Although pregnancy brings happiness and excitement in every mother-to-be’s life, it has its challenges as well. Being worried about your baby’s well-being and, of course, yourself may show itself in the form of stress, anxiety, and insomnia. In some, the fear of delivering their babies may prevent the normal flow of deliveries.
Moreover, increased pregnancy hormones, changes in carbohydrate metabolism, and blood pressure fluctuations may lead to nausea and morning sickness in pregnant women. So does delivering the baby put an end to all these? Well, not really. During postpartum, women still experience anxiety, depression, and insomnia. (you can add mood swings to the list as well.)
This article discusses the 4 benefits of Reiki (a non-invasive complementary therapy) during pregnancy and postpartum.
Table of Contents :
1. What Is Reiki in the First Place?
2. Benefits of Prenatal and Postpartum Reiki
2.1 Reiki Reduce Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
2.2 Reiki Reduces Nausea and Morning Sickness
2.3 Reiki Improves Quality of Sleep
2.4 Reiki Strengthens the Bond between the Mother and Baby
3. Looking for the Best Prenatal and Postpartum Reiki in Los Angeles?
Contents
What Is Reiki in the First Place?
This popular form of alternative medicine is an energy healing technique. The main idea in this technique is that we are alive due to the flowing of an unseen “life force energy” through our bodies. Whenever a person’s life force energy is low or blocked, she is likely to get sick or feel stressed.
During a Reiki session, the Reiki practitioner moves her hands just above or on the patient’s clothed body to encourage a healthy flow of energy through the patient’s body and thus promote her physical and emotional well-being. If you want to know more in detail about Reiki, read this article.
Reiki is a non-invasive complementary therapy. So by no means is it a replacement for traditional medicine or treatments.
Benefits of Prenatal and Postpartum Reiki
Reiki practiced during pregnancy is called prenatal Reiki. Postpartum Reiki is offered for new mothers. Both are particularly aimed at mothers-to-be and mothers who feel something inside them is not right and don’t let them enjoy the arrival of their new baby to the fullest extent.
Now, let’s see what benefits Prenatal and Postpartum Reiki offer.
Reiki Reduce Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
Stress during pregnancy could be due to worrying about what the future holds for the child. In addition, new mothers may experience postpartum depression due to different reasons, such as breastfeeding difficulties or hormonal changes.
A study done in Hartford hospital in Hartford suggested that undergoing prenatal Reiki reduced stress and anxiety in mothers-to-be by 94%.
New moms who undergo Reiki sessions can beat stress and anxiety successfully and regain their confidence in taking care of their babies and themselves. For example, in a study conducted by the University of London, people who underwent high levels of anxiety and depression and participated in two to eight weeks of 30-minute Reiki sessions experienced an overall improvement in mood.
In addition, the physical and emotional healing that postpartum Reiki offers for new mothers can lead to better milk production.
Reiki Reduces Nausea and Morning Sickness
Nausea and vomiting, otherwise known as morning sickness, is a common condition during pregnancy. But, even expected, it can affect the mother-to-be’s ability to work and manage her everyday activities.
Studies have shown Reiki’s effectiveness in dealing with nausea and morning sickness. For example, a 2019 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found a statistically significant improvement in pain and nausea in people who underwent Reiki. In another study conducted in a clinical setting on pregnant women, nausea and morning sickness reduced by 80% in participants.
Reiki Improves Quality of Sleep
According to a study conducted in 2016, 78% of pregnant women, at least at a point in time, have trouble sleeping. The quality of sleep in pregnant women is also relatively less than in other people. In a hypothetical situation, even if a pregnant woman can sleep for 8 hours throughout the day, it is roughly equivalent to 2 hours of continuous sleep in terms of depth of sleep.
In the research conducted by the USA Connecticut’s Hartford Hospital, it was determined that pregnant women who regularly undergo Reiki sessions enjoy an 86% improvement in quality of sleep.
Sleep difficulty is not limited to the pregnancy period only. Hormonal changes during the postpartum period, like the decline of progesterone, can cause sleep disturbance. Further, Reiki, during the postpartum period, can improve the quality of sleep. In fact, due to its relaxing nature, there are many cases in which new moms have fallen asleep during the session itself.
Reiki Strengthens the Bond between the Mother and Baby
It is usually the case that mothers-to-be instantly feel a natural connection to the fetus; however, this is not always the case, significantly if the mother-to-be is not relaxed for reasons already mentioned.
As a mother-to-be undergoes a Reiki session and her tension releases, the baby finds more space to grow and shift into an ideal position for birth. Remember, all babies love to see their mother relaxed, and only when a pregnant woman is free from anxiety and tension can the bond between her and her baby be fostered.
Looking for the Best Prenatal and Postpartum Reiki in Los Angeles?
If you are a new mother or mother-to-be and are dealing with tension, nausea, or insomnia, receiving Reiki healing from an experienced Reiki Master practitioner could be your resort.
Yrma Wilson, a certified Reiki practitioner with more than 31 years of experience in Los Angeles, has helped hundreds of expectant mothers overcome this period’s challenges.
To discuss your condition or ask your questions, a free consultation session is available for you.
If you already want to book your prenatal or postpartum Reiki session, you can book either a 45 min or 1hr 15 min session.
Resources :
Arora, M. (2018, October 1). Reiki During Pregnancy – Benefits and Self Practising Tips. Parenting firstcry. https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/reiki-in-pregnancy-benefits-and-self-practicing-tips/
REIKI DURING PREGNANCY: USEFUL INFORMATION ON BENEFITS AND SAFETY. (n.d.). International Forum for Wellbeing in Pregnancy. Retrieved July 14, 2021, from https://www.ifwip.org/reiki-during-pregnancy-useful-information-on-benefits-and-safety/
Benefits of Reiki During Pregnancy. (n.d.). Private pregnancy and maternity care in London. Retrieved July 14, 2021, from https://pregma.co.uk/benefits-of-reiki-during-pregnancy/
CORIE CHU. (2020, October 7). REIKI DURING PREGNANCY: A LOOK INTO THE BENEFITS OF PRENATAL REIKI. https://coriechu.com/blog/reiki-during-pregnancy-benefits-of-prenatal-reiki
New Life Birth Services. (2016, December 30). The Benefits of Prenatal & Postpartum Reiki. https://www.newlifebirthservices.org/new-life-blog/prenatalandpostpartumreiki
Holistic Family Doulas. (2019, July 7). Reiki For Postpartum Healing.
https://holisticfamilydoulas.com/reiki-for-postpartum-healing/
What is Reiki?. (n.d.). The International Center for Reiki Training. Retrieved July 14, 2021, from https://www.reiki.org/faqs/what-reiki
Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. (2020, May). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Retrieved July 14, 2021, from
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy