Tell me about Breathing in childbirth - don't get it.

[barbamama]

I keep reading about how to do it but I just don't get it. Last time nobody helped me or showed me how to do it when I was giving birth - which is waht some books say - don't worry about it, the midwives will tell you. I have realised that I hold my breath when in pain which is not good I know. What are the different types for different stages? How do I breathe through a contraction? Is it as simple as just not holding your breath and breathing long and slow?

I am getting nervous, Klaw can you come and be my midwife please !!

[pointydog]

I wouldn't bet on midwives telling you what to do.

[GColdtimer]

It worked for me too, I am so thankful for the antenatal yoga classes, really concentrated on the breathing. One thing I did was count the rungs of a radiator with each breathe. I knew that left to right was a contraction! Sounds barmy I know and I must have looked like a complete nutter but having that to focus on really helped.

I think the most important thing is to not hold your breathe. Its the worst thing you can do for pain.

Good luck!

[GodzillasBumcheek]

This might or might not be helpful, but when having cervical smear i was told to relax, as if you don't try to relax it hurts. I realised that by controlling my breathing, deeply and slowly in, and slowly out, i had to concentrate on the breathing rather than my anxiety, therefore relaxing me and giving me less pain. It works during labour too. As for panting...i have no idea, i don't think i did.

[MrsTittleMouse]

Really must check my posts. The breathing helped for 10 hours, the first stage lasted 14 hours.

[barbamama]

Right, I'll forget the mhythical panting and just concentrate on slow breathing and not holding my breath - thanks for all the tips.

[fondant4000]

I learnt to breathe out deeply in ante-natal yoga - then you automatically breathe in slowly too, and it stops you holding your breath! Found it excellent for contractions and making most effective use og gas and air.

[phlossie]

Gas & air really helps you concentrate on breathing - slowly and deeply, as everyone has said.
The most useful breathing tips for me were for when you're pushing:

• to push breath in before the push and then close your mouth while you push.
  
• when the midwife asks you not to push pant like a dog - it's completely impossible to push while you're panting and it might just save you a tear!

[Renaissancewoman]

I've had 2 natural births and the breathing thing really does help. Yes and I eat lentils as well.

Really easy way to do it is concentrate on the exhalation. Make it long and slow, the inhalation will then slow down. Holding your breath is fairly common reaction to pain but won't help. It will make your muscles tense and create literally more friction. The aim is to relax and go with the flow.

Really it works. To prove it - try this. Remove your shoes and socks. Kick the bottom of a door really hard, try to catch your little toe for extra pain, but don't be stupid and go breaking anything. Then exhale really long and slow, try adding a deep dry grunting noise to help get the rhythm going. When you've emptied your lungs, slowly breath in and repeat several times. There now doesn't that feel better.

[toadstool]

Antenatal yoga 5 years ago only taught me one, and it was useful - in for a count of 3, out for a count of 5, keep it going like a wheel turning, don't hold your breath, think 'slow'. Keep your throat open, don't clench your teeth. The longer out-breath was supposed to stop you hyperventilating. It was a pretty easy one to remember and I've found it useful since for stress and pain-busting. I'm rubbish at visualisations, so never went in for the 'breathe in relaxation, breathe out tension' stuff - but it helped to focus on breath rather than pain. I never got the chance to pant, scream, etc., as I got an epidural at the later stages , not very Earth mothery of me.

[JoshandJamie]

haven't read whole thread so apologies if this has already been said:

things that helped me:

• breathing through nose and out through mouth
  
• breathing out for longer than breathing in
  
• imagining that the air I was breathing in was a colour (I chose blue) and when breathing out, I imagined pushing the out breath not out through my mouth but down through my body. I tried to imagine the blue colour slowly moving its way down through my body to my uterus. I know it sounds loopy, but it worked and helped me to really push the breathe through my body which made it more relaxed
  
  Technique to practice your breathing - next time you have a poo, as you try to push the poo out, notice that you'll probably be holding your breath. Don't. Instead practice doing the slow, downward breathing and imagine you're breathing your poo out, relaxing all the muscles. It feels pretty much the same way pushing a baby out.
  
