A Breathing Technique For Labor and for Life: Relaxed Abdominal Breathing

http://www.transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/parented/pregnancy/abdobreathe.htm

How To Breathe Deeply:

• Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose for the most relaxed, meditative breathing. In more active situations, like labor, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. (If your nose is congested, as is common during pregnancy because of the effects of estrogen, then you may find it more comfortable to breathe in through your mouth.)
• When you inhale, allow your belly to expand first, then your chest.
• When you exhale, the chest relaxes first, then the belly.
• It may help to envision the breath spiraling inward, as the abdomen expands, then spiraling outward.