No one will dispute the fact that the basis of the life activity of every human body is breathing. Such a stable expression “necessary as air” is absolutely true. A person can do without many things; for some time he can even exist without food and water. If a person is deprived of breathing and, as they say, “cut off his oxygen,” then just a few minutes later the consequences will become irreversible and deplorable. For human life as it begins with the first inhalation, so it ends with his last exhalation. However, let's not talk about sad things.
We'll talk about what important has correct breathing during pregnancy. Having mastered the technique of special breathing exercises, a woman will thoroughly prepare herself for the birth process, both physically and psychologically. In addition, performing breathing exercises helps not only the female body, but also the baby growing inside it, to adapt to new conditions most quickly and effectively.
While performing exercises, a woman may experience so-called respiratory discomfort - a state of difficulty breathing, accompanied by pain in the lungs and head, causing slight dizziness. This cannot be allowed! And if this uncomfortable state overtakes a woman, the exercise that provoked it should be stopped immediately. The only thing is that you shouldn’t give up doing it forever. It is worth trying to repeat this exercise after some time. If the situation does not improve and the state of respiratory discomfort again overtakes the pregnant woman, the exercise that provokes it should be excluded from the complex performed.
The only discomfort that is acceptable when performing a complex of breathing exercises is a slight and mild, short-term bodily pain that appears as a result of any physical action. It is natural that painful sensations of this kind are associated with structural physiological changes body, so they are completely acceptable. However, if they are quite long and protracted, you should reconsider the correctness of the exercises performed.
Experts recommend resorting to breathing exercises daily, both separately grouped and in combination with other gymnastic exercises. The only thing is that you should adhere to a strictly limited time - the duration of breathing exercises should not exceed 10 minutes. Because the body of a pregnant woman is prone to a significant decrease in the level of carbon dioxide concentration in the blood. Consequently, frequent breathing will help to reduce it even more, which, of course, is not entirely correct and desired result, which, among other things, can cause dizziness. If a woman becomes dizzy, she should take a deep breath, stay in this state for 15-30 seconds, and then release the remaining air out. This will help get rid of discomfort and return the body to normal.
Basic breathing exercises are performed as follows:
- Chest breathing
The right hand should be placed on the stomach, the left hand on the chest opposite to it. Exhale completely, then take in as much air as possible into your lungs, while inhaling through your nose. It is especially important that the hand lying on the stomach is at rest at the moment and practically does not move. The hand on the chest should naturally rise due to the movement of the ribs and the lowering of the diaphragm when inhaling. After taking a full and deep breath, you should hold your breath for a few seconds, then slowly exhale the air through your nose.
- Holding your breath
While in any comfortable position, you should inhale deeply through your nose, hold your breath for 10 counts (later you can increase it to 20-30), and then sharply exhale the rest through your mouth.
- Irregular breathing
With your mouth slightly open and your tongue sticking out, you should inhale and exhale noisily (like a dog). The rhythm of breathing should be rapid: ideally, you should take one inhalation and exhalation per second. You can start with a 30-second exercise, gradually increasing the number of repetitions to 45-60 seconds.
- Shallow breathing
It's better (and easier) to do this exercise with your eyes closed. While in any comfortable position, you should breathe quickly, rhythmically and silently. In this case, it is desirable that the stomach is motionless, and only the upper part moves. chest. The rhythm of breathing should be consistently constant: one second - inhale, one second - exhale. The duration of the exercise should be gradually increased, leading to the last phase of pregnancy to 60 seconds.
- Full breath
Take a comfortable lying position. Exhale completely from your lungs. Then, slightly lifting your stomach (abdominal wall), you should inhale slowly. At the end of the inhalation, hold your breath for a few seconds, then begin to slowly exhale the air, lowering first the chest and then the ribs. Do no more than 3-4 repetitions, in otherwise You may experience unpleasant dizziness.
- Abdominal breathing
One hand should be placed on the stomach, the other on the opposite chest. Exhale completely through your mouth. Then you should slowly inhale air through your nose, while inflating your stomach. In this case, the hand located on the stomach should move, and the one located on the chest should remain practically motionless. Next, you should exhale slowly through your mouth, while lowering the abdominal wall so that by the end of the exhalation the stomach returns to its original position.
Health to you and your baby!
When pregnancy occurs, almost from the first day, every woman thinks about the successful outcome of the matter, imagining how everything will happen. So that the upcoming birth does not frighten, but calms and instills confidence, you need to prepare yourself and your body in advance for a responsible procedure.
