Breathing in labour

[Rachaelf37]

Hi, I'm being induced next Friday. I've been to a few antenatal classes but none of them taught any breathing techniques. Please can someone point me in the direction of useful websites/ video's. Interested in hypnobirthing techniques too. Thanks

Definitely look up the positive birth company, they have a digital pack that you might have time to get through! They talk a lot about the breathing and positive induction experiences etc!

Wasn’t till my third birth that a midwife summarised it as ‘blowing out candles’. I’d done a full hypnobirthing course, and not really got it. That’s all I needed, that one phrase.

You can get the Maggie Howell natal hypnotherapy cd from amazing for around a tenner, you don't need the book if it's just the breathing you want to focus on. I found it really good, as the breathing techniques kept me calm

The blowing out candles thing is useful for pushing but it's longer and deeper breathing techniques that help for the first bit when its contractions only.

'Up breathing' helped me massively although I could only manage out for 6 (watch the video and it'll all make sense).

I personally didn't find 'down breathing' useful despite all the practising on the toilet! It might help you though (again - see the video!).

Good luck.