Pregnancy Breathing Techniques: From Daily Practice to Labour

Pregnancy breathing techniques are simple patterns of breathing you practise in pregnancy so your body learns to stay calm, steady, and well-oxygenated when things feel intense, especially in labour. The aim isn’t “perfect breathing” or a pain-free birth. It’s giving you a reliable tool you can reach for when your mind starts racing.

You can start today, even if you’ve never done any breathwork before. A few minutes of slow breathing each day builds the habit, and by the time contractions start you’re not trying to learn something new in the middle of it all.

And yes, labour can be painful or it can feel more like strong pressure, stretching, and overwhelming sensations. Often it’s both, in waves. Breathing won’t erase the work your uterus is doing, but it can change how your nervous system responds, which is where a lot of “I can’t do this” panic comes from.

Why pregnancy breathing techniques matter during pregnancy and labour

Here’s what I see all the time with UK mums: the physical part of labour is only half the story. The other half is what happens when fear kicks in, your shoulders creep up to your ears, and every surge feels like a threat rather than a body process. Breathing is one of the quickest ways to interrupt that spiral.

Slow, controlled breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” mode). That matters in labour because a calmer nervous system supports the release of oxytocin and endorphins, which help contractions work efficiently and help you cope with intensity. When you feel unsafe or panicky, adrenaline rises, and that can make everything feel harder.

Breathing also has a practical pregnancy benefit: as baby grows, your diaphragm gets pushed up, and breathlessness becomes common, especially in the third trimester. Research is now looking at deep breathing training for third-trimester breathlessness, with improvements in symptoms and exercise tolerance after a few weeks of practice (see the trial listing at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07365163).

How breathing works in your body (no fluff)

Breathing techniques work through mechanics and chemistry. Mechanically, a slower exhale helps your ribcage and pelvic floor soften rather than brace. Chemically, steady breathing helps keep carbon dioxide and oxygen levels balanced, which supports clear thinking and reduces dizziness from over-breathing.

When you breathe quickly and shallowly from your upper chest, it can trigger symptoms that feel like anxiety: tingling fingers, tight jaw, light-headedness, nausea. That can happen in pregnancy and in labour. It’s not dangerous for most people, but it’s uncomfortable and it can make you feel out of control.

So the “best” pattern in labour is usually the one that keeps you grounded and stops you from holding your breath. That’s it. Simple.

Daily pregnancy breathing techniques you can practise in 5 to 10 minutes

If you only do one thing, do this: practise little and often. I’ve watched women try to cram breathing practice at 39 weeks like revision before an exam, and it’s stressful. A calm five minutes after your shower is better than a big session you dread.

Technique 1: Diaphragmatic (belly) breathing for calm

How: Sit propped up (or lie on your side). One hand on chest, one on belly. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4 so your belly hand rises more than your chest hand. Exhale through pursed lips for a count of 6 to 8, like you’re gently blowing out a candle.

When: Daily, and also any time you notice tension in your jaw, shoulders, or pelvic floor.

What it’s for: Lowering stress response, easing breathlessness, and training a longer exhale, which is gold in labour.

Technique 2: “Longer out than in” breathing (my go-to for anxious days)

How: Inhale 3, exhale 5. Or inhale 4, exhale 6. Keep it easy and quiet.

Tip: If you’re getting dizzy, your inhale is probably too big. Make both breaths smaller and softer.

If you’re actively trying to feel calmer in pregnancy, pairing this breathing with short guided audio can help because your brain has something to follow. That’s where a simple calm pregnancy routine for stress and anxiety can fit nicely alongside antenatal care.

Technique 3: Alternate nostril breathing (only if it feels comfortable)

How: Sit comfortably. Close your right nostril with your thumb, inhale through the left. Close the left with your ring finger, exhale through the right. Inhale through the right, switch, exhale through the left. Repeat for 5 minutes.

Why people like it: It gives your mind a job. Handy at 3am.

There’s emerging research into pranayama styles like alternate nostril breathing and their effect on blood pressure in pregnancy, with early findings suggesting acute reductions, though full published results are still developing (a useful overview is shared via Evidence Based Birth’s interview with Dr Shilpa Babbar).

Breathing for labour: what to do in early labour, active labour, and pushing

The biggest mistake I see is people waiting until labour starts to “remember the breathing”. Your birth partner can help here, because when you’re deep in a surge you won’t want a lecture, you’ll want one calm prompt. One phrase. One hand on your shoulder. That’s enough.

If you’re planning to learn more beyond breathing, it can help to pair it with other coping tools like relaxation, visualisation, and anchor cues. Many women combine breathwork with hypnobirthing techniques that work during labour while still planning for gas and air, a TENS machine, or an epidural if needed. It’s not either-or.

Early labour breathing (when contractions are building)

Goal: Stay rested and keep adrenaline low.

Try: Inhale 4 through the nose, exhale 6 through the mouth. Keep your face soft. If you can yawn, you’re doing it right.

Cleansing breath: One deeper inhale at the start of a contraction, then return to slow breathing. Repeat a deeper exhale at the end to signal “that one is done”.

Active labour “surge breathing” (when you need focus)

Goal: Ride the wave without tensing against it.

