How to breathe during childbirth? How to push correctly during childbirth?

Childbirth is painful and joyful for all women. How to reduce pain during childbirth? Practicing breathing techniques and mastering the correct way to exert force during childbirth will make your childbirth easier.

Seven questions to ask before giving birth

1. How do I know that labor has begun?

Some women feel irritable on the day of delivery, which is a clear signal from the body. Others may experience symptoms such as palpitations, hot flashes or headaches. In addition, some people may feel a loss of appetite or be extremely hungry, and may also experience diarrhea or severe constipation. At this time, the cervix begins to slowly open, more fluid flows out, and the pelvis and lower abdomen begin to feel pulling pain. The feeling of compression in the vagina and bladder is also a signal that delivery is about to begin. When the amount of blood or amniotic fluid flowing out increases, it is time to go to the hospital, and the labor pains begin to become regular. There is a golden rule that can help expectant mothers determine whether delivery has begun: this rule is 4:1:1, specifically: there is a pain every four minutes, each pain lasts for 1 minute, and this labor pain rhythm has lasted for an hour. Another sign that delivery is about to begin is that the expectant mother begins to feel strong pain, the intensity of which is unbearable. Another simplest signal is that the expectant mother feels that she is about to see the baby, and at this time she should trust her intuition! Delivery may begin soon.

2. I am worried that I am not “capable” of the difficult task of childbirth. What should I do?

It is completely normal to have fears about childbirth. Expectant mothers can calm themselves down through relaxation exercises during the preparation for childbirth. Here are some details about childbirth that will help you overcome your fears:

* The labor pains before delivery increase gradually rather than coming suddenly, so expectant mothers can gradually adapt.

* There is a break between each contraction, during which the expectant mother will not feel any pain (except in the final stage of delivery) and can use the break to have a good rest.

* In addition, labor pains are time-limited. Every labor pain means that the baby is one step closer to birth. When the baby lies in your arms, the labor pains are truly over.

Many studies have shown that women's sensitivity to pain decreases from the 20th week of pregnancy to delivery. The reason is that the body secretes a hormone that has an anesthetic effect similar to opium. A successful delivery does not mean that you must endure severe pain. There are many methods and drugs to relieve pain, such as acupuncture, breathing, pain-relieving drugs, and local anesthesia.

3. How long does it take to give birth?

Statistics show that it takes an average of about 12 hours for a woman to give birth to her first child, and 8.5 hours for her second child. But this does not mean that women should endure continuous pain for more than 10 hours. Everyone's situation is different. In general, giving birth in a familiar environment and with the company of trusted people will be faster.

Some expectant mothers have shorter labor pains but higher pain intensity, while others have milder pains but need more time to complete the labor period. Therefore, expectant mothers should let nature take its course and never feel pressured.

How long labor takes varies from person to person and can be inherited, so you might want to ask your mother about her experience with childbirth. It can also help to learn about the birthing process of your aunts and grandmothers.

How sensitive you are to contractions has little to do with how long labor lasts, but you can be confident that it will be over when your baby hears his first cry.

4. Who should be with you during childbirth?

There are many options. Some people think it should be the baby's father. Because the baby's father is with you, so you can experience the birthing process together. However, some expectant fathers cannot bear such a scene, so it is best to arrange them to wait outside the delivery room.

Some people think that you should find some female relatives or friends who have had childbirth experience to accompany you. Because they have been through this process, they will give you some useful help and will not be too nervous.

In addition, you can also choose the professional doula service provided by the hospital. These doulas are very experienced medical staff or midwives. They bring a sense of security to the mother and shorten the delivery process (according to statistics, the average delivery time is shortened by two hours in the first delivery). They also free up the "incompetent" father who accompanies the delivery. With their guidance, your delivery will be smoother! Of course, this service also requires an additional fee.

During the caesarean section, if fathers are allowed to accompany the birth, it is best for them to be as close to the expectant mother as possible. Even if they are not standing directly in front of the delivery bed, they should choose a place where the expectant mother can see them. This is very helpful for the mother's mood.

5. What to do when labor stalls

By adjusting your breathing, relaxation and movement accordingly you can "restart" labour. This "break" is helpful because we know labour is hard work and women need time to recover for a short while.

Is it possible to fall asleep during labor pains? It's almost unimaginable, but one in five women do it in between labor pains. Pain relief medications can also help promote sleep. During labor pains, expectant mothers don't have to endure all the pain, so they can accept some pain relief medications or methods to make themselves feel better.

