Uterine contraction breathing method

The uterine contraction breathing method is the Lamaze labor breathing method. This method is an exercise method that pregnant women need to practice before giving birth. It can be practiced from the seventh month before giving birth. The principle is to focus all the pregnant woman's attention on breathing, thereby diverting pain and relaxing muscles. In addition to giving pregnant women confidence, it can also make the whole process calm. So, what is the uterine contraction breathing method? Let’s take a look below.

The Lamaze method of childbirth is also known as a psychological preventive method of preparation for childbirth. This method of delivery, which starts from the 7th month of pregnancy until delivery, allows the mother to focus on her breathing control during delivery through a learning process of neuromuscular control, prenatal gymnastics and breathing technique training, thereby diverting pain, relaxing muscles appropriately, and being able to remain calm during labor pain and delivery with confidence, thereby speeding up the delivery process and ensuring the smooth birth of the baby.

Basic posture

Spread a blanket on the living room floor or practice on the bed. Play some beautiful prenatal music indoors. The expectant mother can choose to sit cross-legged. To the sound of music, the expectant mother should first let her body completely relax and focus her eyes on the same point.

1. Chest breathing

This method is used at the beginning of labor, when the cervix is ​​about 3 cm dilated, and the breathing method used is slow chest breathing.

Expectant mothers can feel the uterus contracting every 5 to 20 minutes, with each contraction lasting about 30 to 60 seconds. Expectant mothers learn to take a deep breath through their nose, and then inhale and exhale as the uterus contracts, repeating this process until the contractions stop and then resuming normal breathing.

Chest breathing is an effortless, comfortable, and pain-reducing breathing method that allows expectant mothers to accurately inform their family or doctors about contractions whenever the uterus begins or ends.

2. Hee Hee Shallow Breathing

The hee hee shallow breathing method is used when the baby is turning and slowly coming down from the birth canal (before the cervix opens to 7 cm). As the uterus begins to contract, take deep chest breaths. When the uterus contracts strongly, take shallow breaths, and resume deep breathing when the contractions begin to slow.

When the cervix dilates to 3 to 7 centimeters, uterine contractions become more frequent, occurring every 2 to 4 minutes, with each contraction lasting about 45 to 60 seconds.

First, let your body completely relax and focus your eyes on the same point. The expectant mother takes a small sip of air through her mouth, keeps breathing light and shallow, makes the amount of air inhaled and exhaled equal, breathes completely through her mouth, keeps the breath high in the throat, like making a "hehe" sound.

When the uterus contracts strongly, you need to breathe faster, and vice versa. It is important to note that the amount exhaled must be the same as the amount inhaled.

When practicing, start from 20 seconds and gradually increase the duration until one breathing exercise can reach 60 seconds.

3. Shallow breathing

When the uterus is dilated to 7 to 10 centimeters, the expectant mother will feel that the uterus contracts every 60 to 90 seconds. This is the most intense and most difficult to control stage of labor. The fetus is about to be delivered, and each contraction of the uterus lasts 30 to 90 seconds.

After the expectant mother exhales the air, she takes a deep breath, and then quickly exhales 4 to 6 times. It feels like blowing up a balloon, which is even shallower than the shallow breathing. The speed can also be adjusted according to the degree of uterine contraction.

When practicing, start with a breathing exercise lasting 45 seconds and gradually increase it to 90 seconds.

4. Blowing candles

At the end of the first stage of labor, although the pregnant mother may feel like pushing, the doctor will not allow her to do so at this time. At this time, when the contractions begin, the pregnant mother should take a deep breath first, and then exhale shortly and forcefully; she can exhale shallowly 4 times, and then exhale all at once, like blowing out a candle. Each exercise should last for 90 seconds.

5. Push hard

At this point, the cervix is ​​fully dilated, and the midwife asks the mother to push hard to deliver the baby when the baby's head is about to be seen. The expectant mother should take a long breath at this time, hold her breath, and exert force immediately.

The expectant mother should retract her chin, slightly raise her head, force the air in her lungs into her lower abdomen, and completely relax her pelvic muscles. When you need to breathe, maintain your original position, exhale immediately, and take a full breath at the same time, continue holding your breath and pushing until the baby is delivered. When the fetal head has been delivered out of the birth canal, the expectant mother can use short breaths to relieve the pain.

Each time you practice, keep exerting force for at least 60 seconds.