Meditation is one of those things that people know they “should” be doing, but, for whatever reason, it can be SO hard to make it happen. If you’re like me, sometimes all you need is a little reminder of WHY it’s important to give you the motivation you need. So, I put together this list of benefits of meditation during pregnancy. My hope is that it will inspire you to spend more time in quiet reflection so that both you and your baby will be healthier and happier.

Note: Almost all of the benefits of meditation during pregnancy are also benefits of prenatal yoga since they are both mindfulness practices.

Here’s a list that’s more specific to the benefits of prenatal yoga. To get the most benefit from both these practices, work them both into your routine. It’s definitely worth carving 10-15 minutes out of your schedule several times a week.

20 Benefits of Meditation During Pregnancy

1. Reduced stress = Healthier mama and baby.

It has been well documented that meditation can help you to manage stress–especially if you do it regularly. And it’s even more important to manage stress during pregnancy because extra high stress levels can lead to bad outcomes for mama and baby. There are SO many things that you cannot control during your pregnancy, but the one best thing you can do for yourself and your baby is to stay calm, take care of yourself, and stress as little as possible.

Establishing a regular meditation and mindfulness practice during pregnancy is a great way to do that.

2. Increased body awareness.

If you focus on your breath while you meditate (which is really one of the simplest ways to meditate) you’re bound to notice things like like how your body feels, what your energy is like, and where you’re holding tension unnecessarily in your body. If you practice it often enough, the heightened awareness while you sit for meditation is bound to spill over into your everyday life. That awareness can help you feel more connected to your baby, increase your connection to your intuition, help you understand what to eat to help you feel better, and so many additional benefits.

See also Prenatal Yoga: 17 Benefits of Yoga During Pregnancy

3. Stronger immune system.

Studies have shown that meditating regularly can boost you immunity. which means that people who meditate get sick less. Now, I’m not saying you’ll never catch a common cold or something else during your pregnancy (I had a preschooler the second time I was pregnant and my darling daughter still shared plenty of germs with me upon her return). But if there’s any chance at all that sitting quietly and focusing and your breath a few minutes a day could help boost your immune system at all, it’s completely worth a shot!

4. Better sleep.

Sleeping during pregnancy is not often easy. There are a million different things going on in the pregnant mama’s body and mind that can make it hard to relax. First, baby’s often start having a dance party as soon as you close your eyes to rest. Then, maybe it’s a dance party on your bladder that continues every 5 minutes all night long. Some mamas get cramps in their legs at night or have restless leg syndrome. Almost every mama finds it difficult to get comfortable.

See 7 Yoga Poses to Help You Sleep: Yoga for Insomnia

5. More likely to have a full-term pregnancy.

This study found that women who participated in a mindfulness program were 50 percent less likely to have a preterm baby. There are no guarantees in pregnancy or birth, but this is really promising for mamas are who anxious about having a preterm labor.

6. Reduced pain during labor.

I’ve blogged about how one study showed that a group of pregnant women who did prenatal yoga during their pregnancies reported feeling less pain during their births. So it’s no surprise that there’s a another study that shows a decrease in pain that subjects felt after doing mindfulness meditation. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that subjects who participated in a mindfulness training “significantly reduced pain unpleasantness by 57% and pain intensity ratings by 40% when compared to rest.” Not too shabby.

7. Lower risk of postpartum depression.

It’s never too early to start thinking about mama’s physical and mental health after the birth. Did you know that as many as 1 in 5 moms are estimated to get either postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, or another mood disorder after the birth? Some women have great success in preventing postpartum depression or anxiety by creating a self-care routine that includes meditation and movement during their pregnancies (and continuing to prioritize that after baby is born).

(Of course, it’s not always possible to prevent it. Learn more about my story with Postpartum Anxiety and some local resources for Charleston, SC Area Mamas.)

This study found that women who meditated were less likely to suffer from postpartum depression.

8. Less tense muscles, which means fewer aches and pains.

If your body and mind are intimately connected (umm, they are!) there’s no better way to ease tense muscles than by learning to calm the mind.

Muscle tension causes all sorts of aches and pains during pregnancy–low back pain, pelvic pain, shoulder pain, tension headaches, you name it!

9. It’s quick and effective.

“Me” time without taking much time. Learn to relax and tap into your intuition in a short amount of time. If you only have 5-10 minutes a day, you can start to reap the benefits of meditation. There aren’t many other practices that can promise that.

10. You can meditate anywhere.

Meditate at your office during your lunch break, in your car, before you drift off to sleep. This is one of the biggest benefits of meditation. You don’t have to get up and go anywhere to do it, so it’s incredibly convenient. I don’t know about you, but if something is convenient I’m about 1,000 percent more likely to do it, and do it regularly. The more you practice meditation, the better you get at it and the more benefits you’ll see.

11. It doesn’t require any equipment or training.

Meditation is sooo simple. (Note: Simple does not equal easy.) You sit with a straight spine. You breathe. You pay attention. That’s it. Sure, you can get more fancy with mantras, music, and mala beads, but you don’t need any of that to meditate. Just you, yourself, and more you!

