Prenatal Tips for the Third Trimester
Slow, deep breathing during contractions helps your body relax while your uterus does its work. Practice breathing exercises ahead of time. These can help you relax, feel more in control of what is happening, and help you regain energy between contractions. It is work giving birth. Why do you think they call it labor?
Try breathing in through your nose slowly, allowing your abdomen to rise, and let your breath out through a relaxed, slightly open mouth. As your first stage of labor continues, you may find your breath rising in your chest, but still take regular breaths that are deep and regular.
Do not breathe too quickly, but by all means breathe! Holding your breath will make the contractions more uncomfortable. Some women find that it helps to make sounds on the out breath as labor becomes harder.
Panting or blowing helps in the last stage of labor. Try to either pant or blow and see which works best for you. To pant:
- Relax your body
- Drop your jaw
- Breathe in through your mouth until you feel the air hitting the back of your throat
- Breathe out
To blow:
- Breath air in through your mouth
- Purse your lips and imagine you’re blowing out a birthday candle a few inches from your face
- Regularly space breaths at about 3-4 per second
Do not pant or blow too fast or too deeply or you may hyperventilate and get dizzy. Practice these breathing exercises ahead of time. They will take some work since this is not the way you would normally breathe.
