How does breathing help in labour?
Rhythmic breathing during labour maximises the amount of oxygen available to you and your baby. Breathing techniques may also help you handle contractions and be more satisfied with how you’ve coped with your labour.
Using relaxation techniques, including breathing, has also been linked to a reduced likelihood of assisted birth and caesarean.
Exploring what happens when you lose control of your breathing can help you understand why rhythmic breathing can help in labour.
When you're tense and frightened, your breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Your shoulders are pulled up towards your ears and your neck and shoulder muscles feel tight and rigid. If you move into a state of panic, you start over-breathing, sucking the air into your lungs and breathing out in short, sharp gasps.
Panic breathing cuts down on the amount of oxygen you take in for you and your baby. You feel light-headed and out of control. Pins and needles start in your fingers and your mouth feels numb.
Panic-breathing is a common reaction to very stressful or frightening situations. It's normal, but your body can't continue in this state for long without becoming exhausted. In labour, your aim is to conserve your energy as much as possible, and give your baby plenty of oxygen to help him cope with labour. Rhythmic breathing can help you do this.
Breathing patterns for labour
Close your eyes for a moment now and focus on your breathing.
Notice how rhythmical it is. You breathe in, then there's a slight pause before you breathe out. Your out-breath matches your in-breath in length and depth. You pause slightly before your lungs draw the next breath in.
Keep your breathing rhythmical. Don't let the in-breath become longer than the out-breath. If anything, your out-breath should be longer than your in-breath.
When you're having very strong contractions, your breathing will become shallower. There's nothing wrong with this as long as your breathing doesn't start to get faster and faster and turn into panic breathing.
Simple breathing techniques
It can help to practise relaxation techniques and strategies during pregnancy. If you get used to the techniques, you can slip into them more easily once you’re in labour. Try the following breathing techniques:
Think of the word "relax". It has two syllables, "re" and "lax". As you breathe in, think "re" to yourself, and as you breathe out, think "lax". Don't let your mind wander away from repeating the word "relax"' in tune with your breathing. When you breathe out, try to let go of any tensions in your body. Focus on the muscles that you know become tense when you're stressed. Remember, every time you breathe out, "laaaax". The out-breath is the one to focus on: the in-breath takes care of itself!
Or you can try counted breathing. As you breathe in, count slowly up to three or four (or whatever number seems comfortable for you) and as you breathe out, count to three or four again. You might find that it's more comfortable to breathe in to a count of three and out to a count of four.
Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Keep your mouth very soft as you sigh the breath out. In through your nose, and out through your mouth. You may find it helpful to make a sound on the out-breath, such as "oooooooh" or "aaaaaah". In between contractions, have sips of water to prevent your mouth from becoming dry.
Support with breathing
It can be hard to keep your breathing rhythmical and to relax every time you breathe out when you're having painful contractions. You may also feel tired, and that your labour seems endless. This is where the support of your birth partner is essential. He can help you keep your breathing steady by breathing with you.
You may need to have eye contact with him. If this works for you, he can hold your hands or place his hands on your shoulders, leaning gently on them. Then you can follow his pattern of breathing as he breathes in through his nose and blows out softly into your face. Practise this during pregnancy.
It feels strange to begin with and both of you may be rather self-conscious. Co-breathing, however, can be very useful when you're in labour and you think you just can't go on any more.
Breathing and pushing
During the second stage of labour, you will be pushing your baby out into the world.
Follow your urges and push as many times per contraction as feels right for you. You may find that you feel the urge to push briefly three to five times with each contraction, taking several breaths in between.
Holding your breath and putting your chin to your chest, while pushing for as long as possible isn't recommended. There’s no evidence that this benefits you or your baby. It may even damage your pelvic floor, leaving you with long-term bladder problems.
Another reason to avoid holding your breath and prolonged pushing is the effect it may have on your baby. Pushing for longer than five or six seconds at a time may affect how much oxygen gets through to your baby. This may cause him to become distressed.
What if I have an epidural?
If you've had an epidural, you should wait at least an hour from the time you are fully dilated before you start pushing, unless your baby's head is visible or you get a strong urge to push.
Keep calm if you still can't really feel any bearing down urges or where you’re meant to be pushing. Your midwife will tell you when a contraction is beginning. Then imagine that you need to push out a really big poo, as it’s in that direction that you need to direct your efforts. Bear down into your bottom for a count of five, taken another few breaths, and then push again.
Breathing and not pushing
You may get the urge to push before your cervix is fully dilated. Depending on how far dilated you are, your midwife may ask you not to push. This is to give your cervix more time to open, but it can be extremely difficult to resist! The evidence now suggests women should follow their own urge to push and shouldn’t be directed to do so. The whole era of, “Take a deep breath and put your chin on your chest and push,” should be coming to an end. If you’re upright for birth the urge is stronger because of gravity and you may need much less direction. If you’ve had an epidural and you can’t feel much, you may need direction to push.
You can help by changing your position, perhaps onto your side or kneeling on all fours with your bottom in the air and your cheek resting on the ground. When a contraction arrives give four short pants, then a quick in-breath, followed by four more short pants and so on.
You can also repeat the phrase "I must not push" in your head as you pant. Breathe normally between contractions.
http://www.babycenter.com.au/a544499/breathing-techniques-for-labour#ixzz3jfIAv12e