Breath Practice for Labour

Practicing Breathing in Pregnancy.

The most effective way to prepare for labour is to practise breathing regularly during pregnancy. These techniques aren’t complicated—they’re simple but powerful tools that can become second nature with repetition. When you consistently practise breathing before labour begins, your body and mind will be more likely to instinctively respond with calm, control, and focus when contractions start.

Here’s how to build your breathing practice during pregnancy:

1. Make Breathing a Daily Habit

Set aside just 5–10 minutes a day to focus on your breath. You can do this:

First thing in the morning to start your day with calm

In bed before sleep

During a bath, a walk, or while lying down

Anytime you feel stressed, anxious, or tense

This daily repetition helps rewire your nervous system to respond more calmly instead of reacting emotionally, not only during labour, but in daily life too.

2. Practise the Labour Breathing Techniques

Get familiar with:

Breathing during contractions (inhale through your nose, exhale with soft sounds)

Breathing between contractions (deep light slow breaths, slow down the exhales)

Pant-pant-blow breathing (inhale, then “hee-hee-hoooo” on the exhale)

By practising these regularly, they’ll feel automatic in labour, like muscle memory.

3. Use Breath to Manage Fear or Tension

Pregnancy often brings waves of anxiety or discomfort. Use these moments as real-life opportunities to practise breathing through discomfort. Each time you pause, breathe deeply, and focus on softening your body, you're building your resilience for birth.

4. Include Your Birth Partner

Invite your birth partner to practise with you. They can help remind you to breathe during labour and breathe with you to help anchor and steady your energy.

5. Link Breath with Affirmations or Visualisation

As you breathe, silently repeat calming affirmations like:

“I am safe.”

“Each breath brings me closer to my baby.”

“Inhale strength, exhale tension.”

You can also visualise your breath as a wave carrying you through each contraction.

The Bottom Line:

Labour is intense, but your breath is always there ready to anchor, ground, and empower you. By practising in pregnancy, you're not just learning a technique you're training your body and mind to meet labour with calm and confidence.