| Watching a newborn or pre-one year old baby | | | | best ways (with exceptions) to get the easiest lung |
| breathe is, well, often peaceful, but not as | | | | volume while moving the body. Neither of which are |
| informative as many have been led to believe. Is it or | | | | readily available to the unstable non walking baby. |
| isn't it the right way to breathe? | | | | The back breath is critical to optimal breathing. |
| Many point to the belly and how it rises and falls. | | | | Posture-wise, the baby has not been upright much at |
| They deduce that because the baby breathes that | | | | all and its body is compressed in the areas it is lying |
| way it is the right way for adults to breathe as well. | | | | on; generally the back. After all, it has just spent the |
| This is not true. The baby belly breath is simply a | | | | last several months or its intrauterine life in a bent |
| beginning, not the whole picture by any stretch of | | | | forward position. Try bending forward and taking a |
| theimagination. It is perhaps 40-50% of an optimal | | | | deep breath and you will soon see that bending over |
| breath. | | | | restricts the breath quite a bit. |
| The baby's belly rises so much because: | | | | Does this imply that the baby should breathe into the |
| 1. There has been little development by that time of | | | | upper chest? Nope. Not yet unless it is well |
| the lungs and breathing sequencing during standing in | | | | coordinated and there is enough 360 degree belly |
| gravity. The baby actually closes its throat so that it | | | | breath as a foundation. |
| can breathe and suckle at the same time. This ability | | | | Believe it or not, you don't really want to sleep like a |
| is lost as it grows older and sits up more. This of | | | | baby. Why? Babies' sleep, especially in the early |
| course reduces flow of air and forces more attention | | | | months, is typically full of interruptions because their |
| in the abdominal area. Breathing is harder this way. | | | | sleep cycles are much shorter than an adult's. It |
| 2. The stomach has replaced the umbilicus now with | | | | takes time for these cycles to lengthen and for our |
| solid food and it invites some fat accumulation and | | | | baby to learn how to fall back to sleep on his own if |
| bulking of the belly giving a visual impression of | | | | he wakes up in the middle of the night. |
| excessively implied importance. | | | | To summarize, the classic baby breath example most |
| 3. There is a minimum of chest expansion because | | | | often involves under developed lungs which makes it |
| the lungs have not gotten large enough to need | | | | not a very good example or at least a very limited |
| more space. | | | | one and is only during quiet breathing anyway. Most |
| 4. Balanced integrated breathing has not developed | | | | breathing issues involve an abnormal percentage of |
| and the belly, mid chest, sides, back and abdomen is | | | | high chest breathing that occurs more often during |
| still to be. | | | | activity (making it harder to track) and increased |
| 5. The mid back above the kidney area has the larger | | | | oxygen needs, including more severe aspects of |
| lung volume but when the baby is on its back there | | | | anxiety, high bloodpressure,hyperventilation, asthma, |
| simply is no where else for the baby to be able to | | | | most bronchitis and many forms of COPD. They |
| breathe but into the belly area. | | | | breathe deeper and in the effort of that they cough, |
| 6. The soft tissue of the frontal belly area is the path | | | | gasp or wheeze even more. That encourages shallow |
| of least resistance so the majority of visual emphasis | | | | breathing and the cycle repeats itself. |
| is in that area. Being on the back is mostly better | | | | Essentially non-activity oriented forms such as |
| then the side or stomach as it allows the rib cage to | | | | bronchitis, emphysema and COPD stem from BOTH |
| raise and that allows the diaphragm to rise for a | | | | mechanical and toxemia/chemistry aspects, the |
| deeper easier inhalation and the baby, or most people | | | | variations of issues related to air quality, diet, stress, |
| for that matter, to breathe easier, but not | | | | smoking history and lifestyles. Both mechanics AND |
| necessarily "better". | | | | chemistry need be addressed to achieve optimal |
| Ideally, standing straight up, or swimming the breast | | | | breathing. |
| stroke or side armed-back stroke aretwo of the | | | | |