Breathing, relaxation and movement can help to get through labor pains smoothly. For example, during the stage of uterine dilation, the expectant mother can sit on a fitness ball and bend her body backwards to make breathing easier, while the midwife or expectant father sits behind to support her. This exercise is very simple and easy to do, and any mother can use it during childbirth without prior learning. Moreover, this exercise is not only beneficial for relieving pain, but also helps the baby to "descend" into the pelvis faster.

6. If the water breaks, should I go to the hospital immediately?

Many women have been thinking about what to do if they lose a lot of amniotic fluid before delivery throughout their pregnancy. In fact, it is very rare for amniotic fluid to leak rapidly when the water breaks, so there is no need to worry too much about it. In addition, you can also rest assured that the obstetrician and gynecologist will check whether the fetal head has entered the pelvis before the due date. When the baby's little head has entered the birth canal downward, the amniotic sac has broken, and the amniotic fluid has flowed into the birth canal, it is time to go to the hospital. If the water breaks too early, many days earlier than the due date, and the fetus has not yet entered the position ready for birth, it is more dangerous. Because at this time the umbilical cord will slide into the vagina before the baby, and the fetal head behind will compress the umbilical cord, hindering the flow of blood. Therefore, at this time, the mother should be sent to the hospital lying flat to ensure that the umbilical cord is not compressed so that the supply to the fetus can continue.

7. Can the process of delivery be controlled by using oxytocin injections?

If there is no progress in labor, you can consider using an oxytocin injection to speed up labor pains. Another situation where you need to use oxytocin is when the labor starts normally, but the labor pains suddenly disappear, or the labor pains are very slow and weak, and you also need to use an intravenous oxytocin injection to promote labor.

The speed of intravenous injection should be strictly controlled so that the mother does not feel out of control. If the frequency of labor pains is too high, the drip should be slowed down or even stopped to make the intervals between labor pains longer again. The expectant mother should communicate with the nurses in the delivery room in a timely manner according to her physical condition and remind them to pay attention to how the expectant mother reacts to the oxytocin injection.

Correct breathing during childbirth

The birth is imminent and labor pains are unavoidable, especially for expectant mothers who are giving birth naturally. The editor believes that a good breathing method can help expectant mothers to exert force correctly during the delivery process and ensure the smooth progress of delivery. Therefore, it is very important for expectant mothers to master the correct breathing method.

Shallow breathing keeps you calm

During childbirth, when the contractions reach their peak, shallow breathing will help the expectant mother. And the method is very simple. The expectant mother inhales and exhales through the mouth, and only inhales into the upper half of the lungs. The editor recommends that the expectant mother can ask the expectant father to help her practice shallow breathing with her, and let him put his hands on your shoulder blades, and he will feel your shoulder blades moving upward.

Before giving birth, practice shallow breathing every day. When practicing, pregnant mothers can sit on a carpet, cross their legs in front of their bodies, straighten their backs, and breathe in and out through their mouths. Just inflate the upper part of the lungs, so that the upper part of the chest and shoulder blades will rise and expand. The breath should be full and short, with the lips slightly open. Inhale the air through the throat.

After taking about 10 shallow breaths, you need to take a deep breath, and then you can do it 10 more times. This shallow breathing can be used when the uterus reaches its peak. If you practice it every day, you will be able to do it more easily during childbirth and reduce the pain during childbirth. In addition, mastering shallow breathing will help you relax and stay calm during childbirth, and you can even control your body during contractions.

Deep abdominal breathing reduces the pain of uterine contractions

Generally speaking, during the first stage of labor, expectant mothers tend to be anxious and restless. In order to stabilize their emotions and get through this period safely, expectant mothers can try doing deep abdominal breathing, so that they can get through the first stage of labor easily and quickly.

Deep abdominal breathing has a calming effect and is helpful to expectant mothers at the beginning and end of uterine contractions. Doing it repeatedly can reduce the strong stimulation caused by uterine contractions. In addition, deep abdominal breathing can prevent the fetus from losing oxygen supply. This exercise can relax the tension of the muscles around the birth canal and promote the expansion of the uterine mouth.

The method of abdominal deep breathing is not difficult. The expectant mother opens her legs easily and bends her knees slightly. Open the thumbs of both hands and put the other four fingers together and gently place them on the lower abdomen to form a triangle. The thumbs of both hands are approximately just below the navel. When taking a deep breath, the lower abdomen will swell up like expansion. When exhaling, the lower abdomen will return to its original shape like a concave.

