Meditation and Mindfulness in Pregnancy and Postpartum: A Review of the Evidence.

A literature review of clinical trials on mindfulness practices, including meditation, during pregnancy and the postpartum period finds sufficient evidence that these practices reduce anxiety, depression, and stress during pregnancy, with benefits possibly extending into the postpartum period. Evidence for other pregnancy-related outcomes is limited. The authors contend that, because mindfulness techniques are low-risk, all pregnant women should be encouraged to engage in them.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Given their growing popularity, mindfulness practices including meditation are actively being studied in clinical trials to assess their efficacy at improving health outcomes during pregnancy and the postpartum period. We conducted a literature review to compile these studies and assessed their findings. There is sufficient evidence to support the practice of mindfulness practices in pregnancy to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress during pregnancy, which may continue to have beneficial effects through the postpartum period. There is limited evidence on the benefits of mindfulness and meditation for other aspects of pregnancy. However, due to the low-risk nature of these techniques, all women should be encouraged to engage in mindfulness practices during pregnancy.