Breathing exercises during pregnancy in the second trimester - learning how to breathe correctly.

Even ancient doctors knew that with the help of a special breathing technique, you can relieve pain and speed up the process of childbirth.

BREATHING EXERCISES IN PREGNANCY

Proper breathing during pregnancy great importance, since it is it that allows you to saturate the blood with oxygen and release it from carbon dioxide. If these processes are not carried out intensively enough, then tissues that lack oxygen and, first of all, the brain, suffer. For a pregnant woman, this is especially important, since with a lack of oxygen, the central nervous system child.

In the second half of pregnancy, a woman's growing uterus compresses the organs abdominal cavity and the diaphragm (the muscle that carries out respiratory movements), which makes it difficult for the diaphragm to move and contributes to a decrease in lung capacity. At the same time, the body's need for oxygen by the end of pregnancy increases by more than 30%. The tissues of the body begin to feel oxygen starvation, which makes the heart work in an enhanced mode (the faster the blood flows through the blood vessels, the more oxygen is delivered to the tissues), contracting often and not always productively.

Can help in this case breathing exercises specially designed for pregnant women. As a result regular breathing exercises in the body of a woman and fetus expand blood vessels, including in the area of ​​​​the placenta (the ingress of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues of the fetus is facilitated), toxic metabolic products are more actively excreted (manifestations of early and late toxicosis of pregnancy are reduced), increased contractile activity uterine muscles, which can occur periodically during pregnancy.

Breathing exercises should be done every day in order for the body of a pregnant woman to get used to and adapt to a new type of breathing.

When a woman breathes, only the intercostal muscles are usually involved in the process, and the diaphragm almost does not work - this breathing is called chest. Proper breathing should involve the diaphragm. Breathing with the participation of the diaphragm is called complete. With a full breath, not only does the oxygen supply to the tissues increase, but during each breath, the abdominal organs are massaged. As a result of this natural massage breathing improves the functioning of the stomach, intestines (goodbye morning sickness, constipation and bloating!) and liver. The liver, as you know, is a kind of laboratory for cleansing the body of metabolic products, it turns them into non-toxic products, which are then excreted from the body. And since the body is cleansed faster and better, there are fewer side effects of pregnancy.

Breathing exercises for pregnant women are divided into breathing at rest and in a state of movement. But before you begin to perform any fairly complex breathing exercises, you need to learn full breathing.

LEARNING FULL BREATHING

Full breathing begins with the participation of the diaphragm with a very full exhalation, then breathing occurs in two stages:

The first stage is inhalation; it is required to relax the abdominal muscles, which will cause the filling of the lower sections of the lungs with air; after that, the diaphragm descends, allowing the lungs to fill with air further, to the middle and upper sections; when the lungs are completely filled with air, the clavicles and upper ribs rise;

The second stage is exhalation; first, the clavicles and ribs descend, then the stomach and pelvic floor are drawn in, after which the abdominal muscles relax.

During childbirth, strong smooth movements of the diaphragm are very useful, so full breathing will be the key to correct delivery. As soon as the first type of breathing exercises (full breathing at rest) is mastered, they begin to combine full breathing with movements. It is best to combine a full breath with a leisurely walk in the fresh air. After full breathing has become habitual, it must be made more economical.

WHAT IS ECONOMIC BREATHING?

In order for the blood to have the correct ratio of oxygen and carbon dioxide, the exhalation should be twice as long as the inhalation, and there should be a short pause between each complete breath. With such breathing, enough carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood, which relieves arousal (this quality is very useful during childbirth).

Breathing in this way is not so easy, it is achieved only with the help of constant training. You can’t immediately start breathing in an economical way, this will cause a state of discomfort and stress, which is not safe for a pregnant woman. You just need to gradually lengthen the exhalation. It is very convenient to learn economical breathing during a leisurely walk, when one time step is equal to one second. If initially it took a woman 3 seconds to inhale and exhale, then gradually, with the help of training, you can achieve results of 3: 6 (seconds). Another 2 seconds - breath holding between two complete breath cycles.

After mastering economical breathing, they begin to lengthen the inhalation and, accordingly, the exhalation, which will give the woman an additional margin of safety during childbirth, when during attempts she will need to hold her breath and push.

