Learning Breathing
This next exercise may seem unusual to you, most people do not consider their breathing to be a source of tension in their lives. And yet, there are very few things that have as much effect on your ability to relax as your breathing.
Shallow chest breathing, the breathing style you probably use every day, uses the muscles of the chest and the ribcage to expand and collapse the lung cavity. The change in size changes the air pressure and either forces are in or out of your lungs. But chest breathing uses a lot of muscles to perform this task, wasting your energy and keeping your chest in an almost constant state of tension.
Abdominal breathing uses the diaphragm muscle to change the size of the lung cavity. Not only does this save energy by using only one muscle, but it also provides you with more "air" because the diaphragm is able to enlarge the lung cavity more than the chest muscles. You get more oxygen with less work.
Another advantage is that because abdominal breathing is so much deeper, it is performed slower than chest breathing. This slowness serves to encourage you to relax your mind and body. Fast breathing, on the other hand, can make you feel tense and rushed.
Begin this exercise by sitting in a semi-upright position with your arms and legs propped up with pillows. You should look as if you are sitting in a recliner chair, and if you have one you can use it in place of the pillows. This is the second position in which all your muscles are able to be evenly relaxed (the first was side-lying).
In this recliner-chair position you should be able to let your head drop so you can see your protruding stomach. Relax your abdominal muscles and your back muscles and begin to breathe slowly and deliberately using the diaphragm rather than the chest muscles. You should see your abdomen rise as you inhale and sink as you exhale. You can place your hands on your stomach and feel the abdomen rise and sink as you breathe.
Once you feel comfortable with the breathing, begin to relax your body using the progressive relaxation. Periodically come back to your breathing to ensure that you are still using the diaphragm and not the chest muscles. Do not be surprised if this exercise makes you sleepy!
You should find in a few days that you are beginning to breathe abdominally throughout the day, not just when you practice your relaxation. That is good because you want to breathe abdominally throughout labor, and it can help you relax if you don't have to keep checking to be sure you are breathing correctly. Be sure to demonstrate this breathing to your coach or coaches to that they know what to look for to help you relax in labor.
What would you like next?Read some Sample Birth Plans and get information to help put your birth plan together. Learn how exercise in pregnancy can shorten your labor. Learn ways to handle Childbirth Challenges. Discover the secrets of being emotionally prepared for labor. Find easy meal ideas. |
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