5 Benefits of Meditation in Pregnancy
Written by Shay Gabriel
There was a time when I thought of meditation as some sort of mystical experience, like a psychedelic trip without the psychedelics. I thought it was something only a select few could do or achieve — like some superhuman accomplishment, rather than an accessible practice. It wasn’t until adulthood that I better understood what meditation actually is and that everyone can reap the benefits! Thankfully I recognized this reality in time to practice meditation techniques throughout pregnancy and labor. And we recommend you give it a try, too!
Headspace describes meditation simply:
When we meditate, we are essentially cultivating awareness and compassion; we are training the mind to stop being easily distracted and instead be more focused in the present moment. Using the breath as our anchor in the moment, we simply sit and gradually learn to let thoughts and feelings come and go…Through the process of meditation, the mind becomes more comfortable with this idea of sitting still, and we can begin to learn how to integrate the qualities experienced during meditation practice — calmness, focus, compassion, mindfulness — into the rest of our day.
Why does this matter in pregnancy and labor? Well, for one, pregnancy & labor tend to be loaded topics in modern, westernized society. Many of us gather tidbits of terror surrounding childbirth as we grow up, and meditation offers an opportunity to become present to any fears we have surrounding our perceptions and expectations of the experience. Meditation offers an opportunity to reframe our thoughts about birth, connect content with context, and pursue greater understanding — all of which set us up for more mindful, empowered journeys throughout pregnancy, birth, and beyond. But meditation is about more than accessing our thoughts and emotions — it also engages and benefits our bodies physically! It might seem contradictory that “just sitting there” can do much for us physically, but it’s true. Read on to learn more!
And as you read, remember, meditation is a practice. “Learning to meditate is like learning any other skill. Think of it like exercising a muscle that you’ve never really worked out before. It takes consistent practice to get comfortable.” - Headspace
Here are 5 benefits of meditating throughout pregnancy, followed by some tips for how to get started. Practice makes progress — and it’s never too soon to start.
5 benefits of meditation in pregnancy
#1: Meditation helps us tune in to our fears
Okay but do we really want to “tune in” to our fears? Can’t we just avoid our fears around pregnancy and giving birth?
Straight up, avoiding our fears usually doesn’t work. Here’s the thing — fear lives somewhere, and as long as it’s alive, it can have power over us. Often, fear infiltrates our thoughts and impacts our bodies. But even when our fears are repressed, they have the power to impact our bodies. Unfortunately, many of us carry a lot of fear around pregnancy and birth. Through the practice of meditation, we can learn to recognize those fears without judgement and to sit comfortably with them, reducing their power over us. Meditation connects us with our bodies and our minds in such a way that improves our abilities to quell the power of fear, reduce tension, and brave onward with enhanced wellbeing, outcomes, and experiences in pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
Furthermore, many of the fears that pop up around pregnancy and birth tend to be rooted in misinformation, misunderstanding, or misguidance and can be relieved through education, exposure, or experience. This is one of the many reasons why birth doula support is invaluable; birth doulas offer informational support in addition to physical and emotional support for birthing persons and their partners. The reality is that there is a lot of information to sift through when it comes to a truly informed birth — and a quality birth doula will help provide you with unbiased, evidence-based information and support your right to informed choice. Book tea with our birth doulas here!
Consider this: Keep a meditation journal. After a meditation, note any fears that came up. Share those fears with a doula or trusted birth worker and ask for help exploring those fears. Part of the exploration should include becoming familiar with evidence-based information. This way, as important decisions arise, you will be better able to make informed choices.
#2: Meditation relieves pain & boosts endorphins
Meditation allows us to become present in our bodies, recognizing how we feel more acutely. This awareness can help us to release tension in our bodies, fostering a sense of calm and relaxation.
Meditation also releases endorphins (the “pleasure” hormone), which has a pain relieving effect. “The effect actually improves with time, so the earlier you start practicing meditation during pregnancy, the greater your endorphin levels will be when it comes time to give birth" (Dr. Shamsah Amersi).
Try this: Close your eyes and imagine that you’re scanning your body, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. As you scan, notice where you feel tension in your body. Whenever you notice tension, take a deep breath, and as you exhale, envision the breath venturing to that place of tension, releasing it. Then resume scanning. Continue this process until you reach your toes. How do you feel?
Being present with the body offers us immense power over our perception of pain. So does understanding the fear-tension-pain cycle. Read more about this here!
