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Pregnancy and the Adverse Effects of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression on Mother and Child, Reiki to the Rescue!

Updated: Oct 2

Pregnant Woman holding tummy
Pregnant Woman holding tummy

Stress, Anxiety, and Depression have so many adverse effects on mother and child that can be long-lasting. Many studies and much research are bringing more to light about the very detrimental outcomes of sustained stress, anxiety, and depression to the process of pregnancy, the fetus, and residual long-term effects on both mom and the child going forward. With pregnancy, stress, and anxiety Reiki can offer a natural, non-narcotic solution to bringing peace and healing to both you and your baby and help ensure that you have the successful and beautiful pregnancy and the birthing experience that you deserve.  


Being a mom myself and having been through this process, I am aware that usually though you are filled with joy and excitement about having a little one for most of us, attendant on that excitement are some hidden and maybe not so hidden fears. Anxiety and fears around the well-being and health of your baby and potential loss. Fears about the hospital experience or harm during delivery and even after effects such as postpartum depression and your ability to parent successfully. All this can leave you feeling afraid, concerned, or even panicky.  Recent evidence proves that a depressed, anxious mood in pregnancy has substantial neurological outcomes on the process of fetal programming and can adversely affect the long-term learning, motor development, and behavior of your baby. It can also cause alterations in attention span, cognitive motor development and create a fearful, negative emotional reactivity in the baby going forward.  Behavior and emotional problems due to prenatal anxiety are also linked to mental health disorders in offspring.  It is also known to affect your baby's immune system, leaving them more vulnerable to infection and illness. As if that weren't enough, consistent high stress and anxiety can lead to premature birth and or low birth weight. Such conditions in the mother can lead to hypoxia in babies, this is inadequate oxygen at birth which again can lead to long-term developmental consequences.


The natural fluctuations in the mother’s hormones in pregnancy leave her more open to mood swings and discomfort which can make her more vulnerable to stress, anxiety, and depression.  There is substantial evidence that mothers who experience consistent stress, anxiety, or depression are much more likely to experience postpartum depression. Mothers trying to balance career, home, and other children may also be more at risk. Personal tragedies, trauma, relationships, family or financial issues, and lack of emotional support also can open you up to feeling more anxious or depressed at this time. They usually do in normal times but during pregnancy, these feelings are amplified.

Reiki benefits
Pregnancy Reiki Benefits

With the benefits of Reiki, you can gain, achieve, and maintain peace and balance. The beauty of it is that the baby will feel and experience it with you. A research study at Hartford Hospital in Hartford Connecticut indicates that Reiki improved patient sleep by 86%, decreased pain by 78%, decreased nausea by 80%, and decreased anxiety during pregnancy by 94%.  Many major hospitals such as Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic now offer Reiki as a complementary alternative medical therapy.  There are no side effects to Reiki, so you and your baby can gain and enjoy the peace, balance, positivity, and healing it brings without fear. Reiki is also very helpful in the delivery room, further reducing the stress for you both in a very stressful situation. Reiki eases every stage of your pregnancy, physically and emotionally, making the journey into motherhood more successful, joyous, and memorable for you both. It is also important to note that an experienced Reiki Master can successfully offer Reiki in-person or remotely with the same positive results.


Reiki has a way of deepening and anchoring a loving connection with your baby, making you into a connected, winning team now and in the future. 


If you want to learn more about Reiki and how it works, please visit,  



With love and light,


Katherine McBride, C.P.C.

Reiki Master / Teacher 

Karuna Reiki® Master / Teacher

Certified Life Coach

Cell: 714.321.8259

 


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