The proposed breathing exercises during pregnancy are performed in parallel with a set of physical exercises. The main goal of such activities is to fully supply the growing fetus with blood and, accordingly, oxygen. They are aimed at strengthening the abdominal muscles and improving the flexibility of the pelvic bones and spine, as well as ensuring the gradual adaptation of the pregnant woman’s blood vessels and heart to physical stress.
In addition, breathing exercises act as a kind of relaxation, a kind of relaxation that calms a woman. Well, the fact that proper breathing during childbirth reduces the load on all a woman’s organs and reduces pain is simply undeniable. However, without systematic training and self-concentration, realize this correct breathing during labor activity It's simply impossible.
Basic rules to follow
Doing workout exercises correct breathing, you should adhere to a number of simple requirements that make these exercises useful, correct and enjoyable for a pregnant mother. Remember that in between performing exercises, you should take a break for a break. You can close your eyes and breathe as you are used to.
You can train your breathing while in the following positions:
- lie on your side and raise your knees to your body;
- lie on your back, with your legs bent at the knees, put on the bed, resting on the soles of your feet;
- sitting on a chair;
- in the “lotus” or Turkish position;
- while walking.
Find a comfortable position for yourself and breathe healthily. You can turn on some light music. Practice both at home and in a group. It is good to combine the breathing used in yoga in various popular techniques. Outdoor exercise is great.
Types of breathing exercises
There are several types of breathing exercises, which depend on the organs and systems they are aimed at. So there is:
- Breathing through the diaphragm. This is how one learns to breathe when teaching academic vocals and other types of singing art.
To master this breathing technique, you need very little skill. Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest and breathe, taking deep breaths in and out. It is important to carefully ensure that the inhalation lifts and engages only the abdominal muscles, but the pectoral muscle remains unchanged. This effect is difficult to achieve immediately, because women, as a rule, breathe with their chests, and men with their stomachs. Breathing movements are carried out exclusively through the nose and inhalation and exhalation.
- Breathing through the chest. Using chest breathing, you can breathe in two different ways.
First way. Place your hands on your ribs and move your bent elbows to the sides. Make sure that during breathing movements, only the elbows move along with the rising ribs, but the chest and abdomen remain unchanged and remain at rest.
Second way. Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Here breathing is carried out purely according to “ female type“- while inhaling, only the chest moves, and the stomach remains unchanged.
In terms of time, such exercises on proper breathing can take from ten to thirty minutes, no more. It is important to pay attention to the fact that when performing breathing exercises, you should not make delays, both when inhaling and exhaling. Otherwise, your baby may not receive enough oxygen and experience an unpleasant condition called “hypoxia.”
Light breathing exercises
In addition to relaxation exercises, breathing exercises are also used, which usually precedes physical exercise and takes approximately five to ten minutes in duration. Such exercises subsequently significantly facilitate childbirth.
Breathing exercises during pregnancy, during gymnastic exercises, are suggested based on three basic breathing skills:
1. Breathing with the abdominal muscles. Place one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest and, after exhaling, inhale shallowly, using only your stomach. But the hand that remains on the chest remains motionless. This breathing is repeated three to four times. It is almost irreplaceable between periodically recurring contractions.
2. Already familiar breathing with the pectoral muscles. The hands also remain on the stomach and chest, and we inhale only through the chest, the stomach is not involved. Through such exercises you can breathe during the contractions themselves.
3. Breathing in fits and starts, short, separate movements. Here you should breathe quite quickly and loudly, managing to simultaneously inhale and exhale through the nose and through the mouth. This kind of breathing is often shown in movies. Usually it helps when the first attempts appear and makes it possible to relieve the contraction itself with such breathing, reducing the pressure in the abdomen.
Shortness of breath can also occur in almost anyone. There are many reasons for this phenomenon. This usually happens with obesity, heavy physical activity, and so on. However, lack of air is often caused by disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. In addition, pregnant women complain. What is it?
What do expectant mothers complain about?
Pregnancy is difficult period for the female body. In this condition, he experiences enormous stress. Many people feel short of breath during pregnancy. Women complain that they have difficulty breathing. They can only be saved by frequent ventilation.
Many people can sleep exclusively in cool rooms. Otherwise, they simply won’t sleep. Women feel short of breath, find it difficult to walk, and simply suffocate. So why is there not enough air during pregnancy? What is the reason for this and is this condition dangerous?
