Meditation and breathing techniques

jencolfer

I am pregnant with my second child and I want to go natural this time. Any suggestions for meditation and breathing techniques?

sschwege

Have you considered Hypnobirthing or Hypnobabies?

FrodaBaggins

I'm doing a combo of things - chi kung breathing from the martial art I've been studying for six years, Hynobabies/Hynobirthing meditations I've learned, visualization, relaxation and breathing techniques I learned in my childbirth prep class. Even if there is no time for you to start the full Hypnobabies course, you can still get the book and download some of the mp3s from the site - which is what I did.

catsinawindow

I took a relaxation breathing course with DS and a Lamaze class with DD. I did find the slow deep breathing (in through the nose out through the mouth) helpful throughout most of labor. During transition the only thing that seemed to help was moving around.

Even more than the classes, I found my prenatal yoga useful for labor. It kept me flexible and let me practice positions and breathing techniques. Plus I heard about a study recently that showed that women who took prenatal yoga had on average a shorter labor by two hours than those who didn't. That does hurt eithet

RoastyToasty

Likewise with @lisagde‌ I found that the breathing techniques from my yoga practice were very helpful! I tried some of the other techniques from my Lamaze class, but for me the long, deep, full breaths were the most centering.

I would visualize breathing into the contraction and exhaling the tension. It's a technique I still use all the time- headache, stress, stubbed my toe, you name it!

jennypolkadots

IDK how far along you are but if you are under 26 weeks I would start just daily meditation. Mindful meditation or transcendental meditation are both good. Start with 10 minutes and work up to 20 minutes. The goal is to recognize your thoughts and try to find some internal peace and a quiet mind. Don't allow yourself to sit there and go to sleep or start going over your list. I meditate daily and have since way before getting pregnant. This preps you to have better control over calming your mind and focusing your thoughts - something that you need to do during labor.

Then you can start hypnobabies at 26+ weeks. Do the 5 weeks course or take the class in person. Practice every single day until your baby arrives. I haven't used it myself yet (only 14 weeks now) but my best friend is using it and absolutely loves it. It has made her feel so confident in her body and excited for the birth experience. She will be delivering any day now so I can't wait to see how it goes! One thing is for sure, it can't hurt!