# Birth breathing, breathing the baby down.



## sarah1980

Can anyone tell me more about this???

Have you done it, what's it like, how to do it, can I practise before the big event???

The reason I ask is that I read the chapter briefly in Marie Mongans Hypnobirthing book but my library only have one copy and someone else had reserved it after me so I had to give it back and now I cant go back and re read the chapter :cry:

Any info/advice/experience greatly appreciated :flower:

Sarah.xxx


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## sarah1980

No one??? :flower:


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## lynnikins

im watching this thread incase anyone helps hun but i cant


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## DolceBella

Birth breathing is about allowing your body to bring the baby down naturally, rather than forced pushing. Try pushing for a second.. can you feel your muscles actually tighten, rather than relax? Mongan's thought is that forced pushing can impede the birthing process, because you're pushing the baby against a resistant path.

For labor breathing (slow breathing), you focus more on breathing IN with contractions. Also called breathing your contraction up. For birth breathing, the focus is more on the exhalation. You take a quicker breath in, then focus on the exhale while keeping your mouth closed. The only way to practice is when you're in the bathroom going #2. Try to not push your BM out, but rather breath it out. With time, you'll get the hang of it, and maybe notice that your BM comes easier because you no longer have a resistant path.


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## Eala

Like DolceBella said, the best time to practice this is when you're having a bowel motion. Rather than tensing up and pushing, you are breathing out deeply which relaxes all your muscles. Your surge then works from behind to push your baby out through a relaxed birth canal.


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## Linzi

I was interested in this as well, thanks for the info :flower: does anyone know of any good youtube videos which show this?

xxx


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## madasa

Drop your chin, relax your jaw.... Google "sphincter law, ina may gaskin" :) 

Please don't "worry" too much about pushing/breathing down! Think of it this way: what is the best way to be sick? Birthing is similar; your body knows what to do. Just listen to it. If you feel like pushing, push! The general rule is: do what feels good :)

When I was having L, I did the "birth breathing" from Hypnobirthing, but with just a little bit of pressure as I breathed out - just the amount that "felt right". Gently, gently, down she came, and her head eased out so carefully and comfortably. Then her body was like a squidgy bar of soap. Shhhlloooooop! :D

It might feel different to that for you - it's all good! Just listen to your body. :D


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## Nyn

I think this is what I experienced with ds2's birth. My midwife kept repeating 3 very simple instructions to me which I found very helpful ...

1. Open your mouth. - Each time she said it I hadn't realised that I'd closed my mouth again and as soon as I opened my mouth I relaxed.. don't know why.

2. Relax your bottom - again, each time she said it I had clenched up without realising.

3. Let your body bring the baby down, don't push, let your body push for you - I didn't 'push' once during his birth. My body did it all under her guidance.


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## Mervs Mum

Heres a great blog post about it :)

https://tums2mums.blogspot.com/2009/06/are-we-pushing-too-hard.html


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## lynnikins

i was doing "labor breathing" then with ds2 but didnt get to the "birth breathing" but defo something i want to try this time around for sure , i loved birth with ds2 but if i can do this and avoid the tearing i might enjoy the next one more


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## sarah1980

Thanks for all your replies!!!

Sarah.xxx


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## sarah1980

Mervs Mum said:


> Heres a great blog post about it :)
> 
> https://tums2mums.blogspot.com/2009/06/are-we-pushing-too-hard.html

Thanks again, I always find Dany's articles interesting and informative.

Sarah.xxx


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## Ju_bubbs

I did this with my last LO, I cant tell you how to do it, coz I dont know!! lol

I just remember breathing through my contractions waiting for the midwife to arrive, I was desperate to push but just kept breathing through it coz I'd read that if you pushed before your cervix was fully dilated, you risk tearing your cervix... so long story short, I got fed up waiting for the midwife, so I decided to try and feel for myself how dilated I was, my fingers only managed to get an inch or 2 before I could feel her head :rofl: So I gathered I was fully dilated, so just sat back in the pool and out she came with the next contraction!

I'd fallen asleep everynight since about 10 weeks, with a hypnobirthing CD playing.. so I guess my mind knew what to do, even if I didn't! I'm definately going to be aiming for no pushing again this time!