Most often, shortness of breath occurs during fast walking, physical activity, after climbing stairs, or when performing certain work. If breathing difficulties bother a pregnant woman even during the rest period, then you should seek help from specialists.
Why is there not enough air during pregnancy?
Many people suffer from shortness of breath during pregnancy. However, no need to worry. This phenomenon is temporary and cannot harm the child or the expectant mother. This is due to the special state of the body. The main reasons include:
- Low hemoglobin level. Anemia during pregnancy is a common occurrence. As a result of development of this disease the amount of oxygen entering the blood is significantly reduced. As a result, a woman simply does not have enough air during pregnancy.
- Malfunctions of the cardiovascular system. The body of a pregnant woman experiences severe stress. Even minor physical exertion can cause shortness of breath. If a woman had problems with her cardiovascular system before pregnancy, she may experience a lack of air at rest. Often this phenomenon is accompanied by fainting or dizziness.
- Lack of vitamins and minerals. Most often, shortness of breath occurs due to magnesium deficiency. In this case, a pregnant woman may experience tachycardia.
- Neuroses and constant stress.
How to solve a problem
If you find it difficult to breathe during pregnancy, you should consult a specialist for advice. Usually shortness of breath in this state of the body is normal phenomenon. But if a lack of oxygen is felt even during rest, then there is a risk of developing a serious illness.
First, the doctor must conduct a complete examination. A pregnant woman should take general analysis blood, which will determine the level of hemoglobin. If this indicator is low, then she may be prescribed an iron supplement or a complex of vitamins and minerals, which contains iron and magnesium.
If a pregnant woman feels short of breath, as well as sharp, acute pain in the chest, which radiates to the arm or left shoulder, then it is necessary to immediately contact a medical facility for help. With this condition, the patient's lips may turn blue. It is worth noting that such a phenomenon during pregnancy is extremely rare.
Early pregnancy
Shortness of air may be felt. This phenomenon occurs at 6-8 weeks. It is during this period that hormonal changes are observed in a woman’s body.
Most often during pregnancy there is not enough air due to toxicosis. Many people believe that this phenomenon is accompanied only by nausea and vomiting. In fact, toxicosis has other associated symptoms. This is heartburn, pain and heaviness in the stomach, a feeling of fullness in the abdomen from the inside. Similar signs may occur in a woman at a later date. These symptoms appear with gestosis.
On early stages During pregnancy, a woman may feel short of breath after eating. This is observed during the first trimester. In such cases, women try to eat less. However, this does not solve the problem. After eating, you may also experience unpleasant belching, stomach pain and heartburn. This is primarily due to the production of growth hormone. This substance is intensively synthesized by the female body during pregnancy.
Last trimester
During pregnancy, almost all women lack air. This condition is observed in the later stages, when the load on the body increases significantly. This can be explained by physiological changes:
- Enlargement of the uterus due to fetal growth.
- Pressure on other organs located in abdominal cavity.
- Compression of the lungs. Because of this, the respiratory organs are not able to fully expand.
- Diaphragm tightness.
In some cases, a pregnant woman may experience severe shortness of breath and even suffocate. Most often, such signs occur in expectant mothers of short stature, as well as in those who are expecting the birth of a large baby.
If there is not enough air during late pregnancy, you will have to be patient a little. This is normal. About a few weeks before birth, the fetus descends, making breathing easier. After all, the uterus is located lower.
What to do if you have shortness of breath
To relieve shortness of breath, you need to:
- Rest if the problem occurs after physical activity.
- At the first sign of shortness of breath, doctors recommend getting on all fours, completely relaxing and taking a slow breath and then exhaling. You need to repeat this exercise several times.
- If there is not enough air during pregnancy, then you should rest with open window or a window. At the same time, there should be no drafts in the room.
- You should rest half-sitting. You can use small pillows and bolsters for this. At the same time, sleep on your back latest dates pregnancy is not recommended.
- Breakfast is a must. Its absence can also cause shortness of breath.
- Consult your doctor. You may be prescribed calming and relaxing medications. medicinal herbs or they will prescribe aromatherapy using natural essential oils.
- Don't overeat, and also watch your weight gain. Extra pounds also cause shortness of breath.
Worth benefiting
If during pregnancy, then future mom maybe practice a little. It will not be possible to alleviate such a condition completely. However, if desired, you can benefit. Experts recommend performing breathing exercises when experiencing shortness of breath. This will allow the woman to learn how to breathe correctly during childbirth.
