The Effect of Reiki Administered to Risky Pregnant Women on Holistic Well-being, Prenatal, Maternal Attachment and Physical Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Study

Complications that occur in risky pregnancies that are not followed up and treated at regular intervals adversely affect maternal and fetal health, leading to outcomes that increase the risk of mortality and morbidity. As a matter of fact, it is seen that maternal deaths continue due to preventable or treatable causes during pregnancy or childbirth in the world and in our country. In addition, approximately 380 women become pregnant every minute in the world, half of them experience pregnancy-related complications and are classified in the risky pregnancy group.

The concept of well-being has emerged as a concept that further expands the views on health and gathers various health fields under one roof. Well-being is a subjective data reached by how individuals perceive their own lives. It is expressed in general judgments about affect and life satisfaction that change from joy to depression.

If pregnancy-related problems that negatively affect the perception of pregnancy are not managed well, it can cause psychological distress and reduce the level of psychological well-being of pregnant women. Psychological well-being is the positive psychological functioning of mental health. It is also expressed as the frequency of experiencing good or bad moods and emotions that have a positive or negative effect. Low level of psychological well-being during pregnancy is associated with many risks such as negative pregnancy outcomes, stress, anxiety, depression and behavioral problems in early childhood.

Attachment is defined as an instinctive process that serves to maintain closeness to the caregiver or as strong sensory bonds that people develop with people they deem important to them. In an other saying; Attachment is defined as the emotional bond between the child and his family. The tendency and need to establish emotional bonds are necessary for newborns to survive. Attachment can be prenatal and maternal attachment . He defined the mother's love for her baby during pregnancy and the bond she established with her as prenatal attachment. Prenatal attachment and adaptation to motherhood affect the baby's healthier growth and development and later on personality formation in childhood and adulthood. When there is a secure attachment during pregnancy, the woman realizes that her unborn baby has a relationship with her and sees her as a separate individual. This helps the expectant mother to show love and affection to her baby, to protect her, to feed her, to show interest, to interact and to be sensitive to her baby's needs, and facilitates the development of motherhood identity and adaptation to motherhood. A healthy maternal attachment process ensures a healthy communication between the mother and the baby, affects the baby's behavior positively, and gives happiness to the mother. As health professionals, nurses play an important role in the healthy development and maintenance of mother-infant attachment. If mother-infant bonding is not successful, the baby may experience physical, emotional, social, mental and language development problems. It is stated that the effects of secure or insecure attachment for mother and baby can last a lifetime. Attachment disorders can cause emotional disorders during pregnancy. In this respect, it is necessary to support expectant mothers with risky pregnancies where attachment may be affected.

The postpartum period is the harbinger of a new beginning for the woman and her family. During this period, important anatomical, physiological, psychological and endocrine changes are experienced in the mother's body. Depending on these changes, women experience a number of physical symptoms. In studies examining the physical symptoms experienced by women in the postpartum period; perineal problems, back pain, fatigue, pain in the incision/episiotomy area, headache, edema, hemorrhoids, constipation, urinary incontinence, sleep disturbance, sexual problems, painful coitus, and problems related to breastfeeding were determined to be common.