Breathing exercises during pregnancy restore the well-being of a pregnant woman, prepare her body for childbirth and give the tissues of the mother and child additional nutrition and oxygen.

Before getting acquainted with physical exercises for expectant mothers, it is worth talking about proper breathing. Breathing exercises for pregnant women are very useful.

Breathing exercises during pregnancy should ideally be done daily. It can be done between physical activities (for relaxation) and at the end of a workout for the purpose of relaxation. Such gymnastics is very useful:

• promotes relaxation;
• come in handy expectant mother during childbirth;
• used by pregnant women during exercise and before them;
• promotes better circulation of the placenta, which means enough oxygen for the baby.

A set of breathing exercises for pregnant women

The duration of the lessons is 10 - 30 minutes. Breathing exercises for pregnant women should be performed with pauses for rest.

1. Breathing with a count delay

Accept any comfortable position: lying on your side, on your back, sitting, standing. Breathing rhythm: inhale - 4 counts, hold your breath - 2 counts, exhale - 4 counts, hold your breath - 2 counts. Breathe not too deeply through your nose.

2. Localized breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing has a pronounced calming effect, use this method in moments of nervous tension.

You can lie on your back, sit on your side, sit on a fitball. Place the palm of one hand on your stomach, place the other hand on your chest. Inhale, the air will fill the lower part of the lungs, the stomach will inflate, as you exhale, it will fall. The chest should remain motionless. Inhale and exhale through your nose.

Medium chest. This type of breathing helps to restore strength, relieve fatigue.

Lie on your back or just sit down; the palms of both hands should be located on the side of the ribs, elbows apart. When you inhale, the air will fill the middle part of the lungs, rib cage expands like an accordion. Breathe through your nose.

Upper. By breathing in this way, you will noticeably improve your mood, cope with apathy and depression.

Lie on your back, you can also perform the exercise while sitting or standing; Place one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest. Take a breath, the air will fill upper part lungs, the chest will rise up, when exhaling it will fall; the stomach must be still. Breathe through your nose.

3. Full breath

The exercise includes lower (diaphragmatic), middle and upper breathing, performed lying on your back, as well as sitting or standing. Take a breath, the air will fill all the sections of the lungs sequentially (from bottom to top). First, the stomach will protrude, then the chest will expand to the sides, after which the chest will rise up. On exhalation, air progressively leaves all parts of the lungs. At the same time, the stomach will drop, the chest will narrow and drop. Inhalation and exhalation are thus lengthened. You should not breathe too deeply. Breathe through your nose.

4. Hissing breath

The exercise can be performed sitting, standing or lying down. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold your breath for a couple of seconds and exhale smoothly, leaving your lips and teeth closed. This produces something like a hiss. Do no more than 5 times.

After doing breathing exercises during pregnancy, take the most favorable position for yourself, close your eyes and breathe slowly with pleasure. Strive to completely immerse yourself in your own inner world, your state and relax.

Breathing exercises for pregnant women can be done in combination with physical exercises (preferably before them) or separately if physical activity is contraindicated. In any case, before you start breathing exercises, listen carefully to yourself: are there any ailments, pain, whether the stomach hurts, whether there is no tone in the uterus.

The duration of breathing exercises should not exceed half an hour, depending on the intensity of the exercise. Too sharp saturation of the body with oxygen is useless for us, this can lead to dizziness and pressure surges. If mastered correct technique breathing during childbirth, the delivery process can be made less painful. Ideally, get the first consultation on breathing exercises from a special trainer, then there is no need to wander around the gyms and spend money - all these simple exercises can be done at home.

Breathing exercises for pregnant women 2nd trimester: step by step instructions

Begin your breathing exercises by practicing shallow breathing, also known as the doggie exercise. To do this, in a sitting or standing position, quickly breathe in the upper part of the chest at the same time through the nose and mouth. So that from the side it looks like the breath of a dog with its tongue hanging out. This exercise will come in handy during contractions and the first attempts. Some women manage to literally “breathe” their most difficult contractions with a “dog” and thereby do without anesthesia.

