Slide arrow to your week: back

1 week
2 week
3 week
4 week
5 week
6 week
7 week
8 week
9 week
10 week
11 week
12 week
13 - 14 week
15 - 16 week
17 - 18 week
19 - 20 week
21 - 22 week
23 - 24 week
25 - 26 week
27 - 28 week
29 - 30 week
31 - 32 week
33 - 34 week
35 - 36 week
37 - 38 week
39 - 40 week
41 - 42 week

next

You are here: Birth >> Labour & Birth >> Types of pain relief during labour >> Breathing suggestions

Breathing suggestions

Labour & Birth

Inducing labour

Caesarean

Reference

Breathing suggestions

The following are suggestions that can help make your breathing and birthing noises work for you.

1st stage
Transition
2nd stage

During 1st stage you can try:


	Keeping it simple and breathing naturally, using your own pace and rhythm of breathing.
	Keeping yourself relaxed for as long as possible.
	Breathing in through either your nose or mouth and releasing your breath out through your relaxed throat and jaw. Start this at the beginning of the contraction and maintain it as much as possible until the contraction ends, then bring the breathing back to normal.
	Allowing your breathing to match the intensity of the contraction rather than fighting to contain the breath or pain - work with it rather than against it.
	Allowing the labour to 'step up' to new levels of pain as it progresses and intensifies - quite often the breathing will follow. Have faith in your ability to adjust and breathe with the changing levels. It may help at times to release sounds.
	Trying not to panic, as this can restrict your 'in' breath during labour. At various times in the classes we have talked about taking each contraction 'one at a time'. The same method can be applied to your breathing.
	Releasing a sound - if it helps you. On the 'out' breath a sigh or moan can feel good. It can be felt vibrating down your throat (practise in the shower where no one can hear you!)
	Imagining the breath going deep down into your body to your baby, and then exhale between open relaxed lips.
	Slowing your breathing between contractions. Take a breath in and then out, releasing and letting go of that contraction. Rest and allow your breathing to normalise during this time.
	Trying to avoid fast rapid breathing (known as hyperventilating). This can tire you and cause you to feel lightheaded and experience tingling in your lips and hands. If you are doing this during a contraction, get your support people to remind you to slow down your breathing after the contraction has gone, or breathe again through cupped hands over your nose and mouth (another method is breathing in and out of a paper bag) for a minute or two. This lowers the oxygen level in the blood that causes the dizziness and tingling sensations and increases the carbon dioxide in your system, needed to compensate for the over breathing.
	Singing or talking. Some women will utilise distraction techniques such as singing and talking during a contraction. We know of one professional singer who recited her melodic scales in tune with the contraction intensifying and waning to help deal with the pain.

Page 1 of 4

|< < 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 > >|

or View All

Birth tools and resources

Related topics and articles

Up for a challenge?

We've got the sweetest challenge for you this month, it's...

Sweet, sweet sleep

Sleep doesn't come easily during pregnancy, but there's s...

Best foods for pregnancy

How to choose the best bites for you and your baby in pre...

Birth is the trusted online resource for conception, pregnancy, labour, birth and newborn advice and community. Find expert information on difficulty conceiving, ovulation, week by week pregnancy, miscarriage, caesarean section, labour and birth and a welcoming forum for pregnancy and mums.