Breathing techniques

Relaxation breathing

1. Place your hands on your mid-abdomen, under or just on top of the baby.
2. Begin with a cleansing breath: inhale through your nose; exhale through your mouth, like a big sigh.
3. Breathe slowly at a pace about half your normal breathing rate, and count the breaths in and out:
   
   in-2-3-4-5; out-2-3-4-5 OR in-2-3-4; out-2-3-4
4. Repeat several times over the course of a minute.
5. End with a cleansing breath: inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.

Shallow chest-breathing

1. Begin with a cleansing breath: inhale through your nose; exhale through your mouth, like a big sigh.
2. Set a steady, regular rhythm for yourself, at no more than twice your normal breathing rate.
3. Inhale for three counts, then exhale for three counts, once every two seconds:
   
   in-2-3; out-2-3
4. As you exhale, whisper short, crisp "he" or "huh" sounds.
5. Breathe faster as the peak of the contraction comes; breathe slower as it fades.
6. Make sure you breathe in and out at the same rate.
7. End with a cleansing breath: inhale through your nose; exhale through your mouth.

Variations in breathing

1. Blended breathing: alternate relaxing and shallow chest-breathing:
   
   in-2-3-4-5; out-2-3-4-5; in-2-3; out 2-3; in-2-3-4-5; out-2-3-4-5
2. Patterned focused breathing – take a breath for every sound you make. Vary the breathing pattern with hand or verbal signals.