How to Reduce Labor Pain With Breathing Techniques

Breathing techniques are useful for many women during labor. Oxygen helps your body to work harder to push the baby out. Breathing is a great way to distract yourself from pain and tension. There are several breathing techniques that you can use during labor to reserve your energy and reduce the pain.

Instructions

• 1

  Visualize pleasant scenes. For instance, you can imagine a walk in a rose garden or soft petals of a flower opening up, or peaceful ocean waves. You can also visualize that your cervix is opening up gradually to the full 10 cm.

• 2

  Repeat rhythmical phrases. For instance, you can repeat the word "relax." Think of "re" as you breath in and "lax" as you breath out.

• 3

  Breath in through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth. Use this technique at the beginning and the end of each contraction. This not only relaxes you, but it also provides oxygen to your baby.

• 4

  Take a deep breath in, then whisper sounds like "hee" or "huh" as you exhale through your mouth. You can also try to count during breathing. Count up to 3 or 4 when you breath in, and count again to the same number as you breath out.

• 5

  Create your own pattern. Inhale and exhale a certain number of times, ending each pattern with a soft blow. Do not hold your breath more than six seconds.

• 6

  Ask your partner to breath with you. This will help keep your breathing steady. Your partner needs to make eye contact with you. Hold hands or put your partner's hands on your shoulders. Follow your partner's breathing patterns. Practice this before labor.