Deep Breathing and Birth
Jun 25, 2021
Dear Pregnant Vegan,
Deep breathing is a well known strategy for labour. Breathing works on your central nervous system and keeps you calm.
But, did you know that deep breathing also exercises your pelvic floor?
Yes!
The pelvic floor is the group of muscles at the bottom of your pelvis and your baby will meet your pelvic floor muscles on the way to being born.
The thing about deep breathing is that your pelvic floor mirrors the diaphragm muscle which is at the bottom of your rib cage.
The diaphragm and the pelvic floor are positioned directly opposite one another.
So when you breathe in, your diapharagm moves downwards and puts a little pressure on your bump and your organs.
The muscles in the pelvic floor have to work a little harder when you inhale - it's very subtle but it does work the muscle.
When you breathe out again, your pelvic floor recoils. It's amazing, really. And just think that your baby gets a little massage from the top when you fill your lungs all the way. Isn't that a beautiful way of connecting?
When you practice deep breathing with movement, you will develop a sense of body awareness.
Over time, you will learn to consciously relax your pelvic floor muscles and that's an amazing skill to bring to the labour room.
Try this breathing exercise:
First sit up straight on a chair.
Place your hands on your ribcage and imagine that you are breathing into your hands when you breathe in. Are your hands moving further away from each other?
When you breathe out again observe how your hands move closer together again.
Take a few breath cycles like this.
Noting an inhale, the turn of the breath, an exhale and the return of the breath.
Breathing in deeply, breathing out completely.
Do this six times and then relax your breathing again.
Spending a bit of time like this every day will help you as you develop a sense of body awareness and an awareness of your baby inside of your body. Once you are ready, you can move on to observing the muscles in between your sit bones as you breathe.
In my practice as a midwife, I see many women who have mastered the art of breathing in pregnancy. They can guide the baby out with their breath. It is beautiful to watch.
Deep breathing is part of birth preparation here at The Pregnant Vegan.
Join us on instagram to hear about the next available birth preparation course.
Would you like more of my writing? You can! I have written a book called '7 Secrets Every Pregnant Woman Needs To Hear Before Giving Birth: The New Midwife’s R.O.A.D. To Birth™ Hypnobirth System'.
It offers perspective on common misperceptions about pregnancy, birth and risk and it gives you my R.O.A.D. To Birth hypnobirth system that my clients have used for years. It shows you how to Recognise and Release your Fears, Overcome obstacles, Accept what you can't control and Do the work.
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