Reiki does not replace prenatal care, does not replace your obstetrician or your midwife, does not diagnose, and does not influence how your pregnancy or your birth will unfold. What it can offer is an hour of rest, respectful touch and quiet company at a stage when almost everyone asks about the baby and almost nobody asks about you.
If you are looking for the specific service I offer, it is here: Reiki during pregnancy. This article is for understanding first what it is and what it is not.
What is actually happening at each stage
Pregnancy
The body changes fast and without asking permission: nausea, broken sleep, low back and pelvic pain, heartburn, heavy legs, a centre of gravity that shifts every week.
And so does the mind. There is excitement, and usually fear alongside it: that something will go wrong, of the birth, of not knowing, of no longer being who you were. Nobody says it out loud, but ambivalence in pregnancy is normal, and it does not mean you love your baby any less.
There is also a curious phenomenon: once the bump shows, every conversation moves to the baby. Position, weight, movements. Many women describe going months without anyone asking how they are.
Birth
It is an intense, unpredictable physiological process attended by professionals. What happens there is accompanied by your team: obstetrician, midwife, and the staff wherever you give birth.
Postpartum
The least-discussed stage, and the one most people carry alone. Accumulated fatigue, pain, healing from a tear or a caesarean, feeding difficulties, a body you do not recognise, sleep broken into two-hour fragments.
Emotionally: between the second and fifth day the so-called baby blues is very common — easy tears, everything close to the surface — and it usually settles within days. When it does not settle, or when persistent sadness, intense anguish, guilt, insomnia even while the baby sleeps, or difficulty bonding appear later, it is no longer baby blues: it may be postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety, and it is cared for by a mental health professional. It is not weakness and not a lack of love. It is common and it is treatable.
What Reiki cannot do
This part allows no nuance.
It does not replace prenatal care. Not a scan, not blood work, not a blood pressure check. Nothing I do provides information about your health or your baby's.
It does not diagnose. I cannot know how your baby is, its position, its sex, or whether anything is right or wrong. If a practitioner tells you otherwise, leave immediately.
It does not influence the course of pregnancy or birth. It does not induce labour, shorten it, turn a baby, prevent complications or change a prognosis. There is no basis for claiming that, and I do not claim it.
It does not replace your midwife or obstetrician — not in pregnancy, not in birth, not afterwards.
It does not treat postpartum depression or anxiety. That is mental health care, and the sooner the better.
It does not treat feeding problems. That is for a lactation consultant, your midwife or your paediatrician.
It guarantees nothing — not a calm pregnancy, not an easy birth, not a gentle postpartum.
What I do instead: I do not touch your abdomen unless you ask me to, I direct nothing "at the baby", and I give no medical opinions of any kind.
What it can offer
An hour where you are the one who matters. Not the baby, not the birth plan, not the shopping list. You.
Rest for a body carrying a great deal. Lying on your side, cushioned, covered and in silence with nobody asking anything of you is a rare luxury in pregnancy and almost non-existent afterwards.
Respectful, non-invasive touch. In these months the body is examined, measured and handled often, for clinical reasons. Here the contact is not after anything.
A place to say what you do not say elsewhere. That you are frightened. That you are exhausted. That you do not always recognise yourself. I will not interpret it and I will not repeat it.
Company. Especially postpartum, when the world turns to the newborn and the mother drops out of focus.
What the evidence says
I will be exact, because exaggeration in pregnancy is especially irresponsible.
There is no scientific evidence that Reiki improves any pregnancy, birth or postpartum outcome. There is none, and I will not imply otherwise.
The NCCIH states that Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any health purpose and that there is no scientific evidence for the energy field the practice proposes; it also notes that Reiki has not been shown to have harmful effects: nccih.nih.gov/health/reiki.
The 2015 Cochrane review (Joyce and Herbison) looked at anxiety and depression, with three trials and around 62 participants: insufficient evidence.
Liu and colleagues (2025), in Systematic Reviews, pooled 11 trials and 661 participants and found a small but statistically significant improvement in quality of life (SMD 0.28; 95% CI 0.01–0.56) with high heterogeneity (I² = 65.1%). It is not a pregnancy study.
On safety: Reiki is non-invasive — no substances, no physical manipulation, no pressure — and no harmful effects have been described. Even so, caution belongs in pregnancy: always tell your obstetric team about any complementary therapy you want to add. If your pregnancy is high risk or you have been told to rest, that instruction comes first.
