What are the benefits of Reiki in pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a journey full of challenges. We’re navigating an ever-changing physical and emotional landscape while trying to prepare for our birth and the transition that’s happening in our family.

If we want to elevate our experience, it’s also a time we can connect more deeply to ourselves and our bodies, to the collective feminine experience of birthing new life, and embrace the transformation that’s possible with birth.

Empowering, positive, blissful pregnancies don’t usually happen by accident. You can actively create a better pregnancy, one with fewer challenges that prepares your mind, body and soul for your birth and beyond, by taking care of all aspects of yourself during pregnancy, physical, emotional, spiritual and energetic.

Reiki is an amazing tool to help you do it and a powerfully ally for anyone who’s pregnant. If you desire a natural, holistic pregnancy experience, Reiki is natural and non-invasive approach.

The physical changes that come with pregnancy can often bring discomfort and physical challenges, from a first trimester feeling nauseous and exhausted to a third trimester with physical pain.

Pain can be particularly difficult to manage in pregnancy because you might not want or be able to take the pain relief medications you usually turn to. One of the things Reiki is best for is pain management, so it can provide relief from sciatica, back pain and headaches while being completely safe in pregnancy.

Reiki can also help with sleep, hemorrhoids, water retention, heartburn and the other physical challenges of pregnancy.

There are a lot of unknowns in pregnancy and anxiety is extremely common, with studies suggesting up to 40% of pregnant women feel anxious.

Feeling anxious when we’re pregnant is really challenging, and it doesn’t help us have a positive pregnancy experience. Being in a relaxed state minimises stress hormones, supports our body to function more optimally, helps us be in the right frame of mind to make considered decisions about our birth, and helps us enjoy our pregnancy.

One of the key benefits of Reiki is that it promotes deep relaxation. Regular Reiki sessions during pregnancy can help you maintain emotional balance and create a serene environment for you and your baby.

In order for our body to function optimally our energy needs to flow optimally. When energy doesn’t flow well in our body, we get sick. When we’re pregnant it’s extra important we keep on top of our physical and emotional wellbeing and stay healthy. We take prenatal vitamins, we eat well and drink lots of water to keep our body nourished and strong so it can support our growing baby as well as us. 



One vital component of wellness is energetic. Receiving Reiki regularly throughout pregnancy can maintain a more optimal energetic flow in our body that boosts our immune system and helps us avoid getting sick. It supports all our bodily systems to function well, and supports good energetic flow to the placenta, nourishing our baby as well as us.



The better our body is functioning, the more likely we are to avoid a high-risk pregnancy. For example, one well documented benefit of Reiki is on lowering elevated blood pressure.

Preparing for the marathon of birth involves not only physical but also mental and emotional preparation. The body needs to be relaxed and open so it can surrender to the birthing process. The mind needs to feel calm, confident and powerful.

Reiki relaxes the body and the mind, supporting us to soften and open which is optimal for giving birth. It allows us to be more connected to our inner knowing and wisdom, and to trust that our bodies know how to birth. When we’re connected more deeply to our bodies we can come out of the mindset that keeps us in fear and doubt and move towards trust and surrender, which are essential ingredients for an amazing birth.

Reiki helps us feel more centred and grounded, so supports us to make decisions from a solid place rather than a place of fear. Fear based decisions ironically push us towards birth options that are more likely to result in the outcome we’re hoping to avoid. The more connected we are to our body’s innate knowledge of how to birth, the more we can trust our bodies and make choices that are aligned with creating the space for our bodies to lead.

We can use Reiki to work on the energetic centres in our body that support us to be prepared for birth, our sacral chakra being the most important of them.

Reiki nourishes the energy in our body, including in the chakras which we can work on specifically. A strong sacral chakra is key in having a positive, empowering birth experience, and Reiki is one of the easiest ways to strengthen it.

Pregnancy is a time we can grow our intimacy with our partner. Receiving Reiki from your partner is a beautiful way to enhance your connection and feel deeply cared for.

Pregnancy can be a challenging experience. Receiving from our partner can help us feel safe and supported, and Reiki is a simple tool your partner can use to take care of you.

Your partner can learn Reiki, or if you don’t have a partner who’s able to give you Reiki, I recommend finding a doula or midwife who’s trained in Reiki for Birth.

Partners usually don’t get the opportunity to bond with your in utero baby in the way you do. Reiki gives them a meaningful way to connect with your baby and feel more part of the pregnancy journey with you.

Reiki is supportive of almost all aspects of pregnancy - the physical and emotional challenges of being pregnant and preparing you physically, emotionally and energetically for the marathon of giving birth. Incorporating Reiki into your pregnancy care will help you have a better pregnancy and set you up for a better birth.