Breathing techniques for childbirth can help you stay calm during the birth and support the birth process. Being calm and relaxed can make the birth of your baby easier, quicker and more comfortable. There are many ways to help yourself, or your partner, stay calm during childbirth – breathing techniques are just one of them.
How can breathing techniques help the birth process?
Researchers think breathing may support the birth process as a form of pain management in a couple of ways. Focusing on your breathing may interrupt pain and discomfort signals to your brain by giving you something else, more positive, to focus on. Being aware of and focusing on your breathing may also stimulate the release of endorphins, your body’s natural pain-relieving hormones.
Breathing techniques are a useful tool to help you and your partner build a positive birth experience. There is a catch, though… to make them work well for you, you need to practise regularly. The more you practise, the more easily and effectively the techniques will work during your baby’s birth.
Top tip: practise the techniques, and your comfortable breathing pattern, together with your birth partner. When your birth partner knows your comfortable breathing pace, they can help you get back to it by counting you in and out, or by keeping eye contact and breathing at your pace with you.
Want to know more? Read How to Teach Breathing Techniques That Actually Stick and Why You Should Teach Breathing Techniques for Labour and Birth.
Breathing techniques worksheets are included in my self-paced online childbirth preparation course!
Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:
- hypnobirthing mp3s
- hypnobirthing scripts
- written information
- infographics and other imagery
- printable handouts
- printable workbook/journal
