This question understandably comes up for a variety of scenarios around pregnancy. I have personally worked with many women at all stages of pregnancy who have all reported benefits of having Reiki treatments during pregnancy. The short answer to the question: ‘Is Reiki safe during pregnancy’ is; that hands-on Reiki is safe during pregnancy. There are no contraindications, or reasons not to use Reiki during pregnancy. As a professional Reiki practitioner, it is however sensible to consider a mother’s health and how the pregnancy is progressing, when considering commencing a course of Reiki treatment sessions, as well as regularly checking in as the pregnancy progresses, which a practitioner would do within their own initial consultation/ onboarding process with someone new.

All this is dependent on your health status and how the pregnancy progresses. If there are challenges with your health status or how the pregnancy is progressing, as required a practitioner may consult with your licensed health practitioner as appropriate. I would suggest speaking to a Reiki practitioner you were thinking of working with, ask them some questions, ensure they can answer them, and you feel comfortable with them, and go from there. From a technical proficiency view, I would suggest looking for an experienced Jikiden Reiki practitioner in your area. If that is not possible, then just who you feel comfortable with.

So, let's look at a few common questions about this topic. The first question is: Is it safe to commence a course of Reiki treatments when pregnant? This question commonly comes from the mum-to-be, who is maybe looking to Reiki as a positive thing to do, looking for a benefit such as reducing stress, relaxation, self-care, or a similar benefit. This question also comes from those I have trained in Reiki, who are asking if they can start to do Reiki on family members who are now pregnant. The answer is yes, this is fine. For those who are trained in Reiki and looking to do Reiki on friends and family, if someone is new to Reiki, you might consider performing a short mini-Reiki session initially and check on how they respond afterward, if they have an initial strong detox, or clearing experience after, maybe keep sessions short and build into it, or delay a few weeks before the next one. It's more to ensure the experience is a positive one for the mum-to-be.

Sometimes the question comes from those who are having Reiki treatments and become pregnant, asking if it’s OK to continue. This is fine, again being aware of a person’s health as the pregnancy progresses.

Some notes to consider (this is more speaking to Reiki practitioners reading this). Extra care would be required around finding the right position for a person during pregnancy, such as laying on their side as opposed to facing up or down during the session, and some creative use of cushions as the pregnancy progresses to ensure the comfort of the client.

The benefits of Reiki can shift as the pregnancy progresses. For example, in the 1st Trimester, we might be with a general well-being focus, such as reducing stress, improving relaxation, and self-care objectives. Many later, say in the 3rd-trimester report aches in the lower back, from postural changes, or lower leg discomfort from circulation as examples, so the focus of the Reiki session can shift to relief around those areas, of issues specific to that time of pregnancy. 

In a general sense, Reiki energy is an energy in all life (Rei-Ki), it’s an energy a person absorbs and the person’s mind and body direct what it does, so it's not a thing to worry about.

The Reiki treatment is performed on the mum-to-be, rather than the baby, however, as it's flowing through the mum, it's reasonable to assume the baby would absorb some of this wonderful energy.

Anecdotally it's interesting to observe clients who have a child already, who come to Reiki for some benefit, say to reduce stress, then become pregnant again and continue with their Reiki sessions during this second pregnancy. Many of these women report that the second child has a much calmer way about them than the first child. This is just an observation, however, I’m not the only one to see this, there is a term in Reiki circles of Reiki babies, referring to those children whose mothers had Reiki when they were pregnant with them, who tend to have a calmer presence than their older siblings. Again, this is just an interesting observation on this topic- not a claim and not definitely not a guarantee (so don’t bring your screaming baby to me quoting this paragraph please) it’s just an interesting observation we see in the world of Reiki, its here more to reassure you there is nothing to worry about with Reiki.

As a side note, for those looking to learn Reiki whilst pregnant, this is also possible. I have taught Reiki to women who are pregnant many times. For a start it's such a beneficial thing to have available to you all the time, as once trained in Reiki, its benefits can be used every day for yourself as well as the baby and as the baby develops into a small child, and then on really. If it's learning Reiki you are interested in, just speak to a Jikiden Reiki teacher for guidance, it might be sensible to just confirm how you respond to a Reiki session or two then consider learning. For information on Reiki training courses see my website, or get in touch. So, in summary, Reiki during pregnancy is fine. Just speak to the practitioner you are going to work with about your health status and they can advise accordingly.

I am mainly known nowadays for my work with Reiki, as a specialist in authentic Japanese Reiki. I am an experienced, Reiki teacher and practitioner with a proven track record of results. I offer Jikiden Reiki training courses, promoting authentic Japanese Reiki teachings. I am based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, in the UK. I have a background in coaching and training in the areas of exercise coaching, holistic lifestyle, fitness, and performance coaching. I also have a BSc.(Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science, for more information visit: www.shaunmckeown.com

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. Shaun Mckeown, disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.