Does Your Baby Feel Everything You Feel While Pregnant?
The baby registry checklist grows longer by the day. Prenatal vitamins line your bathroom counter. Your phone is filled with pregnancy apps tracking every developmental milestone. But amid the whirlwind of physical preparations, there’s an invisible connection forming that many expectant parents overlook—the profound link between your nervous system and your developing baby.
With each anxious moment, each peaceful breath, and each surge of joy, your baby is experiencing these emotions alongside you. The truth is that your nervous system—the master controller of your stress response, emotions, and physical sensations—is directly wired to your baby’s developing brain and body. And this connection begins far earlier than most parents realize. So, what should you know? How can understanding this connection further transform your pregnancy, as well as your baby’s development?
Do Babies Feel Things in the Womb?
Your baby’s nervous system begins developing within 3-4 weeks after conception—usually before you even know you’re pregnant. But these early days matter. The development of the nervous system sets the foundation for everything else, such as immune system function and organ development.
The umbilical cord carries more than just nutrients and oxygen—it also plays a key role in connecting your nervous system to your baby’s. This connection means that when you feel stressed, your body releases hormones that travel through the placenta and umbilical cord to your baby. In other words, your baby is affected by what you experience, whether it’s calming emotions or stressful ones. And, thus, your emotional state actively shapes your baby’s developing nervous system.
How Stress During Pregnancy Impacts Your Growing Fetus
Many expecting moms juggle more stress than ever before. Between work deadlines, family duties, money worries, and the pressure that can come with all the tests and check-ins during pregnancy, it’s no wonder so many women feel stretched thin.
When stress becomes your “normal,” it can push both you and your baby into what’s known as sympathetic dominance—a fancy term for living in constant fight-or-flight mode. And when your body stays in that high-alert state for too long, it can start to affect things like:
- Your sleep quality
- Your mood and emotional well-being
- Your physical comfort
- Your baby’s development
- Labor and your birth experience
What Part Does Your Nervous System Play? And Can Chiropractic Care Help?
Your nervous system is the command center for everything your body does—especially during pregnancy. It helps regulate stress, supports your growing baby, and keeps you functioning day to day. But when stress builds up, it can throw your nervous system off balance, keeping you stuck in “survival mode.”
However, using safe, non-invasive Heart Rate Variability (HRV) scans, the Highest Health Chiropractic team can get a clear picture of how your nervous system is functioning. These scans help us understand how your body is responding to the demands of pregnancy—and more importantly, how we can help.
From there, we create a personalized care plan designed to calm your stress response, support your baby’s development, and bring your body back into balance. Gentle chiropractic adjustments can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system—the one responsible for rest, recovery, and healing.
When your nervous system is in balance, you may notice less tension and discomfort, better sleeps, more stable moods, increased energy, and, eventually, even a smoother delivery. (Did you know research connects chiropractic care to faster and easier labors?)
If you’re currently pregnant or planning to be soon, we’d love to support you. Your Sioux Falls Chiropractor is committed to your health and well-being, as well as your unborn child’s. Book your appointment with our caring and compassionate team today!