12. Meditation can calm pregnancy anxieties.

In between my two healthy pregnancies, I had a miscarriage. To say that I was anxious when I got pregnant again after that miscarriage is an extreme understatement.

In my first trimester, I checked for spotting about every 15 minutes. I demanded 3 ultrasounds before I was out of that first trimester just to make sure there was still a heartbeat. Once I got past the most fragile part of the pregnancy, you’d think that my anxiety levels would have decreased, but they didn’t. I held my breath at every appointment as my doctor found my baby’s heartbeat. I drank orange juice and counted kicks daily.

There wasn’t much that would have eased this kind of anxiety. But sticking to my meditation practice really did help to calm my nerves and helped me through what was a really difficult time.

Here’s the meditation + mantra that really helped me ease anxiety during pregnancy. 

13. You can tailor it to fit your individual needs.

Some mamas just need meditation to help them to relax and calm their minds. Others have more worries and anxieties related to the pregnancy or birth. It might take some exploration and trial and error, but whether you need to meditate to help you sleep better at night or you are struggling with something really dark or heavy weighing on your mind, there’s a type of meditation out there that will help you through it. Promise. And one of the big benefits of meditation is that it’s so versatile and can be changed to fit your individual needs.

14. It’s free!

You’re about to spend a fortune on baby gear, nursery decor, and medical care (if you live in the United States, anyway, sigh.) Meditation is wildly beneficial for your pregnancy and it’s totally free! Yahoo! All you need is an Internet connection and a phone or computer and there are tons of resources at your fingertips.

May I recommend my YouTube Channel with Tons of Free Prenatal Yoga Videos and Guided Meditations for Pregnant Moms? I also adore the Insight Timer Meditation App.

 

15. Establish a self-care regimen.

Self-care is one of the things that mamas struggle with most. (I hate to be he bearer of bad news, but it gets even harder to carve out time for yourself after the baby comes!) Things are about to get crazy, chaotic, and super messy in your world in few months, and even your most basic routines are going to feel like a juggling act.

If you have a meditation practice, expect it to slide during this time, too. But it will always be there for you when you’re ready to pick it back up again. There’s something really comforting in that. The longer you’ve been doing your self-care routine, the easier it will be to fall into it again when the time is right.

16. Tap into your intuition.

There are few things more powerful than a mama’s intuition. And this is especially true during labor and birth. Mindfulness practices like meditation, yoga, and conscious breathing (pranayama) that strengthen the body-mind connection also strengthens your connection to your inner wisdom, or intuition.  That inner knowing can be your guide when your making decisions about your medical care, selecting your birth team, imagining what kind of birth you’d like to have. And it will still be there for you to utilize after your baby is born and you have to make all kinds of decisions for your growing family.

The more guided you are by intuition, the less you’ll second-guess yourself and your decisions so you’ll be more confident, more calm, and more present for your pregnancy and beyond.

17. It’s an amazing tool to help through labor and delivery.

Let’s recap: Less pain. More relaxed muscles. Calmer mind. Increased intuition and body awareness.

Does that sound like a recipe for a more peaceful labor and delivery or what?

18. It will help you bond with your baby.

Pregnancy is a surreal experience–especially the first time you do it. I remember trying to envision what my daughter’s face would be like. I had terrible dreams where she came out looking like an alien. It’s hard to feel connected to that image.

Meditation was a great tool for me to bond with my little one. I imagined my breath moving down to my tummy to touch my baby. I though about how I had not one, but two, hearts beating within my body. I noticed how the stiller I got, the more active I got. Before long, it didn’t feel so surreal after all. I could imagine what being a mama would be like. And I was really excited about it.

That’s the power of mindfulness meditation practice during pregnancy.

19. After baby’s born, you’ll reap the benefits of meditation during pregnancy, too.

I’ve been through the newborn phase twice now, and even though I’m a prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher I was not able to carve out much time for my meditation practice in those first few weeks. In fact, my second time it took me months to feel like I could get back to my practice.

You may or may not be able to pick right back up where you left off after your baby’s born. That’s OK! But it will be there for you when you need it. There’s something incredibly comforting about knowing you have a soft place to land whenever you’re ready for the next season of life.

You don’t have to be on a meditation cushion to practice mindfulness. It’s possible to steal a few slow, deep, mindful breaths even while you’re holding a sleeping baby or nursing nonstop. It might not feel the same, but it definitely still counts. And it’s SO worth it.

20. Your meditation practice will make you a better parent. That’s the ultimate benefit of establishing a meditation practice during pregnancy.

As your baby grows, you’ll grow with him. One day you’ll want to teach your little one the art of a slow, deep breath to help her soothe himself. You’ll try to find the right words to help her have compassion for a classmate who you know has a hard life at home. You’ll want to help your child calm anxieties about playground politics or test scores.

Trust me. You’ll draw on your meditation practice time and time again as each new challenge comes up. I know I do.

Get the FREE checklist The Do’s and Don’ts of Prenatal Yoga + Email Updates