The Power of Breathwork

Breathing—seems simple, right? You’ve been doing it your whole life. But when you’re pregnant, suddenly everyone is talking about how you should breathe.

Deep breathing for stress. Controlled breathing for labor. “Don’t hold your breath when you push!”

So what’s the deal? Can breathwork really help during pregnancy and birth? The short answer: Yes, and you should totally start practicing now.

Here’s how to use your breath to feel calmer, sleep better, and (when the time comes) get through contractions like a total pro.

1. The 4-7-8 Breath: Instant Calm for Pregnancy Anxiety

Pregnancy comes with all the emotions. Excitement, joy, a little fear, and—let’s be real—some full-on spirals over Google searches at 2 AM.

The 4-7-8 breath is one of the easiest ways to calm your nervous system and stop your brain from overthinking every little symptom.

🫁 How to do it:
✔️ Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
✔️ Hold the breath for 7 seconds
✔️ Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds
✔️ Repeat 4 times

Why it works: Holding the breath and then slowly exhaling signals to your brain that it’s time to chill. Your heart rate slows, your muscles relax, and suddenly, that thing you were stressing over doesn’t feel quite so overwhelming.

💡 Best time to use it: When anxiety hits, before bed, or when you just need a moment to reset.

2. The Belly Breath: Training for Labor One Deep Breath at a Time

If you’ve ever been told to “breathe deep,” you probably took a big inhale… and puffed up your chest. But the real deep breaths happen lower—deep in your belly.

Learning how to breathe deeply into your belly now will help you stay calm during labor, manage pain, and avoid the whole panicked “I forgot how to breathe” moment when contractions kick in.

🫁 How to do it:
✔️ Place one hand on your belly, one on your chest
✔️ Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your belly rise (your chest should stay still)
✔️ Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your belly fall
✔️ Repeat for 1-2 minutes

Why it works: This breath helps keep oxygen flowing to your muscles (including your uterus!), making contractions more efficient. It also prevents you from tensing up, which can increase pain.

💡 Best time to use it: Anytime—while resting, stretching, or even in the car (as long as you’re not driving).

3. The “Horse Lips” Breath: A Labor Secret You’ll Thank Me For

Okay, this one might feel a little ridiculous at first, but trust me—it works.

The horse lips breath (also called “floppy lips”) is all about keeping your face, jaw, and body relaxed so contractions can do their thing without unnecessary tension.

🫁 How to do it:
✔️ Take a deep inhale through your nose
✔️ Exhale through loose, floppy lips—making a “brrrrr” sound like a horse
✔️ Repeat through each contraction

Why it works: Your jaw and pelvic floor are connected—when one is tense, the other follows. Keeping your lips and face relaxed literally helps open your body up for birth.

💡 Best time to use it: During contractions, or anytime you need a laugh (because yes, you will feel ridiculous doing this at first).

4. Counting Breaths: When You Need to Focus on Something in Labor

Labor is intense. There will be moments when you just need something to focus on to get through a contraction. That’s where counting breaths comes in.

🫁 How to do it:
✔️ Inhale slowly for 4 counts
✔️ Exhale slowly for 6-8 counts
✔️ Focus only on the numbers

Why it works: Counting gives your brain something else to focus on, instead of just thinking, ow, ow, ow. Longer exhales also help you stay relaxed.

💡 Best time to use it: When contractions start getting more intense and you need a distraction.

When to Start Practicing (Hint: Right Now)

Breathing is like any skill—the more you practice, the easier it becomes.

Start now so that when labor comes, these techniques feel second nature. Try adding one of these breathwork exercises into your daily routine:

✔️ Morning: 4-7-8 breath to start the day calm
✔️ Afternoon: Belly breathing while stretching
✔️ Evening: Counting breaths to fall asleep
✔️ Labor prep: Horse lips while doing prenatal yoga (yes, really)

The Bottom Line?

Your breath is one of the most powerful tools you have during pregnancy, labor, and beyond.

Use it to calm anxiety, relieve pain, and stay in control when contractions hit. And if nothing else, at least you’ll have one fun party trick with the horse lips breath.

You got this, momma. 💛

Naomi

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