The full evidence discussion is in Does Reiki work?, and situations where a session should wait or be adapted are in Reiki contraindications.
| What you need | Who provides it | Reiki's role |
|---|---|---|
| Prenatal check-ups, scans, tests | Obstetrician and midwife | None |
| Any obstetric warning sign | Emergency care, immediately | None |
| Birth preparation and birth plan | Your team and antenatal classes | No substitute |
| Feeding and postpartum recovery | Midwife, lactation consultant, doctor | No substitute |
| Postpartum depression or anxiety | Mental health professional | No substitute |
| Rest, gentle touch, company | Your support network and self-care | Here it can accompany |
When to seek care immediately
Do not wait for an appointment, and do not go to any complementary therapy first, if there is vaginal bleeding; severe abdominal pain or early contractions; fluid loss; reduced or absent fetal movements; a severe headache with blurred vision, sudden swelling of face or hands, or pain below the ribs; fever; vomiting that will not stop; or anything at all that makes you feel something is wrong. Go to emergency care or call your obstetric team.
Postpartum, seek help if sadness, anguish or insomnia persist beyond two weeks; if you feel unable to care for the baby; if consuming guilt or frightening intrusive thoughts appear. Intrusive thoughts are more common than people believe, and telling a professional is the way through, not a threat.
And if thoughts appear of harming yourself, of not wanting to go on, or of harming the baby, this is an emergency and it is not something Reiki accompanies: ask for help today — your doctor, emergency care, the 123 line in Colombia, or someone you trust who can stay with you and go with you. Asking for help there is exactly the right thing to do.
What a pregnancy or postpartum session is like
I work in Medellín, in Santa Elena — the cloud-forest village above the city — and at a distance. Sessions are available in English. In pregnancy I always ask three things first: how many weeks you are, whether your care team has given you any particular instruction, and whether there is anywhere you would rather I did not touch.
Position rules everything. Most women, especially from the second half of pregnancy onwards, are more comfortable on their side, with a cushion between the knees and another under the bump. If lying on your back makes you dizzy or uncomfortable at any point, we change, and that is that. Nobody has to endure a position here.
You do not undress. I work with the laying on of hands, very lightly, or a few centimetres away with no contact. I only rest my hands on the abdomen if you ask me to; by default I do not touch it. And I direct nothing at the baby: the session is for you.
Pregnancy sessions tend to be shorter, because staying still for long gets heavy. If we need to stop for the bathroom, we stop. There is nothing here to break.
What I see most often is that women fall asleep — fast and deeply, especially in the third trimester and postpartum. And the second thing I see, almost every time, is the sentence arriving: "nobody has asked how I am in a long time." I have heard it so often that I now expect it.
Postpartum, many mothers come with the baby. That is fine: if we need to stop to feed or settle them, we stop. It is not an interruption, it is the context.
One practical note about Santa Elena: the drive up the mountain is long and winding, and it does not always sit well in pregnancy. If the forest appeals to you, ask your doctor first and decide calmly. Medellín is simpler, and a distance session lets you receive without leaving your own bed — usually the best option in the postpartum weeks.
If sleep or anxiety are what weigh most, Reiki for insomnia and Reiki for anxiety may help.
Frequently asked questions
Is Reiki safe during pregnancy? It is a non-invasive practice: no substances, no manipulation or pressure, and no harmful effects have been described. That said, there are no pregnancy-specific studies, so the sensible course is to tell your obstetrician or midwife before adding it, and to follow any instruction they have given you.
Can it help the baby turn or make labour easier? No. There is no basis for that claim and I do not make it. Reiki does not influence the baby's position, does not induce or shorten labour, and does not change how a birth unfolds. Anyone promising you that is misleading you at a moment when you are particularly exposed.
Can you tell me how my baby is? No. I do not diagnose, I do not perceive anyone's state of health, and I have no way of knowing. That information comes from your check-ups, your scans and your medical team. Any practitioner who answers this question differently is reason enough not to go back.
I have a high-risk pregnancy. Can I receive Reiki? Ask your obstetrician first and follow what they tell you, including bed rest if that applies. If they are comfortable with it, the session adapts completely: shorter, on your side, without contact if you prefer, or at a distance so you do not have to travel. Medical instructions always come first.
I am postpartum and cannot leave the baby. What are my options? You can bring them, and we pause whenever needed. There is also the distance option, which many mothers choose because they receive it in their own bed, while the baby sleeps, without leaving home or organising anything. Neither is better; it depends on your week.
Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes and does not replace diagnosis, treatment or follow-up by a healthcare professional. Reiki is a complementary practice: it accompanies, it does not substitute. If you are under medical or psychological care, continue it and talk to your treating professional before adding any complementary therapy.
If you would like an hour of rest during pregnancy or in the postpartum weeks, write to me on WhatsApp at +57 314 811 7561, or see how I work with this stage in Reiki during pregnancy. Calmly, and always with your care team informed.
Namasté.
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Written by
Sananda Reiki
Spiritual support and Reiki therapies in Medellín and online.
Learn more about Sananda
