During pregnancy, the uterus grows, which causes the organs of the abdominal cavity and the diaphragm to move upward. As a result, the action of the diaphragm, which is the main muscle responsible for respiratory movements, is difficult. At the same time, the vital capacity of the lungs decreases and the body receives less oxygen, which causes the heart to contract faster to run more blood through the lungs. By the end of pregnancy, the body's need for oxygen increases by more than 30%. Therefore, to relieve stress from the cardiovascular system and to normalize the state of the pregnant woman, special breathing exercises were developed.
Thanks to such breathing exercises:
- oxygen access to the brain of the fetus is facilitated;
- blood circulation of a pregnant woman is improving, including in the placenta, which improves the blood circulation of the fetus;
- the risk of toxicosis in the first half and partly in the second half of pregnancy is eliminated or partially reduced;
- the raised or increased tone of a uterus which sometimes arises during pregnancy is removed.
Types of breathing exercises
All breathing exercises during pregnancy are divided into two groups: normal and breathing exercises during movement. Basically, women breathe using only the intercostal muscles. This breath is called chest. With it, the diaphragm practically does not move and the organs of the abdominal cavity are almost not subjected to massage. With the active work of the diaphragm, there is a massage of such organs, as a result, the intestine and the liver are more active. Breathing with the active participation of the diaphragm is called complete. Learning the basics of proper breathing begins with the study of full breathing.
Full breath
This breathing begins with a maximum exhalation, then the abdominal muscles relax, the air of the lower parts of the lungs is filled, the diaphragm then descends, the air fills the middle sections of the lungs and only at the end - the upper ones. The exhalation should be as follows: the collarbones and ribs are lowered, the stomach and the pelvic floor are retracted, then the abdominal muscles relax and a new breath occurs. This technique of breathing will be useful during labor, when you need strong, but at the same time, not very sharp movements of the diaphragm.
After all the skills of abdominal breathing have been mastered, they shift to their combination with movements, for example, with physical exercises or walking. Next, you need to learn the principles of economical breathing.
Economical breathing
According to the teachings of Indian yogis, the duration of exhalation should be twice the duration of the inspiration, while a short pause should be taken between exhalation and inspiration. This allows you to accumulate a greater amount of carbon dioxide in the blood, which helps to relieve the excitement. Therefore, this technique will be useful in childbirth. Training of the respiratory system should be gradual. For example, if a woman takes a breath for 3 seconds, then the exhalation time should be 6 seconds. But you need to achieve this gradually, increasing with each training exhalation for 1 second. The general scheme of breathing should be as follows: 3 seconds for inhalation, 6 seconds for exhalation, 2 seconds for a pause between exhalation and inspiration. To develop the habit of such a breath, it will take at least a week for training.
After mastering this technique, in an equal proportion gradually increase the duration of inspiration and expiration. Such exercises will help during childbirth, when it will be necessary to push, and also to hold your breath.
Breathing exercises during pregnancy will help to normalize the general condition of a woman, remove at times the arising unpleasant sensations, and also contribute to the normal course of the birth process. Such exercises should be performed daily so that proper breathing becomes natural and habitual for a pregnant woman.