It is worth noting that this practice will allow you to perform several actions at once. A woman, thanks to shortness of breath, can learn to breathe correctly during childbirth. Besides, breathing exercises allows you to feel better when you are short of air.
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 proper breathing should be like during pregnancy.
Correct breathing during pregnancy
The fetus does not use the lungs to breathe, 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 - the nutrients necessary for the fetus are supplied from the blood vessels of the uterus.
During pregnancy, many changes occur in a woman's cardiovascular and respiratory systems. 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. The second function of the respiratory system is “ventilation”, or ventilation of the lungs, to remove carbon dioxide from them. Sometimes during pregnancy the lungs begin to ventilate more than usual, resulting in completely healthy women shortness of breath appears - and not only after walking or physical activity. However, this is not a reason for concern: quite quickly the body gets used to the changes taking place and stops reacting 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 taking the time during pregnancy to learn how to breathe correctly. The principle of proper breathing is control, i.e. in controlling inhalation and exhalation.
In addition to proper breathing during pregnancy, the mother should be able to completely relax during contractions in order to facilitate blood circulation in the muscular lining of the uterus, thereby quickly replenishing oxygen consumption.
How to breathe during pregnancy?
Most people use less than their full lung capacity when breathing. This means that they require more breaths to maintain an adequate oxygen supply than a person who is breathing properly. With more frequent breathing, the respiratory muscles are further strained 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 she needs to master only the simplest exercises.
Breathing exercises during pregnancy
- Place your palms on your lower ribs, raise your head, straighten your shoulders.
- Open your mouth and inhale slowly, filling the upper and lower parts of your lungs.
- When you have inhaled as much air as you can, begin to exhale - slowly and completely.
- To exhale the remaining air, lean forward slightly. Don't worry, it won't hurt.
This slow and deep breathing should be done 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 a trained organism.
Normally, a pregnant woman's breathing can be tense and relaxed. If you force yourself to inhale too deeply or breathe too quickly, tension occurs in the diaphragm and ribs. When relaxing, inhalations and exhalations should not be tense. The so-called sleepy breathing, i.e. Filling the lower, rather than the upper, sections of the lungs with air promotes faster relaxation. When a person is relaxed, the abdominal wall rises and falls very slowly. As relaxation deepens, breathing becomes more even and often almost inaudible. In a relaxed state, the body requires much less oxygen than in a tense state or when moving. Intermittent breathing and taking 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 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 your lungs.
- When you inhale, the diaphragm lowers, this can be seen by how the abdominal wall rises.
- Then exhale slowly while trying to relax.
- Now do it all again.
- Try not to fixate your attention on thoughts, but focus on your breathing.
After a few slow, deep breaths, a person usually begins to yawn, which indicates the success of a conscious attempt to slow down their breathing.
Slow down your 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 essential during pregnancy, as it helps you fall asleep at night and promotes complete relaxation during labor.
After a certain period of relaxed breathing during pregnancy, you can start moving again. In a few minutes active work around the house or simply walking, breathing changes noticeably. It becomes more frequent without any volitional effort, since the body itself adjusts the breathing rate to the increased need for oxygen.
Correct breathing during childbirth and contractions
How to breathe correctly during childbirth?
In the first stage of labor, breathing becomes more frequent, 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 moment you feel that tension is growing, then make a small volitional effort and relax.
Try to fall into a short sleep and mentally achieve a state of weightlessness. Inhale and exhale evenly and calmly, as if in a dream. Remember that you need to breathe not with your shoulders, but with your entire chest, sending a flow 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 are in a comfortable position, your breathing will normalize on its own. Do not refuse pain relief: it is known that in response to pain a person begins to breathe more quickly, shallowly, or even holds 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 pushing - by 150-250%. At the moment of a contraction, 0.5 liters of blood returns to the heart more than usual, which is why the woman’s blood pressure rises and the heart begins to beat faster. It is necessary to remember that during contractions you just need to relax well, and your breathing will take care of everything.
How to breathe during contractions and pushing?
- 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.
- During the second stage of labor, the cervix opens completely and the baby's head moves toward the pelvic outlet.
- If you have a desire to push, but it is too early to do so (the doctor or midwife will tell you about this), you will have to restrain the push.
- Breathe frequently (like a dog), just make sure you don’t get dizzy.
- Once the urge to push has passed, saturate your body with oxygen by breathing deeply and calmly. This allows you to avoid sudden excess pressure on the birth canal and prevent ruptures.
