This study examined the breathing patterns of a small sample of women (n = 21) during latent labor. The study also examined the different thoughts or cognitions the women experiencccl during their early contractions and assessed whether these cognitions, when classified as associative or dissociative in orientation, were related to breathing styles and length of labor. Respiration rate and tidal volume were monitored during and between contractions using a noninvasive pkthysmograph systern. The breathii results indicated considerabk variation among women in individuai respiration rate and tidal v&me both between and during contmctiom. In addition, marked variability was found in both the direction and degree of change in breathii frequency and tidal volume in response to conttactions. Women who relied predominantly on associative strategies during early labor had lower breathing rates and hither tidal volumes than did women who employed dissociative strategies. Q 1997 ty the American College of Nurse-Mi. instruction in the use of breathing strategies during childbirth is part of all childbirth education programs. During early or latent labor, women are encouraged to follow a slow and deep pattern of breathing and to accentuate this pattern with the onset of contractions. This slowdeep pattern of breathing is believed to rniniiize anxiety, maintain relaxation, and improve maternal and fetal oxygenation throughout the labor period ( 1) , Experimental research has supported the efficacy of slow-paced respiration in reducing experienced pain/distress during acute painful stimulation (2). There have been no studies, however, that have examined how women breathe during latent labor and whether different patterns of breathii are associated with different outcomes.