The second exercise is a little more difficult - this is chest breathing. Place your palms on your ribs above your chest so that your fingers join and begin to breathe. When inhaling, the fingers should separate, while exhaling, they should return to their original position. Breathing exercises for pregnant women 2nd trimester involves inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. At the same time, one should try to make the exhalation long, and the inhalation short (this does not apply to the “doggie” exercise): according to yogis, a long exhalation contributes to maximum relaxation.

And finally, the third type of exercise is abdominal breathing. It is best to practice it not only as part of daily breathing exercises, but also before bedtime. Lying on your back without knocking natural rhythm breathing and without increasing the volume of normally inhaled air, you need to focus on making the abdominal muscles work during inhalation and exhalation. The main thing in this exercise is not to overstrain the abdominal muscles, but how to massage the stomach internal organs.

Breathing is a vital function of the body. Everyone should know how to breathe properly, and during pregnancy, saturating the lungs with oxygen is especially important. Having mastered the breathing technique, a pregnant woman will provide herself with invaluable help during childbirth: she will be able to control tribal activity, facilitate the process of fetal expulsion and reduce pain during fights.

With the help of breathing, the blood is saturated with oxygen, which is necessary for all organs and tissues and, first of all, for the brain. Usually people in calm state make 17-20 respiratory movements per minute. Their number depends on the age, height and size of the chest, condition respiratory tract and lung tissue, as well as on the position of the body and physical activity. V vertical position you can take a deeper breath, which is due to the fact that in this position the blood supply to the lungs decreases. But to saturate the body with oxygen, it is not the frequency of inhalations and exhalations that is important, but how correctly this is done.

How to breathe properly during pregnancy

The most correct thing is to inhale air through the nose, fully straightening up. In this position, the back muscles help the lungs work, the cells receive enough oxygen, which stimulates blood circulation, and a blush appears on the cheeks. Proper breathing is especially important in winter, when the inhaled air is very cold. The air passing through the nose is cleansed, warmed, moistened. This protects against bronchitis in winter, and in summer against irritation of the respiratory tract by too hot and dry air. Flaw motor activity and improper breathing leads to the fact that a woman begins to feel sleepy, lethargic, tired. This is an alarming symptom that indicates that there is not enough oxygen in the body. It is very important to monitor how to breathe during pregnancy, because the fetus suffers from hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in the first place.

When the body is not sufficiently saturated with oxygen, the person, despite the fact that he had slept and rested during the night, begins to yawn. What begins in stuffy offices at the end of the working day: people walk sluggish, yawn. The thing is, yawning is a kind of defense mechanism with hypoxia. The body tries to compensate for the lack of oxygen by taking deeper breaths. In an atmosphere of constant haste and stress, we do everything on the run, we do not have a minute to rest, we even breathe superficially, not deeply. During pregnancy, you will have to take better care of yourself, including your breathing. Therefore, a pregnant woman needs to learn how to perform breathing exercises.

Lack of oxygen can be caused not only by shallow breathing, but also by such a simple reason as a rare exposure to fresh air. Periodically, you should ventilate the room, leave the window open at night, and take an hour-long walk before going to bed. In general, during pregnancy, you need to walk more, because you need to take care of the health of the unborn child, who will take his first breath only after birth, but for now, his mother must breathe so that there is enough oxygen for two.

What can be done to, despite the constant lack of time, get rid of the ailment caused by lack of air? Below are some simple breathing exercises for pregnant women that will help you relax and enrich your body with oxygen.

Breathing exercises for pregnant women in the 1st trimester

First you need to sit down, relax and inhale and exhale three times as usual. On the fourth exhalation, note the time to determine how long it lasts. Then take a breath and also note the time, and then compare the results. Most likely, it will turn out that the inhalation is longer than the exhalation. Our exercises are aimed at developing such a breathing rhythm in which these results will be equal, and even better if the exhalation becomes a little longer. When performing the exercises below, you need to monitor your well-being, as a sharp surge of oxygen can cause slight dizziness. For it to pass, it is enough to stop doing the exercises and breathe as usual for a few minutes. After each exercise, you need to rest.

The respiratory gymnastics complex for pregnant women in the 1st trimester should consist of the following exercises.

Exercise 1. Sit on your heels, put one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Take a deep breath in through your nose and then slowly exhale through your mouth. Then rest a little and repeat the inhalation and exhalation. Perform the exercise 5-6 times.

Exercise 2. Stand up straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your hands up. Take a deep breath while stretching up on your tiptoes. As you exhale, lower your arms and stand on your heels. Repeat this breathing exercise for pregnant women 5-7 times.

Exercise 3 Stand up straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Place one hand on your stomach, and pinch one nostril with the fingers of the other. Inhale through one free half of the nose, and exhale through the mouth. Try to inhale as deeply as possible. Exercise slowly. Repeat 5-6 times.

Exercise 4 Stand straight, put your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, straighten your shoulders. Place your palms on your shoulders on either side of your neck. While inhaling, slightly lift your chin up and close your eyes. As you exhale, lower your chin down and open your eyes. Repeat this exercise for proper breathing during pregnancy 4-5 times.

Exercise 5 Stand up straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Stretch your arms to the sides, raise your palms up so that they are at right angles to the forearms. Exhale completely through your mouth. As you inhale (through your nose), stretch your arms out in front of you. Repeat this exercise 5-7 times, not forgetting to monitor your well-being. Take short breaks between exercises.

Exercise 6 Get on all fours with your arms fully extended. On an inhale, arch your back and raise your head. As you exhale, arch your back, rounding, and lower your head. Perform the exercise for pregnant women on proper breathing slowly and smoothly. Repeat 4-6 times.

Exercise 7 Get on all fours, as in the previous exercise; then, without taking your hands off the floor, slowly push your pelvis back until your arms and back are completely straight. Exhale completely from this position, returning to the starting position, inhale. Repeat 4-6 times.

Exercise 8 Stand up straight, put your hands on your belt, straighten your shoulders. Taking a deep breath, slowly get on all fours. Rest your hands on the floor. Then slowly return to the starting position, releasing the air. Give yourself time to rest and repeat the exercise 5-6 times.

Exercise 9 Lie on your back, preferably on a hard surface. Stretch your arms along your back. Taking air into your lungs, slowly raise your legs up to make a corner. It is very good if the angle is 90 °. Then lower your legs, exhaling the air. Do this exercise slowly, taking breaks. Repeat 3-4 times.

Exercise 10 Stand straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart, put your hands on your belt. Take a deep breath and, without releasing the air, rotate the torso. Try to keep your pelvis and legs still. After completing one rotation, slowly exhale the air. Taking breaks, repeat this pregnancy breathing exercise 3-4 times.

Exercise 11 Lie on your back on a flat, firm surface. Put your hands on your stomach and close your eyes, try to relax as much as possible and breathe as usual. This exercise is designed to restore breathing. Remain in this position until you feel that your breathing has fully recovered, then slowly stand up.

Breathing exercises to help pregnant women during childbirth

The following are suggested breathing exercises for pregnant women, which are designed to help with childbirth and maintain oxygen balance. This complex is performed in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy lying down or sitting in Turkish, leaning on something with your back. The chosen position should be comfortable and not overbearing. discomfort. At the same time, you should take a position in which breathing will be free, uncomplicated.

Exercise 1 for chest breathing. Take the most comfortable position from those suggested above. Before starting the exercise, exhale completely. Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Then draw as much air as possible into the chest, inhaling it through the nose. Inhaling, inflate the nostrils as wide as possible. Control yourself with your hands: the hand lying on the stomach should hardly move, and the hand lying on the chest should rise. During such an inhalation, the ribs move apart and rise, and the diaphragm descends. At the height of a full inhalation, hold your breath, and then very slowly, gradually exhale through your nose. At the same time, keep in mind that the exhalation should be four times longer than the inhalation.

Exercise 2 for chest breathing. Take a candle, light it and hold it at the level of your chin. Learn to exhale air through your nose so that the flame of the candle is deflected, but not extinguished. Do this exercise 10 times, rest and repeat. Having learned to breathe in this way, you can not light a candle, but repeat the exercise several times throughout the day (useful for the upper abdomen and chest). After you have mastered this respiratory gymnastics exercise for pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters well, you can move on to more complex species chest breathing: delayed, intermittent and shallow.

