As we know, pregnancy is a sweet-sour experience filled with mixed emotions of excitement, fear, depression, joy, hope, anxiety, and the like, thanks to the shift in woman's physiology. One of the areas affected by pregnancy is breathing. It steadily gets harder to breathe even while performing easy tasks. This is so because of the pressure the growing baby exerts on organs of the breathing apparatus like the lungs and diaphragm etc. 

The normal breath you take each time is shallow, this is because the full capacity of the lung is not in use. However, breathing can get shallower than ever. This is where diaphragmatic breathing comes in, which is, in essence, a form of deep breathing that utilizes the full capacity of the lungs and the diaphragm. This form of breathing has a lot in store for everyone, especially pregnant mothers as they face stressful conditions. In addition, it is a safe and excellent means for most women to exercise while pregnant. 

What is diaphragmatic breathing?

The diaphragm is the main muscle of respiration. This dome-shaped muscle lies directly below the lungs and separates the abdominal cavity from the thoracic cavity. It contracts rhythmically–and non-stop–flattening when you breathe in (thus enlarging your chest cavity by creating negative pressure that lets air get sucked in) and doming as you breathe out which forces air out of the lungs.

Diaphragmatic breathing ( also known as belly breathing or deep breathing or abdominal breathing) is a stronger deep inhalation. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, "Deep breathing involves slow and deep inhalation through the nose, usually to a count of 10, followed by slow and complete exhalation for a similar count. The process may be repeated 5 to 10 times, several times a day."

At its core, diaphragmatic breathing is a technique used to reduce the overwhelming anxiety that comes with pregnancy, it also helps in relaxation and pain management. In addition, it goes a long way in the postpartum period to help you recover the lost body physique

Happy pregnant mothers that experimented on this have described it as an excellent way of winding down after a stressful day and breaking the never-ending cycle of fight or flight.

Don't overthink it, diaphragmatic breathing is simply breathing as you know it, except that this time it is the only the abdomen that does the moving instead of your chest

What happens during diaphragmatic breathing?

Essentially, belly breathing is a conscious attempt to connect with your core–including your abdominals and pelvic muscles. Think of it as repatterning your breathing to come from your belly rather than your chest. As you breathe in, you create room for the lung to expand to full capacity.  All these are geared towards taking steps from breathing shallowly–and unsatisfactory –to breathing deeply.

In inhalation, you keep the abdominals engaged to make sure the belly doesn't balloon out by much. This ensures the diaphragm doesn't descend–and flattens–and also expands the lower ribcage. The intercostal–the muscles between two adjacent play key roles in belly breathing.

As you inhale you aim to direct the air from the ribcage down into the abdomen and then finally to the pelvis. This maneuver softens not only the pelvic floor but also the abdomen

In exhalation, the opposite is the case, you push the pelvic floor up–rebounds– back to its default state, then the belly falls back towards the spine and the ribcage collapses to its default state as well.

Once you get the hang of it, you can start to belly breathe away anytime and anywhere you wish. 

Benefits of diaphragmatic breathing in pregnancy

When practiced correctly and regularly, you stand to enjoy loads of health benefits from deep breathing. The benefits of belly breathing are deeply rooted in its ability to switch the body from the sympathetic–which tenses up the body–to the parasympathetic–which helps the mother take things easy and soft.

Alleviates Stress

Deep breathing goes a long way to tackle stress-related symptoms like headaches, backaches, anxiety, depression. This is because stress causes the cortisol levels in your system to peak in keeping the fight or flight mode–increased heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. But because belly breathing can modulate the functions of the autonomic nervous system, it can reset all that. As such, it could help you tune into the normal rhythm of your core which means normal heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate

Helps with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Some studies have suggested that belly breathing can play a role in helping mothers recover from irritable bowel syndrome. IBS is a chronic condition associated with gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, belly cramps and pain, diarrhea in response to triggers in the food or others in the environment. It increases blood flow through the intestines and soothe the pain and can help you relax.

Can boost pulmonary functions

It can boost pulmonary functions for those who have a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease–a condition where the pulmonary functions dwindle. As such, this type of breathing is essential to asthmatics patients whose mode of breathing is majorly thoracic. It also improves cardiopulmonary fitness and respiratory muscle length.

Strengthens abdominal muscles

Abdominal breathing can help to strengthen the muscles of your abdomen and pelvic muscles hence can help in rehabilitation during the postpartum period.

Can help avoid back pain

It can help you avoid mirage of discomfort that are pregnancy-related like backache and pelvic pain. 

Helps during labor

It ensures that as the woman goes into labor, her healing process isn't going to be a 'U' shaped but 'V' shaped with quick recovery, healing of pregnancy-related injuries, and restoration of the displaced internal organs–thanks to the growing fetus–to their natural positions.

Information is evolving, as more researches are currently underway to uncover more goodies from belly breathing.

Diaphragmatic breathing exercises in pregnancy

Diaphragmatic breathing is simple and efficient. If you follow the advice below step by step within 5–10 tries you should get the hang of it.

Belly breathing can be done in any position such as kneeling, sitting, standing postures. Different women have their preferences, but it is good to understand how to perform the process in any position so that you won't be limited by unfavorable circumstances.

