If you can practice your breathing during pregnancy, you can learn to focus on and use your breathing effectively. It can help you to manage sickness and nausea, headaches, back ache and pelvic pain, as well as any anxiety or feeling overwhelmed.
Using your breathing can be a simple and effective way to ease discomfort in pregnancy and it can be excellent preparation for birth and for when your baby is here.
The key to using your breathing is to make it familiar for you, so it is comfortable to use and so it easy and you don’t have to think about it.
So how do you use your breathing during pregnancy?
- Make the time to practice it – just a few minutes at a time.
- Bring it into your day so you are using it frequently: start with morning, daytime and evening.
- Keep it simple – this is about how you breathe, not learning a new way to breathe. Get to know your breathing and to familiarise yourself with how your body feels when it is relaxed.
- Focusing on your breathing is a chance to let go of any tension – as you breathe out relax your forehead, relax your jaw, relax your shoulders, uncurl your fingers and allow your hands and legs to be still so there are not fidgety movements.
- To start to prepare for birth, you can focus on using your breathing more often throughout your day. It can help to focus on for a minute or so at a time every time you go to the loo – this can be a great way to use your breathing and relax your body.
Remember, using your breathing during pregnancy is about finding what works for you – when you practice, the pace of your breathing, how you relax your body and how you feel.
But it is important to practice to make it effective for you.
A few words about why I created Relax and Breathe…
I developed Relax & Breathe in 2009 after using breathing techniques to manage anxiety and panic and reflecting on my work with expectant and birthing parents.
Simple relaxation & breathing skills can be vital for focus and calm, to ease discomfort and pain, to boost energy levels and to manage anxiety or panic.
I wanted to create something uncomplicated which is why Relax & Breathe is simple and easy to use. It’s about bringing it into your day for a few minutes, so it becomes familiar and tailored to you.
Please do get in touch if you have any queries.
With consultations, digital guides and courses, content and a podcast, my practice is here for you every step of the way.
Copyright: Janine Smith
Janine Smith Practice 