How to Use Your Breath For Labor and Delivery
- Brainz Magazine
- Aug 14
- 12 min read
Remington Steele is a holistic breathwork and mindfulness coach, doula, and speaker dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with themselves through the power of breath, emotional literacy, and community healing.
The breath is the oldest medicine we have, and during labor, it becomes a sacred bridge between fear and poer, tension and release, contraction and surrender. For centuries, birthing people have tapped into their breath not just for survival but for transformation. In labor, each inhale can be a prayer, and every exhale a release of resistance. Breath is what grounds you when the body shakes, centers you when the mind races, and reminds you that birth is not something happening to you, but something being born through you. As a certified doula, expert breath practitioner, and mother who has walked this path, I know that when a woman learns to ride her breath like a wave, she moves through labor not with fear but with fierce, conscious presence. This is where the transformation begins.
The history of the laboring breath
Long before hospitals, monitors, and epidurals, the laboring breath was passed down through generations of women, midwives, and healers as sacred knowledge rooted in instinct, rhythm, and ritual. In many Indigenous, African, and Eastern cultures, breath was understood as life force prana, qi, or ashe, and during childbirth, it was revered as a powerful ally in guiding both mother and baby through the birthing portal. Ancient birthing practices often included chanting, humming, or paced breathing not only to ease pain but to focus energy, calm the mind, and spiritually anchor the mother. These traditions honored the breath as a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms, recognizing that how a woman breathes shapes how she births. While modern medicine has made incredible advances, it often overlooks what our ancestors knew intimately: that the breath is not just a reaction to pain, but a deeply intentional part of the laboring process, one that connects us to lineage, consciousness, and the sacred art of birthing life.
The purpose of the inhale
The inhale is life’s first declaration, it is how we arrive, how we expand, how we gather strength. In daily life, the inhale draws in oxygen, fuels our cells, and awakens the brain, but it also energetically symbolizes receiving: receiving clarity, courage, and presence. During labor and delivery, the inhale becomes even more vital. It is the moment the birthing body gathers energy before each surge, the breath that fills the lungs and widens the ribs to create internal space for the unfolding process. Physically, a full inhale gently lifts the pelvic floor, lengthening and expanding the muscles that cradle the womb, creating mobility and space in the pelvic bowl. This subtle rise prepares the body for the downward motion that follows in exhale, allowing the pelvis to move with rhythm and intelligence. A steady, full inhale reminds the nervous system that you are safe, even amid intensity. In birth, the inhale is not just preparation, it’s power, purpose, and permission to be fully here, in the body, ready to bring life forth.
The power of the exhale
The exhale is where the magic happens. In daily life, it is the body’s natural release valve, softening tension, lowering blood pressure, and signaling to the parasympathetic nervous system to calm and reset. It’s how we let go of what we no longer need: stress, fear, and frustration. But in labor, the exhale becomes something deeper. It becomes the surrender, the softening, the sound of a woman leaning into her body’s ancient wisdom. When intentional, the exhale slows the heart rate, lowers adrenaline, and signals to the brain: “I am safe.” This sense of safety is critical during childbirth, allowing oxytocin, the hormone responsible for contractions and bonding, to flow freely, supporting both labor progression and emotional connection with the baby.
Physiologically, the exhale helps the pelvic floor to release and descend, making space for the baby to move down and out. It softens the cervix and relaxes the muscles surrounding the uterus and vagina, reducing resistance and pain. When a mother exhales fully and audibly through moaning, humming, or even sighing, she invites gravity and breath to work together, guiding the baby through the birth canal with greater ease. For the baby, a calm, well-oxygenated mother ensures better blood flow, a more stable fetal heart rate, and a gentler passage into the world. The exhale is not just a release, it is a rhythm, a ritual, and a reclamation of power. It is the breath of birth.
Your body and breath work together
Just as elite athletes harness their breath to drive power, precision, and endurance, a laboring mother can channel that same physiological mastery to birth with strength and grace. In sports, the breath isn’t optional, it’s strategic. It fuels every sprint, stabilizes every lift, and sharpens mental focus under pressure. Labor is no different. With each inhale, the body draws in vital oxygen to energize muscles and nourish the womb; with each exhale, it releases tension, softens resistance, and guides the baby downward.
Breath transforms pain into purpose and chaos into rhythm. When breath and body move as one, labor becomes not something to endure, but something to own like the final lap of a race you were born to finish.
Breathing through the pain
Breathing through the pain of labor is less about escaping discomfort and more about transforming your relationship with it. Techniques like slow diaphragmatic breathing, where you inhale deeply through the nose and exhale longer through the mouth, help calm the nervous system and reduce the perception of pain. Rhythmic breathing matching the breath to the rise and fall of each contraction can create a meditative focus, while vocalized exhaling (like moaning, humming, or sighing) helps release tension and keep the jaw and pelvic floor relaxed. Visualizing the breath as a wave rising with the contraction and flowing out with the exhale reminds you that pain is temporary, and each breath brings you closer to meeting your baby. As labor approaches, a powerful way to train your breath to hold steady under stress is by practicing with a handful of ice cubes in each hand, holding through the cold while focusing only on your breath, which builds endurance, sharpens focus, and prepares you for the intensity of the birthing moment.
