Breathing techniques during labour: any tips please?

[Museli]

Hi there,

I am 38+5 weeks now (first baby) and have been thinking all along that I'd like to try and manage childbirth with only gas & air, a pool, and 'good breathing'. But now I'm wondering whether I'll actually know what to do, breathing-wise, when the time comes. So far I've had:

• antenatal classes where information was rather sparse and vague, and the only mention of breathing was that in order to 'pant', it was good to visualise blowing out a line of little tea lights in a row

• pregnancy yoga classes, which got us practicing breathing from different 'depths', and also what they called 'controlled nostril breathing' (} where you block each nostril in turn and count 4 to breathe in through one, count 8 to breathe out through other etc. increasing out breath slowly, then eventually breathing out through your mouth for as long as possible

Both were useful tips, but I wonder whether, realistically, I'll really be able to practice the latter during labour!

Is it enough to assume that the MW will be able to advise, or is it better not to rely on this? I'd rather be more self-reliant than that if possible.

Any practical tips out there re: breathing techniques that people have found useful at different stages?

Thanks!

I'm a Yoga Teacher so glad you've been doing some during pregnancy. I teach lots of breathing techniques but try to make it clear the more complicated ones, like the one you describe, are beneficial in pregnancy but not great for labour. There's the 'Golden Thread Breath'/ 'Feather Breathing which is great for when contractions get more intense. You take a deep breath in through the nose then a really gentle, slow, controlled breath out through the mouth. You can practise holding a feather in palm of your hand - the aim being to breath gently enough out to make the feather move but not strongly enough to blow it off your hand. Its called Golden Thread breath because you can imagine blowing a golden thread from your lips gently into the distance. Good to visualise with the breath in labour. Its a breath that comes more from the chest so you are breathing over and above the pain, riding the waves of the contractions so to speak.
Something else is to imagine breathing in strength, love and energy with the in breath and blowing the pain away with the out breath.
Remember every contraction and every breath brings you one step closer to meeting your baby...! x

taokiddy - That is very helpful, thank you

Is there a CD or (better yet) a podcast you can recommend?

I'm 39+5, and at the NHS antenatal classes they did the tea-light thing with us too. I found it was actually quite tiring compared to the golden thread breath which we did in yoga, so I would second Taokiddy on recommending that. Much more calming and easier to focus on IMHO.

The other thing which was suggested in yoga was making noises on the out-breath which helps with control (I think that's what our yoga teacher said was the reason - it makes your out-breath longer anyway), e.g. making an 'ooooo' noise as you breathe out. Can feel a bit self-conscious doing it, but I figure in labour making weird noises will be least of my worries!