A Look at Prenatal Reiki

As both a birth doula and Reiki practitioner, I have wondered how Reiki can support soon-to-be moms and their babies. Knowing that Reiki cannot harm, I understood that Reiki would not start an early labor or cause harm to either party, but I was curious what the benefits of a prenatal Reiki session might be.

In researching this topic, I validated my belief that Reiki is safe and beneficial during every stage of pregnancy, both for mama and baby. In fact, it can even strengthen the bond between mom and baby before the baby has been born. Reiki can also be used to help mom and baby adjust to one another more easily after that baby is born.

Giving a baby Reiki while in the womb can help improve baby’s health. Reiki has been shown to calm the baby. To do this, simply place your hands on mama’s belly and channel your Reiki energy to the baby. When I did this with a recent doula client who said her baby had been fairly inactive earlier that day, I felt the baby move around and kick several times. I even felt the baby suck the energy from my hands like a magnet.  Reiki can be used in the delivery room to make the baby’s transition from the womb to the real world easier. Reiki can also help reduce colic and enhance motor skills. Here are some Reiki success stories for babies while in the womb:

• It allowed for a mom to keep twins in the womb nearly to term, allowing for more complete growth and maturity before birth.

• It healed a baby’s damaged kidney before birth, preventing the need for a surgery.

Reiki can also be very beneficial for mom-to-be as her body changes.  Pregnancy can make you feel like an alien has taken over your body, and Reiki can help mom regain some control. It can help make the changes that come with pregnancy more manageable. It has even been recommended that mom-to-be schedule a weekly Reiki treatment focused on the heart, abdomen, and solar plexus to allow the body to handle the changes and demands placed upon it during pregnancy. Here are some benefits of Reiki for pregnant women:

• Relaxation, reduced stress

• Feeling more centered and grounded

• Relief of nausea

• Help with insomnia

• Ease of lower back pain

• Decrease in neck and shoulder tension

• Relief of heartburn and other digestive issues

• Less or less drastic mood swings

• Reduced blood pressure

• Make delivery easier

The Hartford Hospital in Hartford, CT conducted a test in a clinical setting during pregnancy with the use or Reiki. The following benefits were shown:

• 94% reduction in stress and anxiety during pregnancy

• 78% reduction in pain

• 80% reduction in nausea and morning sickness

• 86% improvement in sleep quality

Interestingly, some believe that if a pregnant woman is given a Reiki attunement, the baby will also receive the attunement. Children are seen as natural Reiki healers. Imagine a world in which babies are attuned in the womb, taught to give Reiki to themselves and others at an early age, and encouraged to heal the world.  That’s a future I’d love to see!

References:

https://www.reiki.org/reikinews/pregnancy.html

https://www.reiki.org/reikinews/rn960406.html

http://www.newlifebirthservices.org/new-life-blog/prenatalandpostpartumreiki

https://www.divinte.com/guided-voice/prenatal-reiki/

https://www.mumazine.com/article/2013/05/30/benefits-reiki-while-pregnant