Try: Breathe in gently through your nose, then make the out-breath audible and steady, like “haaah” or “hooo”. Low sounds help keep the jaw unclenched, and the jaw and pelvic floor often mirror each other.

I’ve sat with women in NHS labour wards where the room was bright and busy, and that low, steady out-breath was the thing that kept them in their own bubble. It’s not fancy. It works.

Transition breathing (that “I can’t do this” patch)

Goal: Stop panic-breathing.

Try: Shorter inhale, longer exhale. Think “in for 2, out for 4”. Keep your shoulders heavy. If you start gulping air, pause and reset with one long sigh out.

This is also where some people like a patterned approach borrowed from Lamaze, such as paced breathing and focused exhalations. Lamaze-style breathing is designed to keep you attentive and reduce fear during contractions (see Cleveland Clinic’s Lamaze overview).

Breathing for pushing (and for coached pushing)

If you’re following your body: Many women naturally take a breath in, then release it slowly while bearing down. Think of “curling around your baby” rather than holding your breath rigidly.

If you’re being coached: Sometimes staff will suggest holding your breath for counts. If that doesn’t feel good, you can ask to try gentler, open-glottis pushing with a slower exhale, unless there’s a medical reason they need a different approach.

Trimester-by-trimester practice that actually fits real life

You don’t need a perfect routine. You need a doable one.

First trimester: settle nausea and anxiety

Try 3 minutes of “longer out than in” breathing once a day. If your thoughts are spiralling, a short guided meditation for pregnancy can be easier than doing it in silence.

Second trimester: build the habit and add a birth cue

Do 5 to 10 minutes most days. Add a cue you’ll reuse in labour, like stroking your forearm on every exhale, or relaxing your tongue to the bottom of your mouth.

This is also a nice time to start pairing breathing with supportive phrases, especially if you’re the type who goes straight to worst-case scenarios. A gentle set of pregnancy affirmations can give your mind something kinder to repeat while you breathe.

Third trimester: practise through mild discomfort

Practise breathing while you’re slightly uncomfortable: sitting after a meal, during Braxton Hicks, or after a short walk. That’s closer to real labour than practising only when you’re totally relaxed.

If sleep is falling apart, use the breathing pattern at bedtime. Some mums do brilliantly with a short track from a sleep meditation for pregnant women because it stops the “busy mind” loop.

Breathing with your birth partner, midwife, and NHS pain relief

Breathing isn’t anti-medicine. It layers well with everything.

With gas and air (Entonox): Slow breathing helps you avoid gulping, which can make you light-headed. A steady inhale as a contraction begins, then a long exhale, often works better than fast breaths.

With a TENS machine: Your breathing can be your rhythm while the TENS does its thing. Many women match the exhale to the stronger pulse setting and soften their shoulders on every out-breath.

With an epidural: You may still use breathing to manage anxiety, nausea, or shaking, and to rest between contractions. Calm breathing supports sleep, and rest matters.

If staying present is hard for you, a simple mindfulness prompt can pair nicely with breath, especially in early labour at home. This kind of labour mindfulness practice is often about noticing sensation without panicking, which is a skill you can build.

Limitations and safety: what breathing can’t do, and what to avoid

Breathing techniques aren’t a guarantee of an easy birth. Babies have their own plans, and so do uteruses. I’ve seen incredibly prepared women end up with long labours or emergency interventions, and it wasn’t because they “breathed wrong”.

A few safety points matter:

• Avoid prolonged breath-holding (especially if you feel faint), and avoid fast, forceful breathing styles that make you dizzy or jittery. These can increase stress response rather than settle it.
• Don’t practise anything that causes light-headedness, chest tightness, or tingling. Stop, return to normal breathing, and mention it to your midwife or GP if it keeps happening.
• If you have high blood pressure, asthma, heart conditions, or anxiety/panic disorder, discuss breathwork plans at your booking appointment or with your community midwife so your approach fits your situation.
• In labour, breathing is not a substitute for medical assessment. If you have bleeding, reduced movements, severe headache, or concerns about baby’s wellbeing, follow your hospital trust guidance and contact triage.

And a very real limitation: when contractions get intense, some patterns feel annoying. If a technique makes you feel trapped or bossed about, ditch it and go back to “slow out-breath, soft jaw”. That’s often enough.

Where HypnoBirth App fits with pregnancy breathing techniques

If you like structure, the HypnoBirth App breathing and relaxation library can be a straightforward way to practise consistently without overthinking it. You still do your NHS antenatal care, you still talk to your midwife, and the app becomes the bit you can control between appointments.

I’ve personally tested HypnoBirth App alongside other hypnobirthing and meditation apps, and what stands out is how practical it is when you’re actually in the moment. The breathing tracks are paced in a way most pregnant women can follow, and the tone is calm without being twee. You don’t feel like you’re being “sold” a perfect birth.

It also helps to have everything in one place when you’re tired and hormonal. If you’re using guided audio, you might like pairing breathing sessions with meditation for pregnancy across each trimester, and then having tools ready for the day itself like a contraction timer with meditation so your birth partner isn’t fumbling with three different apps at 2am. If you prefer learning in a more traditional way, it can still sit alongside hypnobirthing online compared with antenatal classes, depending on your budget and learning style.