While breathing may seem like nothing more than a physical necessity, in truth, the power of breath is great and, when harnessed, can produce beneficial effects. By engaging in breathing exercises during your pregnancy, you can make the potentially physically exhausting period more palatable and help yourself prepare for the arrival of your new bundle of joy.

Relaxation Benefits

Pregnancy can be a stressful time. By engaging in deep breathing exercises during this period, you may be able to alleviate some of this stress. Simple things, such as taking deep breaths in through the mouth and exhaling them through the nose, can help oxygenate your body and may aid you in washing away some of that pregnancy-related stress.

Reduced Shortness of Breath

As the uterus grows, some women experience shortness of breath. If you suffer from that challenge, breathing exercises may help. As you engage in breathing exercises, you stretch your lungs and exercise the muscles necessary to take deep breaths in spite of the pressure created by your growing baby. Some doctors even prescribe breathing exercises as a course of treatment for patients who experience shortness of breath, particularly during late-stage pregnancy as the ability to breathe well is vital to childbirth success.

Types of Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises range from simple to highly orchestrated. Some exercises include only an easy inhale and exhale, while others are a complicated pattern of panting or patterned breathing. Many women do most of their breathing exercise practice in child birthing classes, as many childbirth methods include a breathing component.

Exercise Regularity

The regularity of your pregnancy breathing exercises will depend in large part upon your desired goal. If your exercises are designed to cut down on your stress, you may exercise daily as stress levels spike. If your exercises are intended to prepare you for the birth of your child, you may practice once or twice a week at first, then with increasing regularity as your due date approaches. If you are being guided in your breathing exercise efforts by a health care practitioner, follow this individual’s guidance when creating your breathing exercise schedule.

On Labor Day

If you plan to use breathing as a tool for pain control and focusing as you deliver, engage in careful practice of your planned techniques frequently prior to this busy day. The day that your child enters the world will likely be a hectic one, so the more practice you manage to do, the more likely you will be to remember these useful techniques and successfully put them into use to minimize your labor pain.