Breathing in labour: three techniques worth practising
Breathing is the one comfort tool you always have with you. It works because a long exhale calms your nervous system, keeps oxygen flowing to your baby, and gives your mind a single thing to hold on to when a contraction peaks.
1. Slow breathing — for most of labour
In through the nose for a count of four, out through a soft, open mouth for a count of six to eight. The exhale should always be longer than the inhale. Drop your shoulders and unclench your jaw on every out-breath — a loose jaw means a loose pelvic floor.
2. Light breathing — for the intense stretch of transition
When surges are strong and close together, switch to a lighter, quicker breath in and out through the mouth, about one breath per second, with a longer sighing exhale at the end of each surge. Keep it gentle: if you feel dizzy or tingly, slow down.
3. Breathing baby down — for pushing
Instead of holding your breath for a forced count, take a breath in and then push out slowly with a low, open groan as you bear down. Low sounds keep your pelvic floor soft; high, tight sounds tense it. This approach is gentler on your perineum and less exhausting over a long second stage.
Practise before the day
Do three minutes of slow breathing every evening in the last weeks of pregnancy, ideally while holding an ice cube to simulate discomfort. You want the pattern to be automatic so you don't have to remember it at 3am.
Want to talk this through?
A free 30-minute discovery call is the easiest place to start.