Breathing for Pregnancy, Birth and Fertility
Breathing strategies that significantly help normalize hormones and fight Infertility
Special breathing for pregnancy, or more specifically breathing patterns learned during pregnancy for use during labor, has long been an accepted part of labor classes.
New studies show that learning to breathe properly goes way beyond pregnancy and labor. In fact, breathing exercises reduce stress, improve symptoms of asthma and other lung maladies. Furthermore, proper breathing has recently been shown to increase fertility.
The Breath of Life
There are two basic schools of thought when it comes to breathing for pregnancy and labor. The first is perhaps the more well known (thanks to the easy comedic applications): Patterned breathing. Less well known–but no less effective–is simply deep, rhythmic, relaxed breath emanating and returning to the diaphragm.
Patterned Breathers
Patterned breathing is often learned as a part of Lamaze classes and is often credited to him. This is a bit of a misleading connection, however, as Dr Lamaze’s natural child birth techniques did not include the complicated breathing patterns now practiced all over the nation at classes bearing his name.
This does not mean these patterned breaths for labor and delivery are wrong. On the contrary, women desiring a drug- and intervention-free birth find these breathing patterns to be very useful. The hissing breaths offer a laboring woman an escape for her brain and a focus point beyond the rigors of labor. This allows the body to do the work of having a baby and helps the woman feel in control.
The detractors of patterned breathing claim that it mimics the flight or fight response and can look like fear to hospital staff. This is an argument that is mostly opinion rather than fact.
A more valid criticism is that patterned breathing when done improperly can lead to hyperventilation, which can rob laboring mother and baby of needed oxygen. This is an easy enough problem to solve by practicing the patterns and having a dedicated coach who will help you keep the breathing slow and controlled rather than fast, shallow and insufficient.
Relaxed Breathing
Another method of breathing for pregnancy and labor is that of deep, relaxed breathing. This method of breathing was not really anything new, but the idea of applying deep relaxation techniques to what many consider to be one of the most chaotic and stressful events is only about 60-years-old.
Dr Robert Bradley may not have been the first to espouse natural deep breathing, rather than patterned breathing during natural, drug-free labors and births. Nevertheless, he is generally credited with its popular use among natural childbirth advocates today.
Natural breathing for pregnancy and labor does not require the woman to learn any new or complicated patterns. Rather the focus is on keeping the breath slow, steady, and deep during contractions as well as in between. If used to perfection, deep and relaxed breathing allows a laboring woman to have the appearance of sleep even during active labor.
Perhaps, the largest drawback to deep breathing and relaxation as a labor technique is that it needs to be learned. This may seem silly: Everyone knows how to breathe deeply.
This is not, however, a true statement. Most people live in the world of chest breathers and don’t even know it. Learning to breathe deep into the diaphragm is only part of the equation. The next part is more problematic.
The natural response to pain or stressful stimulus is to tense up breath more rapidly and escape. During labor and delivery, there are many painful and stressful stimuli experienced by the laboring woman.
Learning to control her breathing and respond to these stimuli with deep relaxation takes time and practice. Studies show that it takes upwards of three months dedicated practice to master the art of relaxation to the point it becomes effective as pain relief.
The payoff is worth the investment in time. Women who have used deep relaxation and breathing during labor and birth report little to no pain during delivery, shorter labors, faster postpartum recovery, and overall satisfaction with the entire birth experience.
Breathing for Fertility
Using breath to improve other medical conditions, like infertility, usually follows the tenants of deep breathing from the diaphragm. When the lungs do not fully empty, toxins are trapped. The inability to release these toxins from the lungs only leads to an accumulation, which worsens slightly with each shallow breath. These toxins are circulated again and again within the body. This results in damage to the delicate balance needed to maintain healthy fertility.
To learn more about how to breathe properly to increase fertility and rid the body of reproductive damaging toxins, click here.