- Before pushing, take a deep breath, hold the air in your chest (but not in your cheeks!) and push as hard as you can.
- Try to increase the force of the push gradually, not suddenly. After this, exhale the air, take in 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 also experiences a lack of oxygen at the time of contraction.
Usually, immediately after childbirth, breathing returns to normal, and changes in cardiovascular system gradually disappear within 2 weeks after the birth of the baby.
It would really be a good idea for a pregnant woman to learn in various ways correct breathing. If you exercise daily, then by the end of your pregnancy you will truly be well prepared to help yourself and, of course, your baby during passage through the birth canal. The ability to breathe correctly helps not only to relax in time and calm down during contractions, but also, ultimately, to control the force of contraction of your own muscles.
It is quite possible to perform breathing exercises even while lying down, but if it is more comfortable for you, you can also sit cross-legged, 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 must provide the opportunity for the muscles of your uterus to receive a sufficient amount of oxygen, and at the same time you can be sure that they will be much less painful. The female body is designed in such a way that a 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 attempts is more effective 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 simply draws air into her cheeks, this does not help the baby in any way, he does not move forward, and attempts become ineffective.
- So that the baby’s head can come out gently, without in any way injuring itself or causing harm to the mother’s birth canal
- Make sure that the baby also does not suffer from a lack of oxygen, the same hypoxia.
Video breathing during childbirth and pregnancy
Full chest breathing
Try placing one hand on your stomach and the other directly on your chest. Try to exhale completely, deeply, and then inhale through your nose, while drawing as much air into your lungs as possible. At this time, the hand that was lying 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 inhalation was so deep that during it the ribs rose as much as possible, while the diaphragm dropped. Taking a full deep breath, try to hold your breath, then slowly exhale the air through your nose in no hurry.
Once you have mastered this exercise, you can move on to studying other styles and varieties. 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, filling only the very tops of your lungs with air. At this time, have someone close to you put both hands on your shoulder blades and say whether you can feel the movement of his hands when you breathe. Try to make your breathing become lighter and airier with each inhalation.
When performing such exercises, do not forget that only the upper parts of the chest should move, and in no case the stomach.
Make sure that your inhalations are equal to your exhalations. Try to increase gradually, without rushing anywhere.
the duration and number of shallow breaths initially from ten to thirty seconds, and then late dates The duration of pregnancy can be increased to one minute. Shallow breathing simply must be rhythmic, inhalation should be followed by exhalation in two seconds. It will probably be easier for you to do these exercises with your eyes closed.
Such breathing practices can also help you during 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 the abdominal cavity, which should properly tense and fall when inhaling, does not put undue pressure on the uterus. Therefore, the lighter and airier your shallow breathing, the less the diaphragm will be able to move down, which is what is necessary at this very moment.
Breathing with delays
Try to inhale air very deeply through your nose, when you feel that this is the end of your inhalation, try to hold your breath, now count to ten in your thoughts, and only then exhale sharply through your mouth. When you train this kind of breathing, you can try to bring your count to thirty.
You need to breathe with delays precisely at the moment when your baby gradually goes outside.
Open your mouth slightly, stick out your tongue, try to inhale and exhale very noisily, this will vaguely resemble the breathing of a dog. The rhythm of your intermittent breathing must be somewhat rapid. You need to take approximately one inhalation and exhalation per second. When you train this breathing option, try to breathe this way for just thirty seconds at first, then increase the number of breaths to forty, and later sixty times.
Intermittent breathing is extremely useful at the end of the primary period of the baby's birth, just when the woman wants to push. However, you need to remember that you should not do this until your baby’s small head drops 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, the other on your chest. Before starting the exercises, you need to take a full, empty exhalation. Then inhale fully through your nose, while lifting the abdominal wall, thus inflating your stomach. The hand that was lying on the stomach will move, and the hand that was lying on the chest will have to remain practically motionless. Then, without haste, 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, emptying your lungs. Then, without haste, inhale very slowly, while again lifting the abdominal wall. Towards the very end of your inhalation, try to hold your breath, and then just as slowly and leisurely exhale through your mouth, first lowering your chest, and then your ribs. Full, deep breathing is essential to resting between contractions. Such exercises can even cause some dizziness. And therefore it is better to train this way in a lying 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 fact that the cervix is not yet completely dilated, the woman will begin to push. It is quite possible to prevent this with the help of breathing; to do this, you need to first take two short, not deep breaths, and then one, but very long, and noisy exhalation with a roar.
Another useful video about proper breathing:
