Breathing exercises after childbirth

What could be more natural than breathing? It is a constant and necessary action for life that has a tremendous impact on the body like no other. After childbirth, a woman especially needs to recover as quickly as possible, and it can be difficult or scary to start exercising. That is why breathing exercises after childbirth is essential.

What are the benefits of breathing exercises after childbirth?

The process of breathing not only provides our vital functions, it is responsible for gas exchange in the body, and ultimately for all the subtle chemical reactions at the cellular level. It involves many muscle groups. Even just adjusting the breath, you can achieve a significant improvement in overall health. And properly selected breathing exercises after childbirth will help a young mother:

restore strength and energy;
fight diastasis;
Return elasticity of the abdominal muscles and breasts;
begin to return to “pre-pregnancy” weight;
Effectively move towards her ideal figure.

When to start?

Actually, the funny question &- when do I start breathing after giving birth? We never stop, do we! It just pays to pay attention to this process and adjust it a bit. This way, breathing exercises mom can do as soon as she first remembers it after childbirth. It will be a setup for proper breathing.

More intense breathing practices, such as elements of yoga and bodyflex, it is better to perform about 2 months after delivery, especially in the case of a cesarean section.

Breathing exercises are not at all contraindicated to a nursing mother. You can learn more about the technique of doing gymnastics on the online course momslab.com.

What does it mean to breathe correctly?

It is better to do it always, not only after giving birth. But if before a woman was not engaged in breathing exercises, and after becoming a mother, decided to pay attention to this, you need to start as soon as possible.

The correct type of breathing is diaphragmatic-ribbed. This means that when you inhale the air should go down into the chest all the way to the stomach, slightly deflecting the diaphragm and expanding the ribs. If you put your hands on the end line of the ribs, it is easy to feel this, especially when lying down. On inhalation, the rib cage should expand sideways, it should inflate like a balloon. If the abdomen when you inhale does not “inflate”, and moves only the upper part of the chest, perhaps even the shoulders, then the breath is not formed correctly. Fortunately, this is not difficult to fix & – you just need to pay attention to the breaths and exhalations for a while.

Another important indicator of the correctness of breathing & – its rhythm. Inhale, pause on the inhale, exhale and pause on the exhale should be approximately equal in duration. This, too, can be easily corrected.

Exercises for the development of proper breathing

In the period immediately after childbirth can be performed lying down, then any position of the body is acceptable.

To control proper breathing, put your hands on your diaphragm with the palms of your hands.
Take a calm breath with your abdomen rounded. Hold the air for 3-5 seconds.
Exhale for 3-5 seconds, drawing your belly in.
Hold your breath for the same 3-5 seconds.
Repeat the breath with your abdomen rounded.

At first, do not do more than 7-10 repetitions in 1 approach. If dizziness or yawning occurs, it is better to pause, continue the next time. Gradually, the discomfort will disappear, the brain will adapt to the blood circulation according to the new scheme, and the repetitions can be increased.

Breathing exercises for the abdomen

Breathing exercises after childbirth for the abdomen are especially useful in the presence of diastasis. Even if this ordeal has passed the young mother, these exercises will help to quickly and reliably restore the shape and elasticity of her “labored” tummy. Many women say that the effect is even better than from the abs. To do this, it is necessary to master several “healing” breathing techniques, applying them alternately and in combination.

It is not recommended before 2 weeks after uncomplicated delivery and before 2 months after a cesarean section or any complications.

“Rinse”. Take a deep breath and then exhale sharply in thrusts, directing the effort into the abdomen. After you run out of air, you need to pause for a moment, holding back from breathing in, then repeat.
“Breathless.” Take a calm inhale and a quick exhale. Without gaining air, pull the abdomen in as much as possible and hold for as long as you can. Then take another breath and repeat.
“Vibration.” When breathing in, try to relax the abs as much as possible, and when exhaling &- tense it.
“Dragon”. Take a deep breath in through the nose and a rich, massaged exhalation through the mouth. While doing this, alternate relaxation and tension of the abdominal muscles.

Note that the breath should by no means be sharp after holding the air, as this increases the strain on the heart. Air should enter the lungs calmly and measuredly. All the nuances of the exercise are described in detail on the online course momslab.com.

Who is contraindicated to breathing exercises after childbirth?

Direct contraindications to breathing exercises are only poor health of women or the manifestations of any disease & – acute or acute exacerbation of chronic.