Breathing for Comfort
During Pregnancy, Childbirth and Beyond
One of the most significant tools we have to communicate with our growing babies is through the use of our breath. Taking deep breaths brings the maximum amount of oxygen possible to mom and baby. Breathing deeply while inhaling and exhaling through your nose signals a sense of calm and safety to your central nervous system. This type of deep breathing also activates the internal architecture of the body as it requires the movement of the pelvic floor and breathing diaphragm. When you are calm and getting enough oxygen, baby also receives a supply of oxygen and nutrients that create calm and ease in its watery home.
In early pregnancy, you might start to feel out of breath quite easily as your body adjusts to an increase in blood and fluids. To complicate matters, many pregnant women experience a chronic "stuffy" nose and breathing through your nose may not always be possible. This is the bad news. The good news is that you can use an awareness of the breath to communicate a sense of calm and ease to your baby, regardless of these minor discomforts and challenges.
What is breath awareness?
Here is a simple exercise that you can try anytime and anywhere. Keep in mind that you can't do this "wrong" and the more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel doing this exercise.
First, find a comfortable place to sit so that both of your feet can be firmly planted on the ground. You can also practice breath awareness lying down on your side.
Second, close your eyes or keep them slightly open and rest your gaze on the floor about 2-3 feet in front of you.
Third, bring yourself into the present moment by noticing your environment: the sounds of the place where you are, the temperature of the air, any smells that you might notice and the quality of light as it filters through your eyelids. Your mind might jump around, but just keep bringing it back to the place where you are.
Fourth, take your awareness deeper into your body by starting to watch the breath. Try not to change anything about your breath. Just watch. Observe your in-breath. Where do you feel it? What is the pace? Where does the breath go? Where does it feel blocked? Observe your out-breath. Where do you feel it? What is the pace? Is it shorter or longer than the in-breath?
Finally, if the space is available to you and if you aren't already, start to inhale through your nose and exhale through your nose. Deepen the inhale with each in-breath and lengthen the out-breath with each exhale so that you are exhaling just a little bit longer than it took you to inhale. What muscles are you using to breathe? Can you feel your pelvic floor expand with the in breath?
Although we are breathing all the time, pregnancy creates an opportunity for us to learn how to use the breath as a tool for relaxation, communication and gathering energy for the work ahead.
