Benefits of Reiki Healing in Pregnancy

RELAX AND RE-BALANCE WITH RESTORATIVE REIKI IN PREGNANCY 

Reiki is a Japanese healing therapy developed in the last century by Dr Mikao Usui that uses light touch on or just above the body.  It is generally used for emotional and mental healing, de-stressing and promoting relaxation to enhance balance and an optimal state of well-being. The Reiki practitioner will channel energy to troublesome spots by placing their hands on or over your body in specific places. The treatment is thought to address physical, mental, emotional and spiritual problems as well as encouraging your body to restore its own balance and heal. Treatments can be given in whatever position is most comfortable at the time – seated or lying on back or side.  

The gentle nature of this bodywork is especially beneficial for expectant and new mothers because it helps prepare women for the physical, emotional and spiritual changes necessary for a “centered” pregnancy, labor and post-partum recovery experience. Reiki is a healing and balancing energy that is a wonderful support for both mother and baby. It is completely safe and poses no risk to either. In fact, Reiki works particularly well in helping with all stages of pregnancy including conception and child birth. 

Emotional and spiritual support - for expectant mother and baby

Expectant mothers have always been advised to enjoy pregnancy, but common health issues often mar this experience. Unlike prescription medications, Reiki goes beyond just the physical support to provide emotional help and bring a deep sense of calm, connection and positivity to both mother and unborn child. 

Reiki creates a balanced, loving and harmonious relationship between the mother and the future child. Reiki practiced in the early days of the pregnancy can help reduce exhaustion and nausea. 

During pregnancy, hormones and emotions can be all over the place. Reiki offers time to relax and feel calm and may help with anxiety and stress. In addition to a general treatment, areas of focus during pregnancy include the heart, solar plexus, hips and back, and of course the stomach area which will treat the baby as well. 

Due to its calming effect, it is also recommended as a preparation for birth. You may find, whether you believe in the energy channelling or not, the time to think and prepare for birth really helps to settle your thoughts and ready yourself for giving birth. 

Reiki during pregnancy can be a gentle, yet powerful, non-invasive treatment that may help symptoms such as: 

?tiredness and exhaustion ? low back pain and general backache ? morning sickness and nausea ? general muscle aches ? emotional upheaval ? mood changes ? high blood pressure ? stress ? swelling and poor circulation ? lack of sleep 

 Reiki is not an instant miracle cure. However, with regular treatment - which ensures better circulation, harmonized energy levels, elimination of toxins and a stable and confident emotional, mental and spiritual outlook - you might be surprised at your body’s ability to heal and maintain itself.  

Even apprehension and fear experienced in the late stages of pregnancy, and the distress at the impending labour, can be alleviated through the deep relaxation, balance and confidence gained through a Reiki treatment. 

Enhance your connection with your body

As Reiki is holistic, it treats each person as a whole, including mind, body...and baby. Some mothers have experienced their babies give an excited kick as soon as they feel the energy flowing in. By working directly by holding the "bump" the Reiki practitioner can also therefore treat the baby. 

Being pregnant can create a sense of being out of control of your own body. Some women have described it as their body "not belonging to them anymore", from the day-to-day changes in their bodies, to the sense of invasion experienced from medical interventions. Reiki can enable a sense of regaining some of that control: a balance and a grounding so that, even though you are experiencing a life-changing event, you can be in control, no matter what surprises await you. 

Reiki healing is especially useful for relieving the physical discomforts of pregnancy. The hormones associated with pregnancy – human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and oestrogen — contributes to gastric distress. Reiki treatment may help relax the gastrointestinal walls and can reduce or alleviate the sensation of nausea. It also can also provide relief from round ligament pain, hip, back and nerve-based pain (sciatica and carpal tunnel are two common conditions) typically experienced as pregnancy progresses. Reiki treatment can be so deeply relaxing that people often drift off into asleep – and as any pregnant woman knows, sleep is a valuable commodity! 

Many pregnant women are juggling demands associated with careers, expectations from their families, changes in their relationships with their partners, and of course, in their bodies. These factors can exacerbate fatigue and mood swings.  

Reiki treatment can help expectant mothers reduce stress and remain more grounded emotionally. A Reiki treatment is, first and foremost, time for women to reorient themselves and their bodies during a time when they may no longer feel like it belongs to them. Reiki treatment, along with other supportive practices such as chiropractic, prenatal massage and prenatal yoga, can have great benefits for a mother-to-be and her developing baby. 