The difference between laboring breaths and delivering breaths
Laboring breaths and delivering breaths serve two distinct purposes in the birthing process, and knowing the subtle distinction can make all the difference. During labor, the breath is about endurance, regulation, and staying centered through each contraction.
These are your long, steady inhales and slow, controlled exhales, diaphragmatic breathing that oxygenates the uterus, calms the nervous system, and allows the cervix to soften and dilate. This breath helps the body work with the waves, not against them.
Laboring breath keeps adrenaline low and oxytocin flowing, making it easier for contractions to progress naturally and efficiently. It’s all about softening, opening, and preserving energy.
Once the body transitions into the delivery phase, the breath must adapt with intentionality and precision. In my practice, I utilize a guided delivering breath technique that has consistently resulted in 100% successful births within three pushes or fewer. We continue the integrity of the relaxed, full diaphragmatic inhale, ensuring the birthing person remains calm and fully oxygenated. The transformation occurs on the exhale, where breath is focusfully compressed at the base, and the mother is guided into a slow, controlled release while curling the chin to the chest, forming a C-shape posture. With focused direction and a steady count to ten, this method aligns with the body’s natural expulsive reflex, avoiding breath-holding or unnecessary tension. This approach optimizes oxygen delivery, enhances maternal control, and facilitates a smoother, more efficient birth honoring both the physiological process and the mother’s embodied strength.
The purpose of pausing the breath before exhaling
Pausing the breath at the top of the inhale just before the exhale serves a powerful physiological and energetic purpose, especially in the context of labor. This brief moment of stillness allows the lungs to fully expand, gently stretching the intercostal muscles, lung tissue, and even the vagus nerve, which supports relaxation and resilience under stress. In labor, this pause creates a subtle but significant internal stretch, encouraging space in the torso and pelvis while indirectly inviting the cervix to open and soften. It also builds endurance, teaching the body to stay present in intensity without panic. Much like a yogic posture held just past comfort, this breath hold cultivates strength, control, and patience qualities essential for both labor and life.
What happens to our body and baby during delivery when we tense up
When we tense up during delivery, clenching the jaw, tightening the shoulders, gripping the pelvic floor, we create resistance in a process that requires release. This tension sends stress signals through the nervous system, triggering a rise in adrenaline and cortisol, which can stall contractions, reduce oxygen flow, and slow cervical dilation. For the mother, this can lead to prolonged labor, increased pain perception, fatigue, and even tearing, as the body fights itself instead of flowing with the natural expulsive reflex. For the baby, maternal tension may restrict blood and oxygen supply, raising the risk of fetal distress and complicating descent through the birth canal. The uterus, though powerful, is still a muscle and like any muscle, it works best when not in conflict with surrounding tension. Relaxation is not weakness; it is a strategy. Learning to soften the body and trust the breath is one of the most protective and empowering choices a birthing person can make for both themselves and their baby.
Practicing the breath for better relaxation
Practicing the breath for better relaxation starts with consistency and presence. Begin by setting aside just a few minutes each day to focus on slow, diaphragmatic breathing. Inhale deeply through the nose, allowing the belly to expand, then exhale slowly through the mouth with intention. Incorporating gentle counts (like inhaling for four, exhaling for six) helps anchor the mind and calm the nervous system. You can enhance relaxation by pairing breath with soft music, dim lighting, or placing one hand on your heart and one on your belly to ground your awareness. The more you practice in calm moments, the more naturally your body will respond during moments of stress, especially during labor.
8 tips on how to breathe for labor, delivery, and postpartum
1. Relax the baby down breath
This intentional breathwork technique is designed to align the birthing body and baby into a calm, conscious partnership. It begins with deep awareness, imagine the journey of the breath. Following the breath as it enters through the nostrils, moves through the sinus cavities, meets at the throat, and flows down the esophagus, then into the trachea, where it branches into the bronchi and spreads gently into the lungs. As the lungs slowly fill, the breath seeps into the alveoli, where oxygen meets the waiting cells. This mindful expansion stretches the torso and gently signals the body to soften. At the top of the breath, a sacred pause invites the cervix to ripen and the uterus to harmonize with the baby's descent, creating space, calm, and deep cooperation. With a slow and controlled exhale, the breath releases in full surrender, grounding the body and preparing it to receive the next wave. This breath invites presence, patience, and deep trust in the process, guiding your baby downward not with force, but with love and physiological alignment.
2. The push breath
This is a personal signature breath technique as well, designed to gently guide the baby down through the birth canal using the breath as a natural form of compression. Begin with a deep, relaxed diaphragmatic inhale, filling the belly, ribs, and lungs with intention. At the top of the breath, pause briefly to allow the body to expand and settle. Then, compress the breath at the bottom of the exhale, curling your chin to your chest and forming a C-shape with your spine. With a slow, focused exhale, bear down as you exhale through gently pursed lips or an open throat, guided by a slow and steady 10-count. This method aligns with the body's natural expulsive reflex, keeps oxygen flowing, and encourages a calm, powerful descent of the baby. It replaces force with rhythm and honors both mother and baby with presence, patience, and purpose.
