The time is coming moment of delivery and you have heard that the breathing will be your great ally during it, but you are assailed by doubts and want to know more. Today from mamayoga we explain breathing exercises for childbirth Y yoga techniques that you can practice.
Can a birth be performed?
I'm sorry, but no, this is not an exam. You can't study, practice or rehearse for your birth. This includes the breathing.
What you can do is to inform you of all the scenarios in the different sessions of childbirth preparation both the most clinical and the accompanying ones, getting to know yourself through physical activity and the recognition of your abilities, Increase your breathing capacity and resilience, know where your diaphragm is during pregnancy and how to move it to breathe more efficiently, learn to trust your intuition more than your head, etc.
This block is where the different ones come in. yoga techniques Y breathing exercises for childbirthThey will help you prepare physics Y mentally, to be more relaxed, to feel and live in the present moment no matter what happens, to go through the long hours of prodromal labor and recover your energy in the minutes of rest between contractions and madness.
Breathing during pregnancy and childbirth
During your pregnancy your body adapts to create space for the baby, the baby. One of the most significant changes is to respiratory level, where the diaphragm move to a higher position and your ribs expandThis may mean that you feel more tired and your breathing becomes more shallow.
The breathing techniques They will help you to continue with abdominal or low diaphragmatic breathing, despite the volume and the change of position that will occur during pregnancy. It is the most effective breathing to meet the strong demands of oxygen and avoid feeling of anxiety or hyperventilation when your breaths become shorter and shallower.
A good one awareness of breathing, a adequate rest and observing those gestures that help breathing will help you, if this is your case, to breathe without difficulty again.
"If you don't breathe, it doesn't work" Ágata Subirats.
It is like that, something as simple as it is close. No great techniques are needed, simply reminding yourself of the incredible ability you have to breathe. And yes, breathing works.
In ancient times, childbirth was taught Breathing techniques for childbirth which included apneas to be able to do the pushes. Although it could be effective in terms of “time” (and therefore beneficial for those who were attending the birth and were in a hurry to go home), it has been shown that these uncontrolled expulsions damage the pelvic floor of the mother and can generate more stress in the baby, the female child and therefore more risks to the birth itself.
So for childbirth, simply breathe.
These would be considerations What do we do to all pregnant women who go through this? Mamayoga tribe before starting labor:
- During breaks, take deep, relaxing breaths. There is time, space and breaks between contractions. The first ones can be separated by hours, and the rest time is reduced to just a few minutes when dilation begins. Deep, slow and calm breathing will bring you back to the present moment and recharge your batteries.
- To expel, exhale. Like tennis players, at the moment of maximum intensity, release air through your mouth with sound so that your voice and breathing help you with the natural muscular movement of your body.
- For the rest, follow your intuition.Express yourself with voice, sound, exhalations, yawns, deep relaxing sounds. Allow yourself everything your body asks of you. Total free movement of the body but also total free movement of the voice and breathing.
Let the breathing and the pranayama exercises become a valuable tool during pregnancy, helping you in the hours before and assisting you during childbirth, providing you with all the serenity Y approach that you need. You can also continue using them after the baby is born, as relaxing and centering techniques.
What breathing exercises will help you during childbirth?
As we have told you, we do not believe that they exist. Breathing techniques for childbirth, but breathing exercises (pranayama or respiratory awareness) very favorable that will benefit you and prepare you for it, both for the long hours of waiting and for the moment itself.
We could group them into three categories:
Relaxing exercises
It's all about breathing that has an effect of relaxation of body and mind. This is a large category that includes most yoga breathing techniques. Some examples that we love to share in our classes are:
- Conscious breathing. Simply sit down and breathe. Take a few moments out of your day to sit with one hand on your heart and the other on the baby, the baby, and listen and feel the movement of your breathing. Everything you feel, in your hands, your belly, your ribs, your nose: temperature, rhythm, amplitude, path, sound. Be aware of this moment that you are breathing with the baby, the baby.
- Low abdominal breathing. As you inhale, breathe towards the baby, filling the abdomen towards the lower abdomen. As you exhale, feel the baby retract. The abdominal movement will stimulate all the functions of your body while being relaxing and rhythmic.
- Bumblebee breathing. It consists of covering your ears with your fingers. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, producing a sound with your lips that resembles the sound of a bumblebee. After a minute, stop breathing, lower your hands and feel the effect that this reverberating sound has left on you.
Breathing stimulating exercises
Some of the breathing exercises For childbirth, this category can also be included in the others. It is about stimulating or recovering your lung capacity and knowing how to listen to your breathing.
- Square breathing. It is about balancing your breathing by equalizing all the phases of breathing. For example, if you inhale for 6 seconds, hold it with full lungs for 6 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds and hold it with empty lungs for 6 seconds. This technique stimulates your breathing while calming and focusing your mind.
- The long release breath. Inhale deeply through your nose and as you exhale, release the air as slowly as you can, gradually lengthening the exhalation until it is approximately twice as long as the inhalation. It stimulates lung capacity and helps release tension and worries.
Resistance exercises
Other category Very interesting breathing techniques or exercises for childbirth are the breathing of endurance. It is about motivating you to find your inner strength and ability. They are usually practiced with body movement.
Thumb breathing. Sitting with your arms crossed and the thumbs of both hands pointing upwards. When inhaling, stretch your arms and when exhaling, bring your thumbs towards your shoulders, bending your elbows, preferably breathing through your nose. Start at a calm pace and increase to a fast pace that stimulates the heart and breathing, then slowly return to a calm pace. As this is an endurance exercise, try to maintain this for 5 minutes.
The breathing of the yin and the yang. Helping yourself with the music of the song “Ajai Alai” by Mirabai Ceiba, to follow its rhythm and motivation. The arms are alternated one up and one down with the jnana mudra in the hands. Breathing is natural and spontaneous, as it will be during labor. As before, it is maintained for at least 5 minutes to feel the resistance work.
There are a multitude of breathing exercises that you can incorporate into your daily life during pregnancy and help you better prepare for the moment of delivery. The techniques of prenatal singing, the yoga sessions, the strength exercises, the breaths and the meditations; all of them are tools that will help you navigate the intensity, embrace the chaos and throw yourself into the void and uncertainty of your birth.
So live it, enjoy it and make it yours, mother.
If you want to know these breathing exercises in more detail and enjoy practicing them I invite you to join the Mamayoga tribe.