When practicing, the expectant mother can sit comfortably and relax as much as possible. Take a deep breath through the nose, so that the air reaches the bottom of the lungs. You can also let the expectant father practice with you. The expectant father puts his hands on your waist and he will feel your rib cage, that is, the chest, expand outward and upward. Now, concentrate and exhale slowly and gently. Then naturally continue to take the next breath.

Lamaze breathing technique to relax muscles

It is best for expectant mothers to start practicing this method from the 7th month of pregnancy. Lamaze labor breathing method effectively allows expectant mothers to focus on their breathing control during labor through neuromuscular control, prenatal gymnastics and breathing techniques, thereby diverting pain, moderately relaxing muscles, and being confident to stay calm during labor pain and delivery, thus speeding up the labor process and allowing the baby to be born smoothly.

Lamaze breathing can be done while sitting or lying down. Focus your eyes on a focal point and use hand massage while training your breathing. Use different breathing methods for different stages of production. These breathing methods include:

Clearing Breathing: This is the most basic method of Lamaze breathing. Slowly inhale through your nose into your stomach, gently use your fingers to make circular strokes from the outside of your abdomen upwards, then slowly exhale through your lips like blowing out a candle, while gently using your fingers to make circular strokes from the center of your abdomen downwards.

Chest breathing: Because expectant mothers have difficulty in moving, they need to use chest breathing when they cannot do normal activities. Before doing chest breathing, do a clearing breath first. Then slowly inhale into the chest through the nose, and slowly exhale through the lips like blowing out a candle. At the end, do another clearing breath. Do it 6-9 times a minute, with 60 seconds of contraction each time.

Gasping breathing: At the critical moment before delivery, when the uterus contracts, first do a clearing breath, then do 4-6 gasping breaths, exhaling through the mouth. The skill of gasping breathing is to blow hard, short and fast, like blowing a bag. At the end, do another clearing breath.

Blowing: When the uterus has not yet fully expanded and begins the first contraction, use accelerated or decelerated gasping breathing. When you want to push, blow short and powerfully until the idea of ​​pushing disappears, and then resume gasping breathing.

Hold your breath and push: The baby may be born at any time. The length of the labor process at this time determines whether you will push. Therefore, you must push when the uterus contracts, and relax when the uterus stops contracting. The key to holding your breath and pushing is to take a deep breath, hold your breath and push downwards. At this time, your chin should be close to your chest and your eyes should be looking at your navel. Try to hold your breath for twenty to thirty seconds. After changing your breath, hold your breath and push downwards until the contraction is over.

You absolutely need the Lamaze breathing method

Lamaze Birthing Breathing emphasizes that childbirth is a normal, natural and healthy process. Through a series of learning and continuous practice, every expectant mother is emotionally, intellectually, psychologically and physically prepared.

Stage 1 - Chest breathing. At the beginning of labor, the breathing method used is slow chest breathing. Take a deep breath through the nose, and start inhaling and exhaling as the uterus contracts. Repeat this until the labor pain stops and then resume normal breathing. Whenever the uterus begins or ends a violent contraction, expectant mothers can accurately report the contraction to their family or doctors through this breathing method.

The second stage - the hee hee light shallow breathing method. First, let your body completely relax. The expectant mother inhales a small breath of air through her mouth, and keeps the breathing light and shallow, so that the amount of air inhaled and exhaled is equal. Breathe completely through the mouth, and keep the breath high in the throat, just like making a "hee hee" sound. When practicing, slowly increase the duration from 20 seconds to 60 seconds for one breathing exercise.

The third stage - panting breathing. After expelling the air, take a deep breath, then quickly exhale 4 to 6 times, which is shallower than the shallow breathing method. You can also adjust the speed according to the degree of uterine contraction. During the practice, gradually increase the duration of one breathing exercise from 45 seconds to 90 seconds.

The fourth stage - breathing exercise. In the last stage of the second stage of labor, the expectant mother wants to push the baby out of the birth canal, but cannot use force to avoid vaginal tearing. At this time, the expectant mother can use the breathing method. When the labor pain begins, take a deep breath, then breathe out short and strong until you don't want to use force. Each practice should last for 90 seconds.

