full chest breathing

Try placing one hand on your stomach and the other directly on your chest. Try to make a full deep exhalation, and then inhale through the nose, while taking into the lungs as much air as possible. At this time, the hand that lay on your stomach should remain practically motionless. The second hand, on the contrary, should rise as much as possible, due to the fact that your breath was so deep that with it the ribs rose as much as possible, and the diaphragm also dropped. Taking a full deep breath, try to hold your breath, then slowly exhale the air through your nose.

When you have mastered this exercise, it will be possible to move on to the study of other styles and varieties of chest breathing. It can be superficial, delayed and intermittent.

shallow breathing

You need to try to breathe easily and naturally, quickly, as well as rhythmically and almost silently. Try to breathe through your mouth, while only filling the very tops of your lungs with air. At this time, let someone close put both hands on your shoulder blades and say if you feel the movement of his hands when you breathe. Try to make your breathing easier and more airy with each breath.

When performing such exercises, do not forget that only the upper sections of the chest should move, and in no case should the stomach.

Make sure that the inhalations are equal to the exhalations. Try to gradually, without rushing to increase

the duration and number of shallow breaths, at first from ten to thirty seconds, and to late dates pregnancy can be increased up to one minute. Shallow breathing simply must be rhythmic, inhalation should be followed by exhalation in two seconds. You will probably find it easier to do these exercises with your eyes closed.

Such breathing practices can also help you with strong contractions, when the cervix opens. During contractions, it is extremely important that your diaphragm, as a muscle capable of separating the chest cavity from abdominal cavity, which should correctly strain and fall when inhaling, did not press excessively on the uterus. And therefore, the lighter and airier your shallow breathing is, the less the diaphragm will be able to go down, which is what is needed right at the moment.

Breathing delays

Try to inhale air very deeply through your nose, when you feel that this is the end of inhalation, try to hold your breath, now count to ten in your thoughts, and only then exhale sharply through your mouth. When you practice this breathing, you can try to bring your count to thirty.

It is necessary to breathe with delays at the very moment when your baby is gradually coming out.

Open your mouth, stick out your tongue, try to inhale and exhale very noisily, it will remotely resemble the breathing of a dog. The rhythm of your intermittent breathing must necessarily be somewhat rapid. You need to take approximately one inhalation and exhalation in one second. When you practice this type of breathing, try to breathe like this for only thirty seconds at first, then increase the number of breaths to forty, and later sixty times.

Interrupted breathing is extremely useful at the end of the primary period of childbirth, just when a woman wants to push. However, you need to remember that you should not do this until your baby's small head sinks down into the pelvis, as well as at the end of the second stage of labor, when you are able to see the appearance of the head.

Peritoneal breathing

Place one hand on top of your stomach, lower the other on your chest. Before starting the exercises, you need to make a full devastating exhalation. Then inhale fully through the nose, while raising the abdominal wall, thus puffing up the stomach. The hand that was lying on the stomach at the same time will move, and the hand that was lying on the chest will have to remain practically motionless. Then, slowly, exhale very slowly through your mouth, while gradually lowering the abdominal wall, and by the very end of the exhalation, the peritoneum should return to its original position.

Absolutely full deep breathing

At the very beginning of the exercises, take a full deep exhalation, freeing the lungs. Then slowly inhale very slowly, while again raising the abdominal wall. To the very end of the inhalation, try to hold your breath, and then just as slowly and slowly exhale through your mouth, first lower your chest, and then your ribs. Full deep breathing is essential in order to rest in between contractions. Such exercises can even cause some dizziness. And therefore it is better to train like this in a prone position and you need to start with no more than three or four times in a row.

Sharp exhalations

It may happen that after the very first contractions, despite the exact fact that the cervix is ​​not yet completely open, the woman will begin to try. It is quite possible to prevent this with the help of breathing, for this you need to first take two short, not deep breaths, and then one, but very long, and noisy exhalation right with a roar.

Another useful video about proper breathing:


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