How to breathe during contractions and childbirth: relieve pain and speed up the process

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Childbirth is a very responsible and complex process that requires great effort and willpower from a woman. It is extremely important to do everything that the doctor says in order to avoid negative consequences. Among such instructions, there are quite often requirements to breathe correctly. What is meant? Moms-to-be should learn how to breathe during labor and delivery.

The Importance of Breathing

It would seem that it does not matter exactly how oxygen will enter the woman's body. But in fact, this opinion is erroneous. If you know how to breathe during contractions and childbirth, you can speed up the process and help yourself and your baby. So, what gives proper breathing?

1. During contractions, the uterus contracts, which can cause the baby to be oxygen deficient. Therefore, it is very important to ensure a constant supply of sufficient air.
2. Breathing will help relieve pain during contractions. And if this succeeds, then you can save strength for attempts.
3. Stress exacerbates pain and exhausts, so it's impossible for a woman in labor to be nervous. And if you breathe correctly during childbirth, thenyou can relax and recover, keep your mind sober.
4. Attempts are a very important period. Breathing at this stage will help avoid tearing and speed up the delivery of the baby

How to do it right

An experienced obstetrician should give advice to the woman in labor and tell how and what to do. So, how to breathe during contractions and childbirth?

1. When contractions are just beginning and not too intense, everything must be done to ensure that sufficient oxygen is supplied to the body and, consequently, to the fetus. So you can use this technique: inhale through your nose, then exhale through your mouth. In this case, the breath should be shorter. For example, you can count to 4. And as you exhale, count to 6. This, by the way, helps to distract.
2. How to breathe during contractions when they become more intense? The goal is pain relief. You can use the technique of shallow breathing ("dog-like"). It's simple. It is enough to open your mouth and breathe often, like a dog (you can even stick out your tongue). It may seem ridiculous to some, but such manipulations really help.
3. Relax between contractions. Breathe deeply, slowly and evenly. Oxygen must be distributed throughout all tissues, reaching the brain.
4. If you start pushing, but the cervix has not yet opened, and the fetus has not dropped low enough, then it is important to restrain your desire to push. To do this, take a deep breath, then breathe often (4-5 shallow exhalations and breaths), and then exhale the entireair.
5. When the obstetrician gives the command to push, you should put maximum effort into it. To do this, you need to take a very deep breath, as much as you can. Hold your breath and, at the command of the doctor, begin to push. When the push is over, exhale very slowly so that the fetus does not go back, but stay where it was pushed.

If you know how to breathe during contractions and childbirth, you can help yourself and your baby (after all, it is also very difficult for him!). It is very important to gather all the forces into a fist and maintain clarity of thought. It is imperative to obey the doctor, since only he can determine at what stage the process is, and what the woman in labor should do at one time or another. Let everything go easy!