Relaxation techniques in pregnancy are becoming more fashionable. Spa therapies for pregnant women, massages, foot reflexology, music massage in the water, craniosacral therapy and watsu, the latest in physiotherapeutic programs for future mothers, are the most innovative in combating dreaded anxiety and stress during pregnancy. This can be the trigger of ADHD in the baby.

How the Mother’s Stress Influences the Development of The Baby

The reason for this new wave of relaxation in pregnancy is that more and more studies and research reveal that stress and anxiety of the mother during pregnancy can harm the brain development of the fetus. This can cause ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity) during the baby’s childhood. Thus, “significant differences” have been found when comparing the psychological development of children whose mothers have suffered stress during pregnancy and others who have not.

Fetal brain development goes through specific periods of greater vulnerability to maternal anxiety. At the beginning of pregnancy, it is associated with a “decrease in the cerebral gray matter in different areas of the child’s brain,” which will be perceived between six and nine years of age.

Another study has revealed that the children of more stressed and anxious mothers have double the risk of having attention deficit, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, and are more prone to be anxious and to have behavioral problems during their childhood and adolescence. This tendency is independent of the experiences that the child has at birth or of the emotions that he/she shares later with his/her mother.

Relaxation Techniques During Pregnancy

For this reason, relaxation techniques during pregnancy are becoming an essential activity in the agenda of pregnant women. In addition to this, due to the special sensitivity of a woman during her pregnancy, these therapies are enjoyed more intensely, are more pleasant, and their benefits are doubly profitable. This is because they are aimed at both the mother and the baby that grows inside her.

Although all the techniques of relaxation in pregnancy are excellent, each of them has its own characteristics and adapts better to some women than to the others based on their personality and needs.

Let’s check out some of the best!

1. Watsu: Among the newest, we highlight the Watsu, which is a technique of aquatic bodywork, which many consider the deepest evolution of bodywork in our time. It runs in water between 34 and 38 degrees, around body temperature. It comes from Shiatsu, a Japanese technique that works on all the energy channels with pressures and stretches.
2. Massages: Besides massages, which lend relief and well-being to pregnant women, especially in the back and legs, we recommend foot reflexology. It is an excellent technique to reduce not only anxiety and stress but also to treat constipation, blood pressure problems, back pain, heartburn, insomnia, hemorrhoids, vomiting and dizziness, muscle pain, cramps and urinary disorders.
3. Hydro-gymnastics: In the hydro-gymnastics section, aquatic music massage is a very rewarding sensory experience. It predisposes the body to rest and could be compared to the pre-sleep state that appears upon reaching the bed.

So, what are you waiting for? Now you know how to prevent ADHD in your child if you are pregnant!