  Sorry if it all sounds very yah-fully-hey-shoowow but it worked for me and I'm not hippyish in the least

[mixedmama]

My MW at Ante natal classes said you all know how to breath so we wont bother with that.

Incidentally, I used the G&A and that was great for keepin my breathing focussed once DH demonstrated how to use it.

I think defo just concentrate on not holding your breath.

[Klaw]

Barbamama, I'm not a mw and quite frankly you might be lucky to find one who would bother to talk you through this.... You're far better off with a Doula! But that's my experience and I'd like to hope that there are good NHS mws out there...

Anyhoo, here's a very simple page about breathing from one of my favourite sites. Can you and DH try this out together?

Also, ime, the G&A made me sick and drunk 1st time around. The second time, I didn't start it till much later and can recall taking very deep controlled breaths (without thinking about it) and did NOT get the sick and drunk feeling. I asked about this afterwards and was told that if you hold off G&A till after 5cms you don't tend to get the side effects. Would be interested to know if others found the same!

Barbamama I would love to support you in your birth in whatever way you need. As I guess you're nowhere near me in Scotland all I can say is that you would be welcome to email me for online support at klaw at macmail dot com.

Stay strong

[barbamama]

Thanks all, this is actually really helpful - I was beginning to wonder if there was some secret breathing method that I wasn't being told about but this all makes a lot of sense now and i think I will find some of your tips very useful. I guess you are right, I probably was doing it last time anyway as I was using the G & A which forces you tp breathe more slowly. I don't remember feeling drunk or sick on it but I was already 5 cm when I got to the hospital so maybe that is why - but I do think it made me a bit detached and spaced out though so I think this time I might not automatically use it unless/until I need to.

Klaw sorry, I assumed you must be a mw as your advice is always so spot on and informative - I think you are probably right about doulas being more helpful, as they can concentrate on one woman at a time I guess. Thanks for your help and support on all my childbirth topics!

[Klaw]

I also have the same reservations over G&A, It made me too spaced out but did help me along with the TENS to get to fairly advanced stage before panic set in and I began asking for diamorphine. (HUGE mistake)

Next time, it's TENS, then a water birth at home if I'm fortunate to have things go my way! With G&A outside in a car, in case I really need it. Biggest benefit is, as you say, the fact that it helps you to focus on breathing deeply. So the mouthpiece alone may be just as useful!

Have to admit that I was gobsmacked that the reading list we have when Doula Training is not used in midwifery training (at least when I asked my local mw school)! I worry that midwives are trained solely in risk management and not given much in the way of what normal birth should be like.

The 1st Birth Stats thread reinforces my concern....

[Klaw]

Loopy, that's what I mean, I know there are mw like Mears which is why I'm hopeful there are more like her in the 'system'.

It's just that my experience and many others' experiences doesn't look good...

It's grey and blustery up here in Sunny Scotland, and it's crossed me mind to do mw training on a few ocassions.

When I were a lass you had to do general nursing first, so that put mw training out the window then cos I was not interested in nursing. I wouldn't have been the person I am now and not sure if midwifery would have been right for me then.

Now, I think I want to see how being a Doula is first and then when my youngest is at school I'll reassess the situtation. Not sure if I could cope with the protocols tho, might get thrown off the course! We'll see how my relationship with local mw and HCPs develops first

[Klaw]

Have to say that my impression of the HCPs so far with my VBA3C client is that they are very nice but are erring too much on the side of caution. My lady has done her research very well and I've not been able to give much that she hasn't already been aware of.

The cmw blatantly said no to HBA3C and probably no to VBA3C so I just phoned the LSAMO and asked that she look into my lady's case and now they've listened to her and have even got a HB kit, TENS and pain relief at her house just in case it all goes too fast! I'm very impressed. I know they are very unsure but they are being supportive so far. We'll see how the labour goes!

[barbamama]

What about straight to private midwifery or is that no longer viable? Or straight to a birthing centre or private hospital?