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## sarah1980

Ju_bubbs said:


> I did this with my last LO, I cant tell you how to do it, coz I dont know!! lol
> 
> I just remember breathing through my contractions waiting for the midwife to arrive, I was desperate to push but just kept breathing through it coz I'd read that if you pushed before your cervix was fully dilated, you risk tearing your cervix... so long story short, I got fed up waiting for the midwife, so I decided to try and feel for myself how dilated I was, my fingers only managed to get an inch or 2 before I could feel her head :rofl: So I gathered I was fully dilated, so just sat back in the pool and out she came with the next contraction!
> 
> I'd fallen asleep everynight since about 10 weeks, with a hypnobirthing CD playing.. so I guess my mind knew what to do, even if I didn't! I'm definately going to be aiming for no pushing again this time!

Wow that's amazing! Proof that your body really does know what to do! :happydance:

I fall asleep with my hypnobirthing CD on at nights too so I'm hoping it's still going in!!!

Thanks for sharing!

Sarah :flower:


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## Nev23

Hi there...i used this method for giving birth...it worked amazingly well...i never had to push properly..it was never forced and it was not painful..it really is like having a bowel movement. I could feel my body gently nudge my baby down,all I did was breathe through it. My baby came out easily and I never tore. Afterwards the midwives told me that I without a doubt 'breathed my baby out'. It all comes naturally,the hypnobirthing book will help you..i really think that hypnobirthing works.


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## Weezie123

For me this meant using breathing and relaxation of my face to stop myself from pushing until I just couldn't resist any more. My body was literally bucking with the urge to push but until the end I could just about resist until I was 10cm. It is challenging but it let's your body open up and work the baby gently down without distress. My babies heart rate was steady throughout with this technique. I didn't practice it, just kept in mind that I needed to relax. It really helps if you have a birthing partner saying "breath it away, relax your face, nearly there, you're doing well" etc with every contraction. I just focused on my mums calming voice.


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## Xuxa

Ju_bubbs said:


> I did this with my last LO, I cant tell you how to do it, coz I dont know!! lol
> 
> I just remember breathing through my contractions waiting for the midwife to arrive, I was desperate to push but just kept breathing through it coz I'd read that if you pushed before your cervix was fully dilated, you risk tearing your cervix... so long story short, I got fed up waiting for the midwife, so I decided to try and feel for myself how dilated I was, my fingers only managed to get an inch or 2 before I could feel her head :rofl: So I gathered I was fully dilated, so just sat back in the pool and out she came with the next contraction!
> 
> I'd fallen asleep everynight since about 10 weeks, with a hypnobirthing CD playing.. so I guess my mind knew what to do, even if I didn't! I'm definately going to be aiming for no pushing again this time!

Which CD did you listen to? i keep listening to all of it, during the day i listen to the affirmations, but the relaxation part i do it with my OH most of the time...


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## Ju_bubbs

Xuxa said:


> Ju_bubbs said:
> 
> 
> I did this with my last LO, I cant tell you how to do it, coz I dont know!! lol
> 
> I just remember breathing through my contractions waiting for the midwife to arrive, I was desperate to push but just kept breathing through it coz I'd read that if you pushed before your cervix was fully dilated, you risk tearing your cervix... so long story short, I got fed up waiting for the midwife, so I decided to try and feel for myself how dilated I was, my fingers only managed to get an inch or 2 before I could feel her head :rofl: So I gathered I was fully dilated, so just sat back in the pool and out she came with the next contraction!
> 
> I'd fallen asleep everynight since about 10 weeks, with a hypnobirthing CD playing.. so I guess my mind knew what to do, even if I didn't! I'm definately going to be aiming for no pushing again this time!
> 
> Which CD did you listen to? i keep listening to all of it, during the day i listen to the affirmations, but the relaxation part i do it with my OH most of the time...Click to expand...

I used natal hynotherapy, they do all sorts of ones for different labour types.. home, hospital, birth centre, VBAC etc.. But I think they're esentially pretty much the same thing!


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## Enough

I did this with my son. I would breathe and say in my head "The path from my womb to my arms is short, wide and open." It REALLY worked.


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