Why You Should Meditate During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a life-changing experience. It is also a time of intense preparation and rapid change. As much as you would like to spend the next 40 weeks showing off your “pregnancy” glow and getting to know your little one, not everything is so fabulous. Hormonal changes can lead to emotional rollercoasters, strange cravings, nausea, and mood swings. As if this wasn’t enough, you have to deal with endless to-buy lists and are plagued by doubts and fears. You definitely need a dose of positivity and peace of mind. Research suggests that meditation can help you navigate during this wonderful (and challenging) period of your life.
What is Meditation?
Meditation has been around for thousands of years. This ancient practice involves focusing your attention on your breathing, a mantra, an image, or the present moment for a set period. There are hundreds of meditation variations, but today, let’s focus on the benefits. Broadly speaking, meditation can help you relax, get peace of mind, and experience a wide array of positive emotions that can enhance your well-being.
5 Benefits of meditation during pregnancy
Research is starting to suggest that meditative practices can benefit expectant mothers. By fostering relaxation and peace of mind, meditation helps reduce the stress caused by physical, emotional, and sudden lifestyle changes.
1. Restful sleep
It’s not a secret that sleep becomes a luxury when you are pregnant. You roll around on your bed, looking for the best position. Once you finally find it, your baby starts kicking and twisting and you have to move again. As if this wasn’t enough, you lie awake at night, stressing about the smallest details before the Big Day. Sleep is key for preserving your well-being, so you should get as much as possible while you are pregnant.
Luckily, meditation can help you get the restorative sleep you’ve been craving. A study by experts from San Jose University shows that practicing mindfulness meditation and mindfulness yoga during the second trimester can improve sleep. In addition, regular meditation can help you tame that “monkey brain” that is keeping you awake at night.
2. Less stress and “pregnancy anxiety”
Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful and memorable experiences in life. Yet, it’s also a time in which your stress and anxiety levels are running high. This is perfectly normal as you want everything to be perfect. So, you stress about all the items on your to-buy lists, the looming delivery date, and everything that comes after.
A 2014 study by the University of California focused on those stressful feelings or “pregnancy anxiety”. Nearly 50 pregnant women in their first and second trimesters were trained in mindfulness meditation. During six weeks, they learned to balance negative feelings, stressful social situations, and even pain. Another group merely read a pregnancy book. The results show that those who meditated experienced less pregnancy anxiety.
By practicing meditation regularly, these women were able to relax and balance complex emotions. If you have practiced meditation before, you will find this experience useful and vital for your well-being. On the other hand, if you are new to this practice, following the soothing sounds of guided meditation will help you tune your breath and physical sensations.
3. Can reduce heartburn
Heartburn is one of pregnancy’s most typical symptoms and it can be very uncomfortable. It happens when stomach acids creep back up into the esophagus, causing an unpleasant burning sensation in the upper chest area. Can meditation help? The answer is yes! Many meditation techniques involve breathing, which can activate the relaxation response that communicates with the digestive organs. You can try breathing in long and slowly and breathing out even longer. Repeat this 5 or 6 times. Another excellent way to cope with heartburn is mindful yoga specially designed for pregnancy.
4. Helps to avoid harmful habits
Pregnancy involves a re-evaluation of your lifestyle, especially when it comes to eating and drinking habits. If you are a fan of coffee, sushi, raw eggs, or rare steak, this can be bad news for you. Besides, you should totally avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and recreational drugs. If you consume these, you’re not only endangering your life but also risking your baby’s health. Whether it’s cigarettes, alcohol, or something seemingly harmless like junk food or wine, resisting these choices can be tough.
Traditional meditation helps people (whether they are pregnant or not) to manage harmful habits. For example, a 2013 study by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst probes that meditation can help people heal from alcohol addiction when coupled with traditional treatment. When you meditate, you gain clarity of mind to focus on the present moment and positive emotions. This will be definitely useful for avoiding actions that can harm your baby.
5. Labor and delivery
It’s not a secret that childbirth can be arduous and painful. If this is your first pregnancy, you may worry about what is to come. Will it be painful? Will it take a long time? Will everything be alright? All these doubts and fears only serve to double your stress levels. It’s commonly believed that meditation is key to having less stressful labor.
It won’t reduce pain per se, rather it changes your perception and response to it. Scientists from the University of Manchester found that certain brain areas were less active as meditators anticipated pain as induced by a laser device. In other words, meditation trains the mind to be more present and focused, spending less time anticipating future and negative events.
When it comes to childbirth, meditation helps you to apply mindfulness to the fear and discomfort of labor. You acknowledge your experiences — moods, thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions — without judgment or rejection. And you focus on a specific object such as your breath.
6. BONUS: after pregnancy
Stress, anxiety, and restless nights won’t simply disappear after delivery. Quite the contrary! Your kiddo is finally here, which means you have a lot on your plate from changing diapers in the middle of the night to preparing meals, dealing with temper tantrums, and making sure they’re safe at all times. Of course, you are developing your parenting skills and dotting your child with all your love and care. But you are only human after all, so feeling overwhelmed is only natural.
Meditation will not make you the perfect mother or parent (because there’s no such thing!), but it can certainly make a positive difference. After all, our kids learn and grow by watching our behavior, something called “modeling”. This is why handling stress and reacting accordingly to difficult situations is essential. When you integrate meditation into your routine, you gain a greater sense of tranquility and peace, navigate to daily challenges easily, and will be naturally more patient and empathetic with your little one.
How can I practice meditation?
You have read about the benefits of meditation and know you may be eager to try it. If you are a meditation newie, choosing the “right” approach can be quite daunting. Don’t worry! Beginning.com offers an accessible and entertaining meditation program for expectant mothers. The audio meditations combine natural sounds and guided reflections to help you get peace of mind, and focus on positive and beautiful thoughts. If you are a regular meditator, you will find that Beginning.com’s sound meditations are the perfect companions for daily routines. Give it a try today!
What’s the easiest way to achieve a placid, meditative state? Here’s a clue: soothing sounds. Listen to Beginning.com’s mesmerizing 3D audio sessions to relax and optimize your mind for pregnancy!