#3: Meditation reduces stress levels
There’s no time like pregnancy to take advantage of an opportunity to relax, unwind, and reduce stress! While it may be downright difficult to tune out the to-do lists or the toddler tasks and find time to “do nothing” — pregnant or otherwise — the benefits of meditation are sooooo worthwhile. In fact, as everything we’ve covered already shows, meditation isn’t really “doing nothing” after all.
In addition to all the benefits above, meditation has the power to reduce our stress levels. And as you’ve likely heard, reducing stress levels in pregnancy is important, both for your own health and for babe’s. Meditation reduces cortisol and adrenaline and helps us build the skills necessary to more mindfully respond rather than react as we face stressors in daily life. When we minimize our own stress in pregnancy, we’re doing something for ourselves and for baby.
#4: Meditation offers many physiological benefits for the pregnant person & baby
As expressed by Dr. Shamsah Amersi, "Meditation lowers blood pressure and heart rate, which reduces the risk of preeclampsia, placental abruption, miscarriage, preterm labor, and improves relationships with your loved ones.”
The hormones associated with meditation also support the production of breastmilk! Learn more about the benefits of breastmilk consumption in infants at La Leche League International.
And truly, the list goes on and on. Meditation in pregnancy promotes:
better sleep
anxiety/stress relief
peace of mind
release of tension
connecting to your growing baby
gaining trust in and finding beauty in your incredible, changing body
tuning in to your intuition
effective labor preparation, improved birth outcomes, and positive experiences
lower risk of postpartum depression
improved health and development for baby in utero and beyond birth
#5: Meditation skills transfer to labor skills
There’s a common misconception that when you go into labor, you can simply show up to the hospital, get an epidural, and relax your way to a baby in your arms — crisis of pain averted. In reality, the pain (ahem, productivity) of labor is something most birthing persons have to endure for a while before there’s even an option to be admitted to a hospital. Meditation equips pregnant persons with techniques that are invaluable throughout labor and indeed have carried many birthing persons through unmedicated birth in the present and throughout all of history. These skills include breathwork, releasing tension, and being connected with your body in the present moment.
Let’s try an exercise, for the sake of example: Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts. Notice: how deep does the breath go? Where do you feel your body expanding? Next, breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, then slowly breathe out through your lips for 8 counts. Could you do it? How does your body feel? For those who are out of practice, this exercise can be difficult! Don’t let it stop you — practice daily, and you’re sure to see improvement and feel more benefits over time. Effective breaths will help transfer oxygen throughout your body during labor, which helps labor progress more efficiently and reduces pain. Focusing on your breath is a meditative technique that fosters all of the benefits we’ve covered above.
meditate, feel great
The benefits of meditation travel with you beyond pregnancy and birth — into the postpartum period, throughout parenting, and in all facets of life.
So, where to begin!? Check out our blog post featuring our favorite apps for meditation in pregnancy and labor! And learn more about mindful birth at the recommended posts below.
Sources:
10 tips for A mindful birth. Headspace. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://www.headspace.com/articles/10-tips-for-a-mindful-birth
Babbar S, Oyarzabal AJ, Oyarzabal EA. Meditation and Mindfulness in Pregnancy and Postpartum: A Review of the Evidence. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Sep 1;64(3):661-682. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000640. PMID: 34162788.
Ka Po Chan, Prenatal meditation influences infant behaviors, Infant Behavior and Development, Volume 37, Issue 4, 2014, Pages 556-561, ISSN 0163-6383, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2014.06.011. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163638314000733)
What is meditation? Headspace. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://www.headspace.com/meditation-101/what-is-meditation
about the author
Shay Gabriel is the content director at Sprout and Blossom whose love of parenthood and psychology has merged into a super-obsession of all things birthy and baby. She believes an informed experience lends to an empowered experience, no matter where you are along the journey.
Meditation connects us with our bodies and our minds in such a way that improves our abilities to quell the power of fear, reduce tension, and brave onward with enhanced wellbeing, outcomes, and experiences in pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
Furthermore, many of the fears that pop up around pregnancy and birth tend to be rooted in misinformation, misunderstanding, or misguidance and can be relieved through education, exposure, or experience. This is one of the many reasons why birth doula support is invaluable; birth doulas offer informational support in addition to physical and emotional support for birthing persons and their partners. The reality is that there is a lot of information to sift through when it comes to a truly informed birth — and a quality birth doula will help provide you with unbiased, evidence-based information and support your right to informed choice.