II found breathwork because I was out of choices. I had suffered from panic attacks out of nowhere in my mid to late twenties, and they were manageable. That is until I had my first child. Oliver was born seven weeks early and needed to spend time in the NICU. During Oliver's birth, he presented with shoulder dystocia, which landed me with a level four episiotomy. It was a stressful time, but to be honest, I didn't know any better, and there was no other way to do it. It was long days and nights spent in the NICU, and movement was strenuous. I had a difficult time doing much of anything. Sitting, walking, and laying took everything in me. Looking back, I was unprepared for the pain I was in or the trauma of his birth. I finally was able to bring Oliver home hooked up to multiple machines; my days were filled with nurse visits, healing, and caring for my baby. That is until the panic set in.
I did what everyone told me: several specialists, but nothing worked. I finally saw a therapist specializing in post-partum anxiety who suggested I try breathwork. I'll be honest; at first, I rolled my eyes and thought there was no way it would work. I was running out of patience and options, so I tried it. I did all the research, went to a few classes, did more research, and IT WORKED! I have been studying breathwork for over 20 years, and while it may seem a little far-fetched, the science behind it does not lie. As this practice became a daily use, I knew it would be helpful in the birth space. I saw and heard the same thing at every birth I attended. Whenever I heard "take a big breath in, hold it, and act like you are pooping, "I heard "breath your baby down." The other commonality was that the birthing person stared a little confused and honestly annoyed. I knew that there had to be a better way, and there is.
Science tells us that you can reset the nervous system. Breathwork activates your parasympathetic nervous system, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, supports the health of your back and pelvic floor, balances acidity, and lowers inflammation, to name a few things that this can impact. There is something called Vital Lung Capacity. VLC is the maximum air that can move in and out of your lungs. My VLC is 92%. A mathematical equation gives you that number, which tells us if you are a paradoxical breather. In other words, a shallow breather. Shallow breathing isn't helpful in the birth space.
Science tells us that if you inhale for a count of four, pause, and exhale for a count of four, and complete that four times, you can reset the nervous system. Try it; it works. This is the one breath that I have taught to every one of my children. I want them to feel in control of anxiety, stress, and excitement. If they can self-regulate, they can control more than they know. This breath works excellently for all the phases of labor. It's one of my favorites. Posture also matters. Your posture can impact your breath by 30%. Poor posture doesn't allow your lungs to inflate fully, so stand by a wall. Shoulders are touching the wall. This is your good posture. It would be best if you were intentional with your posture when doing breathwork. If the spine is elongated, your core has more room, and your diaphragm can expand fully. The diaphragm can move about four inches and spread up to five. That gives a rotating baby a lot of space.
I want you to have all the tricks for nervous system regulation and the ability to make space in your core canister so your baby can rotate. I believe there is an optimal fetal position, LOA (left occiput anterior), for a baby's position during birth. Movement and breath give you and your baby space. I teach a breath for birth class in a group setting and individually. We cover over ten breath techniques and pair those with some movements to use in the birth space for all the different phases of labor. I would love to see you! You can learn more and sign up here. I would love to see you there. If you have any questions, please use the contact me form on my website, and we can chat more!
XOXO-Holly