Program
All levels
Mindful Pregnancy
A weekly companion through the forty weeks, evidence-informed and quietly paced.
Pregnancy is one of the few times most people will be told to slow down and mean it. The clinical evidence on mindfulness in pregnancy is small but consistent: it lowers perinatal anxiety, improves sleep quality in the third trimester, and is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in the postpartum window.
Mindful Pregnancy follows you across the forty weeks of pregnancy. It is organized by trimester — around ten guided practices in all, each with a body-awareness piece and a journal prompt — with a weekly companion card that meets the week you are in. The content is informed by the MBCP curriculum (Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting) developed by Nancy Bardacke.
It is not a labor preparation course. It does not replace prenatal care. It is the practice of being where you are, in a body that is changing, with the support of an evidence-grounded set of tools.
A prompt from inside
Where do you notice the most change in your body this week. Not the most discomfort, just the most change. Write one line.
Journal prompts in Stillee are short on purpose. Three sentences is usually enough. Five is plenty. The point is the look, not the essay.
Evidence base
The sources this program draws on.
- [1] MBCP and perinatal outcomes. Bardacke, N., et al. (2010). Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Education: Promoting Family Mindfulness During the Perinatal Period.
- [2] Mindfulness and prenatal anxiety. Dhillon, A., et al. (2017). Mindfulness-Based Interventions During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
- [3] Mindfulness and postpartum depression. Shi, Z., MacBeth, A. (2017). The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Maternal Perinatal Mental Health Outcomes.
FAQ
The questions people ask before starting.
When should I start?
Most people start in the second trimester, when nausea has eased and the body has settled into the pregnancy. You can start earlier or later; the practices are organized by trimester and the weekly companion card meets the week you are in.
Is this safe in the first trimester?
The practices are non-invasive and gentle. Talk to your provider about any physical movement during early pregnancy if you have a high-risk situation. The seated and body-awareness practices in the early weeks are appropriate for most people.
Does this prepare me for labor?
It builds the awareness skills that the MBCP curriculum draws on for labor and the postpartum window. It is not a substitute for a labor-specific preparation course. The practices around attention to discomfort do translate to labor, but the program is broader.
What happens after the forty weeks?
Postpartum Mindfulness is the next companion, and is on the catalog in development. You will be invited when it is ready. In the meantime, the daily practices and the journal carry forward.
I am not having an easy pregnancy. Is this for me?
Yes. The program is paced for the body that is happening, including the harder weeks. The journal prompts are written for people who are not sure they can do this, alongside the people who are. If you are experiencing perinatal depression or anxiety, please also speak with a clinician; the app is a companion, not a substitute.
Open the program inside the app.
