2+ moms. . .breathing question.

lilmommalcw · April 2011

Did anyone else get pissed off when people tell them to "just breathe" during contractions? I didn't take a birthing class because it's just not for me. I hate people telling me what to do when I'm in pain. With my DS I had my mom & (ex) MIL telling me "just breathe, let the pain goooo". I thought I was going to lose it on them, Am I the exception, or does anyone else feel this way too?

luckyluvr · April 2011

I did take the classes, but I still got annoyed. DH kept telling me to breathe. I yelled at him, "I AM breathing or I'd be dead!"

sweetgirl82 · April 2011

You don't have to breathe in a certain pattern but deep breaths do have their place in labor. You muscles need oxygen to function. If they are lacking in oxygen they start to cramp. Deep breaths give your body what it needs.

So, if you find yourself frustrated with people telling you to breath during labor, take a deep breath, count to 3, and then you can bite their heads off. Deal?

jc&cat · April 2011

luckyluvr:
I did take the classes, but I still got annoyed. DH kept telling me to breathe. I yelled at him, "I AM breathing or I'd be dead!"

THAT is awesome. Not much he could have said to that. Good for you!

MidwestTexan · April 2011

Well, I guess I alleviate most of the problem by only allowing DH in the room (if you weren't there when the baby was conceived, you can't be there when it comes out) and he certainly knows better than to tell me what to do when I'm focusing and in the zone!

lilmommalcw · April 2011

MidwestTexan:
Well, I guess I alleviate most of the problem by only allowing DH in the room (if you weren't there when the baby was conceived, you can't be there when it comes out) and he certainly knows better than to tell me what to do when I'm focusing and in the zone!

This would work but they are my support system. I'm a single mom & the dad isn't involved. I def don't want to be alone during delivery!

Swimfly35 · April 2011

I took the class. There were a lot of good techniques. Who knows what I'd be up for? It turns out I am up for none of them. Breathing and gripping my DH's arm was the only thing I wanted. My DH kept suggesting all the other techniques we learned and I just gave him a look of death. He knows.

Maybe before the big day have a talk with mom and tell her what you'll need and what will piss you off.

"If you can't say anything constructive, maybe you shouldn't say anything at all!" I'd say telling someone to breathe is not helpful.

alipie02 · April 2011

Yep the only time I got pissy or raised my voice at all during labor was to tell my mom to STFU!

Every contraction she kept telling me to breathe and honestly I just wanted it to be quiet so I could focus. I asked her nicely a few times, but apparently she wasn't getting it.

I did feel bad and apologize afterwards for yelling at her, but she thought it was funny so it all worked out. Big Smile

Eiskonigin · April 2011

I got really annoyed...but then, I get snippy when I'm in pain. The same evil nurse that threatened to strap me down and refused me my epidural (it's ok! Another nurse got it for me at 9 cm!) was telling me "you HAVE to breathe!" AS I am taking as deep of a breath as I can whilst having those blasted contractions...I felt like yelling at her and saying "WTH does it look like I'm doing woman?!", but I kept my mouth shut and just tried to work through it all.

I didn't take the classes either, mostly because I have this fear of groups of other people, and the only classes available close to me were partner classes (you take DH or someone else), and DH was in basic and AIT...I just didn't have anyone to go with.

rjveldman · April 2011

I think they're just trying to be helpful. Slow breathing can make the contraction hurt worse. If you tense up, it hurts waaaay more, and the contractions can be less effective.

That being said, if you're getting frustrated with them - tell them. They know you're in pain, they're not going to take it personally.

llcoolay · April 2011

When I gave birth to my first my husband kept telling me to breath while I was in labor..I actually did try the breathing exercises and they did NOT help at all. He kept telling me to nevertheless and i told him to F***-off with the breathing exercises. The only thing I could do with each contraction was scream!

pammeelala · April 2011

LOL, this cracked me up. I didn't take the class the first time around because my first hubby and I decided it wasn't for us. However, once labor came, he suddenly decided he was an expert in breathing techniques. Lamaze made me feel like I was going to hyperventalate and pass out so I went to the deep breathing exercises I have done for years. He kept trying to tell me I needed to breathe more, finally I told him (as he was doing the panting cycle) that if he told me to breathe one more time I was going to punch his teeth into his throat and then I squeezed his hand as hard as I could to drive the point home. He left me alone about breathing after that.

You will find what your body needs most when the time comes, whether its short, stunted breaths in a pattern or long, slow breathing that relaxes you. No real way of telling how you will react to each until the time comes

SparkFish · April 2011

Yep, totally annoying. I figured out pretty early on that what I needed was quiet. I had an epidural so I wasn't in much pain and all the chitter-chatter made me crazy. I asked (told) everyone to be quiet so I could just focus and do my thing. Luckily, everyone was pretty respectful, so it worked out OK.

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