The breath is an integral element of such practices as yoga, mindfulness and martial arts, and has been widely accepted as a means of delivering powerful mind-body benefits throughout the ages.
When it comes to birth, however, the correct use of the breath is not always emphasised. It doesn’t help that the general birthing image in movies is that of a woman on her back, demonstrating shallow breathing, holding her breath and then pushing with every fibre of her being until her face turns a deep red-purple and her eyes bulge as her birth coach cheers her on.
Despite a growing body of research that suggests that forced pushing is not as effective or even as safe as it was once believed to be, this out-dated view of the breath and pushing is still common practice in many hospitals today. It also continues to make for engaging, fear-evoking scenes on TV and in the movies.
It doesn’t have to be that way, however, and knowledge is power when it comes to the breath. If we take a look at how the body and the breath can work for or against us, we can see that it is indeed a very useful birthing tool.
The functional division of our nervous system is called the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS controls many different things, like heart rate and digestion. Within the ANS we have two spheres, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. When we are stressed or afraid, our breathing becomes fast and shallow. This type of breathing activates the sympathetic sphere, accelerates the heart rate and blood pressure, causing muscle tension and sweat to form. It brings on the stress hormone, catecholamine that causes us to experience pain more intensely and prepares the body to escape from danger, therefore sending blood and oxygen to places such as the arms and legs. As the uterus was not designed as an escape muscle, blood and oxygen is directed away from it, making surges more difficult and the pain in the uterine region more intense.
In addition, holding the breath and forced pushing can damage the pelvic area and leaves the mother exhausted after a short period of time, which increases her chances of needing medical assistance to birth her baby.
On the other hand, when we feel safe and relaxed, we can access the parasympathetic sphere where our breathing slows, heart rate drops, and blood pressure lowers as the blood vessels relax, and our body is put into a state of calm and healing. Blood flows to all parts of the body, including the uterus and this state facilitates the release of happy hormones known as endorphins that reduce or even eliminate pain. By not holding our breath, we can also remain energised for longer.
Although the sympathetic state is useful at times of genuine danger, we generally spend more time in this sphere than we need to and it is advisable for mothers-to-be to stay in the more beneficial calm and relaxed state. Luckily, with conscious awareness of our breathing, we can mindfully direct our breath to assist in calming the mind. This helps tap into the parasympathetic response, which induces happy hormones, and has a relaxing and balancing effect on our emotions, enabling the body to function at peak performance for birth.
There are three main breathing techniques emphasised in HypnoBirthing® that assist mothers as they birth their babies. These are Calm Breathing, Surge Breathing and Birth Breathing, and as with yoga, understanding and practise is key.
Breathing techniques are just one of the areas of focus in HypnoBirthing®. Together with comprehensive childbirth education, fear release, relaxation, visualisation, affirmations and self-hypnosis, HypnoBirthing® guides parents-to-be towards a truly positive, empowering and satisfying birth experience.
The HypnoBirthing® course is useful for anyone who is aiming for a positive birth, regardless of where, how or with whom they are planning on birthing. It’s the means by which more and more women are choosing to welcome their babies and is gaining respect both inside and outside of hospitals throughout Australia due to the positive and consistent results it demonstrates.
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