Every parent wants to give their baby the best possible start in life. From the moment you find out you’re expecting, you begin thinking about everything you can do to support your baby’s growth, health, and development. What many parents don’t realise is how closely their own health and wellbeing are connected with the environment in which their baby grows and develops throughout pregnancy.
During pregnancy, mum and baby are closely connected, and maternal physiology forms an important part of the environment in which a baby develops. Research continues to explore the complex relationship between maternal stress, physiology and fetal development, including the developing nervous system.
This connection occurs through complex physiological pathways involving the placenta, hormones and other biological signals throughout pregnancy.
Modern life and high stress levels can sometimes make it difficult for a mother’s body to stay in a calm, regulated state. When this happens, it can affect how the body rests, digests, and recovers, which are all important foundations for pregnancy and early development. While some interventions are absolutely necessary and lifesaving, many expecting parents simply aren’t aware of how everyday stress can influence the delicate balance of their own and their baby’s systems.
Your nervous system is the master communication network that coordinates every function in your body, from digestion and sleep to immune balance and hormones. It has two main branches: the sympathetic system, which helps you respond to stress and challenge, and the parasympathetic system, which helps you rest, recover, and restore. During pregnancy, these systems work together to help your body adapt to incredible changes while supporting your growing baby. When stress becomes ongoing, it can cause the body to spend too much time in that “fight or flight” state, making it harder to rest, digest, and repair.
Your baby’s nervous system begins forming very early, as soon as the third week of pregnancy, and continues to develop right through to birth. The growth of the vagus nerve, which plays a major role in calming and regulating the body, happens throughout pregnancy and into the newborn months. Supporting your overall health and wellbeing during pregnancy is an important part of caring for yourself and your developing baby.
Your Baby’s Nervous System Development
First Trimester
- Around week 3, your baby’s nervous system begins to form.
- Between weeks 5 and 8, major organs start developing.
- By week 6, the first sympathetic nerves begin to form, laying the groundwork for communication between the body and brain.
Second Trimester
- Between weeks 13 and 16, muscles and bones are developing rapidly.
- Around week 17, the cerebellum begins to form, helping coordinate balance, movement, and learning.
- By week 26, the vagus nerve begins myelination, an important step in helping your baby’s nervous system regulate and calm.
Third Trimester
- Between weeks 29 and 32, the immune system begins to strengthen.
- From weeks 33 to 36, the brain develops at an incredible rate, forming new connections every second.
- Around week 37, the autonomic nervous system continues to mature as your baby prepares for life outside the womb.
- By week 40, both the vagus nerve and immune system are maturing, preparing your baby for life outside the womb.
Understanding how much happens during these weeks can give you a new appreciation for the incredible changes taking place throughout pregnancy and the importance of looking after your own health and wellbeing along the way.
There are many gentle ways to support your body and baby during this time. Deep breathing, mindfulness, gentle movement, staying hydrated, and allowing yourself time to rest can all help create more balance in your nervous system. Surrounding yourself with a supportive care team, including your healthcare providers, midwife, or prenatal professionals, can also make a meaningful difference.
At Beachside Family Chiropractic, we see pregnancy as one of the most important and beautiful times to consider nervous system function as part of the broader picture. Our team uses gentle, non-invasive technology such as INSiGHT Scans to look at patterns associated with nervous system function. Together with your story and individual presentation, these findings give us another piece of the puzzle and help us tailor our approach to your individual needs throughout this incredible journey.
The foundation of your baby’s development begins long before birth. Looking after your own health and wellbeing throughout pregnancy is an important part of caring for both yourself and your growing baby. Every pregnancy is unique, and while we can’t control every part of the journey, taking time to care for yourself and surrounding yourself with the right support can be an empowering part of this incredible season.
If you’d like to learn more about our approach to nervous system assessment and care during pregnancy, our team would love to connect with you and help you feel confident and supported every step of the way.