The Effect of Breathing Relaxation Techniques and Body Exercises on The Decrease of Pregnant Women’s Discomforts in The Third Trimester

Abstract

Pregnancy is the most challenging and the happiest phase in every woman’s life in which a mother through physical and psychological changes. These physical changes will lead to discomforts to pregnant women. These discomforts can occur in their third trimester of pregnancy, such as backache, leg cramps, pain in pubic bones, false contraction, insomnia, breathing soreness, and fatigue. Exercise that can be done during pregnancy is practicing breathing techniques and body exercises (Prenatal Yoga). This is because the body stretches the muscles more relaxed, so that blood circulation works properly and the body produces endorphins. This study aimed to find out the effect of breathing relaxation techniques and body exercises on the discomfort decrease in the third trimester of pregnant women. Type of study was Quasi Experiment with Non-Equivalent Control Group approach by examining the pregnant women’s discomforts in the third trimester before (pre-test) and after (post- test) practicing breathing techniques and body exercises (Prenatal Yoga). The population were all the third trimester pregnant women who practiced breathing techniques and body exercises at Kasih Ibu Mother and Child Hospital. The sampling technique used was quota sampling. This study carried out from October to November 2020. The Wilcoxon test results obtained p value = 0.000, then p = 0.000> = 0.05, it can be concluded that there was significant difference between of third trimester pregnant women before and after doing breathing relaxation techniques and exercise body. There is an effect of Prenatal Yoga practice on discomfort in third trimester pregnant women. Key words: Discomforts, Breathing Relaxation Techniques and Body Exercises (Prenatal Yoga)