Reiki and the process of labour and birth

If the mother is relaxed during pregnancy, the baby is also relaxed and therefore calmer, happier and healthier; and the mother is more likely to have easier labour. 

Reiki treatment can also provide a non-invasive comfort measure, helping to relieve pain from contractions and reduce anxiety during labour. The use of Reiki treatment may help reduce or eliminate the need for an epidural or other pharmaceutical pain relief. Spouses, partners, doulas and other childbirth professionals trained in Reiki practice can be a valuable source of support for laboring women: 

The birth partner has the very specific role during labour, delivery and post-birth of giving the mother and the baby Reiki, creating that Reiki space of peaceful, deep relaxation that assists the mother in flowing with her body and the baby throughout labour. – “Reiki and Sacred Childbirth”, Summer 2010 issue of Reiki News Magazine  

 Assisting a laboring mother with Reiki treatment can provide the space and support for her to experience a centered, empowered birth experience. It can be tremendously gratifying for the spouse or partner to be able to provide an additional source of loving and centered support, creating a deep shared connection between the couple. 

Reiki post-partum 

Reiki treatment is also helpful for post-partum recovery. Women’s bodies undergo tremendous change to support the new life growing inside them; it takes a while for the body’s organs and processes to return to a normal non-pregnancy state. Healing is still occurring inside a mother’s body after her baby is born, even after an easy or uncomplicated birth. Reiki treatment can help new mothers maintain well-being and emotional balance during those first weeks of adjustment. This is especially important for the percentage of women who may experience post-partum depression. Reiki is also recommended post-natal to relieve any emotional blockages and help you deal with baby blues and negative thoughts. 

For those women who had a difficult labour, or a cesarean birth, Reiki treatment can help facilitate healing on physical and emotional levels. Clinical studies of Reiki treatment are demonstrating benefits for reducing anxiety and pain levels. Women recovering from surgery or birth trauma can benefit from this additional source of compassionate, palliative support.  

The medications used to relieve post-surgical pain often have unpleasant side effects, and the discomfort from the incision can make it difficult for women to hold or breastfeed their babies. Reiki treatment supports the physical healing process, enabling women to get back on their feet sooner. Reiki can also be very effective after the birth in helping to restore balance to the entire mind-body-spirit system, as well as providing some much-needed serenity during this exciting and transformational time.  

Many mothers say that they find it easier to cope with their new baby after receiving Reiki and that their babies are more settled, sleep better and are easier to look after. 

Babies can also respond well to Reiki treatments. Reiki can help babies sleep better and assist with reflux, colic and teething. 

Regular treatments are recommended and are very beneficial not only for the woman’s body but also for the development of the baby. The deep relaxation and peacefulness many people experience during and after a Reiki treatment can only be of benefit to pregnant women. 

Feedback from most pregnant clients is that they feel less anxious, less tired, less stressed and better able to cope with life. 

Here is a summary of some of the benefits of Reiki during and after pregnancy and labour: 

1. Reiki provides emotional as well as physical support to the pregnant woman. 2. Reiki creates a balanced, loving and harmonious relationship between the mother and baby. 3. Reiki practiced in the early days of the pregnancy helps reduce exhaustion and nausea in the pregnant woman. 4. It can bring relief to every part of a stretched and aching body of the woman. 5. It also reduces anxiety, sleep problems, colic, and enhances motor activity and active sleep. 6. Reiki is done to restore the balance and health to the pregnant mother. 7. Reiki also helps to release the fears related to pregnancy and delivery. It soothes a woman who can feel invaded and impatient to give birth. 8. Reiki has the power to make a baby wriggle with pleasure in the womb, and also has a calming effect on both the mother and the child. 9. It also helps in building a strong and spiritual relationship between the mother and the baby, before this tiny new being of light enters the world. 10. Reiki used during labour stage has been shown to help control and lessen pain. 11. Reiki may make delivery easier. 12. Mothers who have had previous c-sections and receive Reiki in later pregnancies can expect lesser need for cesarean surgeries the second time. 13. Mothers who use Reiki during and after pregnancy can better adjust to their babies and vice versa. 14. After the baby is born, it can be a stressful time for the baby. When Reiki is used in the delivery room it makes an easier transition for the baby. 

 Reiki treatment honors the women we are: our bodies, our emotions and the spirit within that give us strength and purpose. Please contact me if you are expecting a baby, and would like to find out about overcoming fears and anxieties and how Reiki treatment can help support you in a healthy, happy and centered pregnancy. 

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