• Sit comfortably, nice and tall. Place your legs apart and fix your foot on the floor. Then relax your body. 
• Place both hands on your belly bump or place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. You should feel your belly inflating as you breathe in and deflating as you breathe out. You must make sure this process is as natural as possible, try not to feel forced or tense. Loosen any tight clothing around your abdomen, nothing should apply pressure on your belly.
• Breathe in slowly through your nose and try to direct this inspired air through the ribs down to the abdomen. 
• Make sure your back and body are as relaxed as possible
• When you inhale try to hold your breath for some split seconds then blow the air out–exhale–through pursed lips, like you are blowing the air through a straw. 
• When you exhale slightly, contract your belly to push air out of your lungs.
• Ideally, it takes longer to breathe out than to breathe in. Most experts recommend breathing in for about two seconds followed by a short interlude when you hold your breath;  then breathing out for four to five seconds.
• Follow your rhythm. This exercise should feel natural sooner than later. Try closing your eyes to help you visualize. That works too!

To cash in on the benefits, you should repeat it at least 10 times in a row and can be repeated as off as you like. The sitting method is particularly helpful for a mother that is always on the 'go'. You could just take out a little time from your busy schedule, sit quietly and belly breathe. 

For starters, you should learn this exercise by sitting. Subsequently, you can do it standing up or lying down with a pillow under your knees to make you feel comfier.

Lying Down

• Gently lie down, then flex your knee so that the back does not touch the bed.
• You can make the whole process comfier by placing a pillow beneath under the knee.
• Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
• Take a deep breath through your nose then exhale through your mouth.
• If you are exhaling properly you will notice it is only the hand place on your baby bump that moves in and out with respiration. In other words, if both of the hands or only the hand placed on your chest is moving with breathing, it means you are employing some of your neck muscles to help you breathe. That is utterly off the mark. 
• The process is the same as in the sitting posture: you are trying to let the air come down through the back of your throat to the chest then down to your belly. For the inhalation phase
• Then exhale the air from the stomach to your chest through the back of your throat then exhale through your mouth. 

Note: Belly breathing lying down is not ideal for mothers who are heavily pregnant–i.e. second half of second trimester and third trimester–because the growing fetus can compress underlying structures. 

Diaphragmatic breathing risks

How much risks could you get into while belly breathing? Not much, if you are careful.

I hate to break it to you, but belly breathing is a breathing technique that holds a significant amount of risks especially when done incorrectly. 

The first mistake you should watch out for is taking a big breath. There is a huge difference between breathing deep and breathing big–the amount of air inhaled differs. 

Breathing big can distort the oxygen-carbon dioxide balance in the body. This leads to hyperventilation or over-breathing, which is dangerous. It is dangerous because you expel a whole lot of carbon dioxide in the process, and carbon dioxide is an integral part of breathing. Think of it this way, if you can't get carbon dioxide out then you can't get oxygen in. But what happens if there is no carbon dioxide to get out? It means you might have a hard time getting oxygen in.

That said, the blood is consequently under oxygenated, and that in turn can make you feel light-headed, drowsy, unable to concentrate, and experience a tingling sensation. It could get worse, it could offset anxiety, panic attacks, and hyperventilation.

To be on the safe side of things, we recommend you belly breathe at most 6 times in a minute.

Hence the need to perform diaphragmatic needs under strict guidance and surveillance for the learning phase. This low state of blood oxygen not only affects the brain but also other organs, can leave you feeling fatigued, tired. If continued–hopefully not–it could snowball into organs of your body.

If you notice any of these, try not to panic. Stop the process and get in touch with your doctor right away for advice. Although deep breathing was said to improve pulmonary function, it could backfire if one with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease tries it. 

In the end, the major takeaway from this: breathe deep but do not overdo it. Despite these backdrops of risks, deep breathing is a very efficient and effective way to relax.

Diaphragmatic breathing FAQs

What is Diaphragmatic Breathing?

It is breathing in and out slowly and deeply through the nose with a minimum rise or fall of the chest with one hand placed on the chest and the other on the tummy. 

How does diaphragmatic breathing help to calm the nervous system?

The motion of the diaphragm up and down sends a message through the phrenic nerve that innervates it to the vagus nerve then to the central nervous system. It automatically sets the body to the parasympathetic mode. The parasympathetic mode is involved in rest, relaxation, safety, and calmness which is superb for both you and the baby. 

How can I tell if my ribs are expanding when I am deep breathing?

First of all, it is hard to know when your ribs are moving at first. However, you can take note of this by placing your hands lightly by your ribs about two inches above your navel. Then breath in and out again you will notice that your hands move about an inch outwards.

Is deep breathing safe?

If done correctly, yes. However, when not applied correctly it can cause harm including–lightheadedness, drowsiness, etc.

How can I use deep breathing when I’m stressed?

The beauty of deep breathing is that it does not necessarily require an instructor, special equipment, place, or time to it. You can deep breathe almost everywhere–under a stop street light, in a queue, at home, office anywhere. Just put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest, and breathe! Feel your belly rise and fall nicely. It works like magic when you are stressed out, you should try it out.

Conclusion

Belly breathing is a superb breathing technique that can help you tune the body into parasympathetically driven mode. It has been proven to help pregnant women relax in the face of stressful conditions. But belly breathing is only beneficial as long as it is performed correctly. In other words, when belly breathing is done without the right technique and vigor, they do nothing! Or worse! It could cause harm to the mother. 

The preceding paragraphs have described means to channel your efforts to a more impactful and productive end. The benefits that could be derived from belly breathing are legion ranging from relief from anxiety-producing and nerve-racking stress, helps with digestion, immune functions, headaches, and so on.

Take out time today and belly breathe, you will be surprised by what 'just breathing' can do.