How Do Lamaze Breathing Exercises Help in Childbirth?

Breathing techniques help with the pain of labor.

Baseline Breathing in the Beginning

The baseline breathing exercise is recommended early in your pregnancy. This exercise works great when you have a partner to help you count your breaths. Your baseline equals the average amount of breaths you take in one minute. This information helps the person delivering your baby know whether your breathing is within normal range or out of control.

Slow Breaths Provide Comfort

Another good Lamaze breathing exercise is learning to take slow breaths. As the name suggests, it is a slow breath that begins with a cleansing breath. To do this exercise, inhale while counting to either three or five, depending on what you feel happy with, then exhale for the same amount of time. This type of Lamaze breathing exercise helps you relax. It is also the type of breathing you tend to do when you are asleep, but at a slower pace. This exercise can make you feel more comfortable and calm during labor.

Relax with Blowing Breaths

The blowing breath consists of a slow breath, and it is also a shallow breath. The basic idea of this exercise is to relax as much as possible and start with a cleansing breath, then inhale through your nose gently and exhale through your mouth in a gentle blowing action. This exercise helps you relax during labor and delivery. The key to performing this exercise correctly is to not blow so hard that you feel uncomfortable. You should always feel relaxed.

Patterned Breathing During Contractions

Patterned breathing is the basic labor breath that many people think about with the "hee, hee, hoo" nature of the breath (think back to your favorite sitcoms). To perform pattern breathing, exhale rapidly two, three or four times and then follow this with a blow. This exercise is especially handy when contractions come hard and often. The breathing helps to minimize labor pain.

Cleansing Breaths During Contractions

The cleansing breath exercise involves breathing in through your nose, in a deep and slow manner, and then breathing out through your mouth in the same slow, deep way. These are the cleansing breaths you should use when you first feel the onset of a contraction during labor, as well as at the end of each contraction. Not only do they help you get through the pain but they also signal to your partner and others when your contractions are beginning and ending.

Learn Lamaze Early

The earlier you learn these exercises, the better, and when you combine these with other calming techniques, childbirth can be a much more relaxed affair. A website such as Healthline.com contains expert advice and information on Lamaze classes. The website's information is reviewed by a practicing gynecologist from a major medical center in New York.

Resources

• Healthline: Labor & Delivery-Lamaze Method