Stage 5 - Pushing. When the cervix is ​​fully dilated, the expectant mother should take a long breath, hold her breath, and immediately push the air in her lungs to the lower abdomen, completely relaxing the pelvic muscles. When you need to breathe, keep the original position, exhale immediately, and take a full breath at the same time, continue to hold your breath and push until the baby is delivered. Each time you practice, you should push for at least 60 seconds.

Generally speaking, a normal labor process takes 12-16 hours. In other words, unless it is an emergency delivery, every expectant mother must maintain enough physical strength to deliver smoothly. Therefore, for expectant mothers who are about to give birth, they must learn how to use force correctly during delivery.

How to use force when lying on your back. Spread your legs wide, bend your knees, and bring your heels as close to your buttocks as possible. Raise your hands back and grab the railings at the head of the bed or the handles on both sides. First, take a full breath, and stop breathing while exhaling from your nose. After a few seconds, gradually exert force as if you are going to defecate or open your anus. At this time, keep your lips tightly closed and do not let any air leak out until the end. It takes about 25 seconds from inhaling, exerting force to exhaling. To determine whether the method of exerting force is correct, just place your palm near your anus. When the method is correct, your palm will be pushed forward.

How to use force when lying on your side. When lying on your side, bend the elbows under your body gently and place your palms next to your face. Put your feet together, bend your knees as much as possible, and hold your thighs above your body near your buttocks with your hands. You can also hold with both hands, but when lying on your side, the hands under your body will easily get tired. The head should not be bent too low, and the spine should not be arched to the extent that the eyes can see the navel. First, inhale fully through the chest, and then do the same as lying on your back, pause for a few seconds, and then use force. At this time, the spine should be straight and not arched, and the buttocks should be pushed backwards to exert force. Bending the head too low or hugging the knees instead of the buttocks are both wrong ways to use force.

The method of holding your legs while lying on your back. Lift your feet, hold the inside of your knees with your hands from the outside, and keep your legs as close to the sides of your lower abdomen as possible, and open them fully. At this time, if your thighs are fully opened, it is better to say that you are holding your legs with both hands than to say that you are holding your legs with both hands. Your hands should not be clenched together, but each should be clenched into a fist, so that your legs can be fully opened. While exerting force, keep your chin close to your chest and open your legs as much as possible. If your legs are not fully opened, but are instead brought together, or if you exert force immediately after taking a full breath, and only your abdomen bulges, the effect of exerting force will naturally be poor. The lower jaw, which should be close to the chest, protrudes upward, or the force supporting the legs is stronger than the force holding the legs when exerting force, causing the buttocks to slide down, and good results cannot be achieved in this way.

How to push after the cervix is ​​fully dilated. When your cervix is ​​fully dilated and the perineum is swollen, expectant mothers should push correctly during uterine contractions to increase abdominal pressure, assist uterine contractions and promote delivery. During uterine contractions, expectant mothers should first take a breath, close their throats, and push down with force to hold their breath to increase abdominal pressure, just like defecating. This will increase intra-abdominal pressure and promote uterine contractions, which can speed up the delivery of the fetus.

How to use force during the intervals between contractions. When there are intervals between contractions, expectant mothers should rest quietly to recover their strength. If the abdominal pressure and uterine contraction force are properly coordinated, the delivery time of the fetus will be significantly shortened. However, if the force is not used properly, it will not have the desired effect. For example, some expectant mothers shout and cry desperately, which not only consumes physical strength and causes fatigue, but also causes uterine contraction weakness, affecting progress.

How to use force when the fetal head descends very low. When the fetal head descends very low, it is suitable to use abdominal pressure. At this time, the doctor will perform a routine check and instruct the expectant mother to use abdominal pressure. If the cervix is ​​not fully dilated, even if you have a strong feeling of defecation and must exert force, do not exert force to avoid cervical edema, affecting the progress of labor and fatigue in the late stage of delivery. You should open your mouth and breathe during contractions, relax your muscles all over your body, and do not hold your breath and exert force. It is worth noting that how long abdominal pressure should be used depends on the specific situation, mainly depending on the degree of descent of the fetal head. If the fetal head progresses slowly but the fetal head has been seen at the vaginal opening, and the expectant mother uses abdominal pressure for a long time, up to 30 minutes or even 1 hour, then forceps or a fetal head vacuum extractor are used to assist delivery, and an episiotomy is performed on the expectant mother.

In short, throughout the entire delivery process, as long as the expectant mother learns in advance, tries to relax, and cooperates with the doctor and midwife, she will be able to give birth smoothly.

"No. 5 Parenting" (:yuer5h)