3. Breathe your pelvic floor back into place
This deeply restorative breath technique, passed down through mentorship and intuitively refined, is designed to support postpartum healing by gently strengthening and repositioning the pelvic floor and cervix. Practiced in grounding postures like the Goddess Pose or the Garland Pose, the breath becomes an internal lift. With each exhale, visualize the cervix as the center of a napkin being softly drawn upward toward the center of the body. On the inhale, maintain the integrity and alignment of this lifted space, resisting collapse or strain. With every exhale that follows, lift again with subtle strength and intention. This breath trains the pelvic floor to tone without tension, promotes blood flow and healing, and energetically calls the body back into wholeness. It is a sacred reweaving of strength and surrender, one breath at a time.
4. Practice grounding breaths for stressful moments
Parenting, especially in the early years, can feel like a whirlwind of noise, needs, and nonstop decisions. Grounding breaths offer a simple yet powerful way to reclaim your center in the midst of chaos. When you feel overwhelmed, plant your feet firmly on the ground, soften your shoulders, and take a slow inhale through your nose, filling the belly and ribs. Exhale gently through the mouth, imagining roots growing from your feet into the earth. Repeat for a few rounds, allowing your nervous system to shift from reactivity to calm presence. This practice not only soothes your mind and body, but it models regulation for your children and invites more patience, clarity, and connection into your parenting moments in a fun way for both parent and child.
5. Your baby will naturally sync their breath to you
One of the most sacred truths in early parenting is this: your baby is always attuning to you, especially your breath. When you're overwhelmed and your baby is crying, fussing, or unable to settle, return to your own breath first. Begin breathing slowly and calmly, expanding your belly on the inhale and softening on the exhale. Hold your baby close, skin-to-skin if possible, and allow them to feel the rhythm of your breath against their body. Over time, your baby's nervous system will begin to mirror yours, syncing to the calm you’re creating from within. This is the essence of co-regulation, breathing yourselves into peace, together. It’s not about having all the answers; it’s about becoming the breath your baby can trust.
6. Start out slow, don’t add pressure to yourself
Breathwork, like parenting, is a practice, not a performance. It’s okay if you don’t get it “perfect” the first time or if some days feel harder than others. Start with just one intentional breath, an inhale that fills you up, and an exhale that softens what you’re holding. There’s no timeline, no competition, and no right way to feel. Your only job is to return to the breath when you can and offer yourself grace when you can’t. The magic is in showing up, slowly and gently, until ease becomes more familiar than overwhelm.
7. The power of just 2 minutes
You don’t need an hour-long routine or a quiet room to experience the benefits of breathwork; just two minutes of intentional breathing can shift everything. In 120 seconds, you can lower your heart rate, calm racing thoughts, and re-regulate your nervous system. Two minutes of slow inhales and longer exhales can turn frustration into clarity and chaos into calm. Whether you’re in the car, in the bathroom, or rocking your baby at 3 a.m., those two minutes can become your reset. The power of breath is not in how long you do it, but in how present you're willing to be and even the smallest pause can bring you back to yourself.
8. Consider a doula or birth educator
You don’t have to walk this journey alone. Working with a certified doula, either birth or postpartum, or a birth educator can transform your experience of pregnancy, labor, and postpartum from one of uncertainty to one of empowerment and deep connection. As a certified birth educator and doula, I offer personalized guidance, evidence-based tools, and holistic breathwork techniques that help you feel seen, supported, and prepared. I also lead intimate, immersive certification retreats twice a year in Dallas, Texas, and Costa Rica, perfect for those who feel called to this sacred work themselves. Whether you're birthing a baby or were called, the right support makes all the difference. Let’s walk this path together, your breath, your body, and your birth deserve it.
Transform your birthing experience with a breath coach
Birth is not just a physical event, it’s a deeply emotional, spiritual, and energetic transformation. As an expert breath practitioner and doula, I specialize in teaching birthing individuals how to use the breath as a tool for power, presence, and peace throughout labor and delivery. With personalized breath techniques tailored to each phase of birth, I help you stay grounded, reduce fear, and tap into the natural rhythm of your body. Whether you’re preparing for a hospital birth, home birth, or birthing center experience, I offer in-person and virtual support, and I travel for births upon request at an additional cost. If you want to feel connected, calm, and in control of your birth, your breath is the place to begin. Let’s breathe life into your birthing vision, together.
Read more from Remington Steele
Remington Steele, Expert Breath Coach & Intuitive Holistic Wellness Coach
Remington Steele is a mindfulness facilitator, breathwork coach, and passionate advocate for teen parents. She is the founder of Breathe With Rem, a wellness practice rooted in conscious breathing and self-healing, and We Are The Village – Teen Moms, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and empowering teenage mothers through holistic care, mentorship, and education. Drawing from her own experience as a teen mom, Remington creates safe spaces for healing, growth, and generational change. Her work bridges breath and community, helping individuals reconnect with themselves and each other. Follow her journey and explore more of her articles.