Exercise 1 for chest breathing with a delay is performed as follows: take the starting position, as indicated above. Take a deep breath through your nose, at the end of the breath, hold your breath and mentally slowly count to 10. Then exhale sharply through your mouth. Having mastered this time of holding the breath, gradually lengthen it, bringing the count to 20, 30. This breathing will help when the period of labor comes, called the expulsion of the fetus.

Exercise 2 for chest breathing with a delay is performed as follows: take a deep breath through your nose, hold your breath and stretch your hands to the ceiling, as if trying to touch it. At the same time, do not tear your heels off the floor. Then exhale slowly as you lower your arms. Hold your breath for about 5-10 seconds. Take a short break and repeat the exercise. Hold your breath for 2-3 seconds longer each time. Repeat the exercise 5 times. Then do this exercise a few more times, but already standing on your toes. Such breathing exercises during pregnancy not only help maintain oxygen balance, but also serve as gymnastics for certain muscle groups.

Breathing exercises during pregnancy for shallow breathing are done by taking a comfortable position that does not restrict breathing. You need to inhale and exhale through the nose, easily and quickly, without noise. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that only the chest moves, the stomach should remain almost motionless. Such breathing should be very rhythmic, and the duration of the inhalation should be equal to the duration of the exhalation. Do not immediately try to breathe in this way for a long time. At first, you can breathe like this for no more than 10-15 seconds, and then gradually increase the time of intermittent breathing by 10 seconds. The systematic implementation of this exercise will allow you to breathe in this way for 60 seconds by the end of pregnancy.

This type of chest breathing, despite its rapidity, should not be erratic. This means that the pace chosen at the beginning of the exercise is maintained throughout the entire period of intermittent breathing. Do not accelerate the rhythm of breathing during the exercise. It is better to breathe not so fast, but at the same pace. On average, inhalation and exhalation should be 2 s. But you can not immediately force yourself to breathe at this speed. You should start at such a speed that you can maintain without causing an overstrain in the body. It is advisable to do this breathing exercise exercise during pregnancy in the 2nd and 3rd trimester with eyes closed. This type of breathing will help with strong contractions that accompany the opening of the cervix.

Interrupted breathing is performed as follows: cover your mouth, stick out your tongue and take noisy breaths in and out, as dogs do after a long run. As in the previous exercises, only the chest should breathe, the stomach should be almost motionless, and the breathing rhythm should be quickened. You should take about one breath and exhale in one second. The duration of this exercise at the beginning of classes should be small, only 10-15 seconds. Gradually, you need to increase the time of such breathing to 30-60 minutes. This type of breathing will help at the end of the birth of the fetus.

After performing each breathing exercise during pregnancy, it is necessary to fully restore breathing, for which it is necessary to take a break and breathe in the usual way.

After all types of breathing exercises have been mastered, one should take a pose, as at the birth of a fetus, that is, put pillows under the back, bend the legs at the knees, and spread the hips to the sides. In this position, breathing exercises should be done in the following sequence: first, delayed breathing, which helps with attempts, then continuous, and then intermittent breathing, which makes attempts difficult, since this may also be necessary during childbirth. It is not easy to make the transition from holding breathing to intermittent breathing, so it will take some time to master it.

Abdominal breathing exercise. Place one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest. Take a deep breath before beginning the exercise. Then inhale through the nose, lifting abdominal wall, as if you wanted to break the belt at the waist. The hand lying on the stomach should rise, and the other (on the chest) should hardly move. Then exhale slowly through your mouth, gradually lowering the abdominal wall, which will return to its original position by the end of the exhalation. In this exercise, as in the previous ones, the hand helps to make sure that you are doing the exercise correctly. After a few days, control is no longer required.

Full breathing exercise. This breathing exercise for pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimester combines the previous two. Before starting the exercise, exhale completely, then inhale slowly, lifting the abdominal wall; continue to inhale, gradually drawing air into the chest. Hold your breath at the end of the inhale. Then slowly exhale first through the mouth, then exhale from the chest, lowering the ribs. After that, tighten your stomach well. Rest for a few seconds and repeat the exercise. Full breathing, allowing maximum oxygen to enter the lungs, can cause dizziness. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the exercise lying down, no more than 3-4 times in a row.

And now watch the video of breathing exercises for pregnant women, which shows all the basic exercises:

Article read 2,166 times.