Incorporating music during prenatal has many benefits. Music can encourage couples to spend time together by focusing their energy into welcoming their baby and to understand each other’s needs, in particular the mother’s needs. As per the Sound Birthing Manual, couples can be encouraged to spend time together by listening, talking, and practicing relaxation techniques with the nightly session playlist created. Familiarizing them with music played during labor and birth also allows the baby to be part of the process. Each song can facilitate couples to explore different relaxation techniques as the mother begins to understand her body better in terms of how she can release tension. She also has the opportunity to know what works for her as her partner understands how to be supportive. Together, they develop a labor management strategy. On page 135 in the Birth Book, the author quotes “fear upsets the balance of birth hormones,…resulting in increased pain and length of labor.” A common feeling many mothers may experience is fear. Fear has a tendency to overtake a body, thus preventing anyone from moving forward comfortably. Thus, incorporating live or recorded music during prenatal is crucial and beneficial to prepare the body and mind as much as possible in terms of relaxation. Understanding how one’s body functions can provide a sense of control and empowerment for the mother, and even the father. Furthermore, singing is a great way to decrease stress as it provides an opportunity for mothers and fathers to be grounded. Vibrations are transmitted throughout the body, which enhances sensations while providing an emotional landscape. I agree with the bullet points listed in the Sound Birthing Manual under “benefits of singing to your baby in utero.” The overall experience not only provides bonding experience, but an opportunity for couples to use music as a routine structure in their possible chaotic schedule. Music enforces them to take a moment to think about themselves, while taking a moment to breathe and embrace each other’s presence. What a great opportunity to begin bonding with their baby together as a couple in order to continue building their relationship after birth. Ultimately, spending time together allows couples to discuss and recognize their possible common goal of wanting a safe delivery, along with continuing to develop their relationship as a family.
Hi Angel, I completely agree with your diagnosis of singing and the vibrations through the body. During my internship, my supervisor was big into toning while putting our foreheads together and it is totally true that the vibrations connect and bring out a sense of awareness like nothing I have ever felt before. I wonder if this 'toning' could be beneficial during the prenatal period or even the deliver? What are your thoughts?
Yes Angel and Kristin- toning is amazing during prenatal and labor. We will be doing this at the experiential. The whole body vibrates when you are toning- it is very cool. :) It is also very affirming when we tone with the mother in labor.
I believe that toning is beneficial and really allows anyone to embody themselves. Just from my own personal experience of toning, it allows me to listen to my body and experience how sound/vibrations are traveling throughout my body. I can only imagine what toning can provide for a pregnant mother and how using one's voice can provide an opportunity to really breathe down, focus, and release excess energy.
I am very interested in the toning as well. I know that just making sounds, such as humming or moaning, can help focus their energy and help work through a contraction. And doing it with the mother can help with keeping them in control and focused.
I remember years ago when I was working at a nursing home - there were events planned for staff. I remember at the end of one of the events - we did some toning. That was the first experience I had ever had with toning - and it was simply amazing!! The vibration and feeling throughout my body was indescribable! I agree with Mary - it is very cool!!
Hi Everyone, This week was particularly interesting to me as I have always been fascinated by parental and infant bonding. I feel this is a period of the labor and delivery process that many parents miss out on. I think using a womb song that is specifically written for the new child is a wonderful way to bond with the infant prior to delivery and as this child enters the world. As for music during the prenatal period, I see bonding and relaxation as 2 main components where music can facilitate more so than any other method. As our readings suggest, bonding is extremely important between the parents and the parents and the infant. The music can facilitate a safe space to talk or sing to the infant while in the womb for both parents. This could also be an opportunity for the father/non-pregnant partner to bond with the developing baby through song and singing/speaking. Parents can use music in the form of music listening and gentle tummy rubbing, humming, singing lullabies and their originally recorded womb song. To facilitate bonding between the parents the music can create a space where the parents can listen to music while slow dancing or moving rhythmically together to enhance their entrainment and connection. Parents can also participate in sing to the baby together, work together to write lyrics for their womb song, massage and gentle touch. With regards to relaxation the music provides an auditory structure to train the body to relax with an auditory cue. I personally feel this is a genius use of music for auditory cueing with relaxation. Music can be used while receiving a gentle massage, meditation, or sleep. Using music nightly, according to the Sound Birthing Manual, will help the mother to become familiar with the music and help prepare her for the birth. This relaxation, guided/facilitated by the music practice will aid in relaxation for both the mother and partner. It has the potential to encourage relaxation for both physical and emotional tension that the mother is caring during her pregnancy as she nears labor and delivery. I look forward to reading the rest of your responded for this week. Kristin
I like the option of using music for bonding specifically to slow dance prior to birth, as a way to "enhance their entrainment and connection". This offers a wonderful direction for partners who feel they have run out of options for connecting together. It will also help them move together when they most need to during labor. I agree with your concisely written comment to use music for relaxation as "an auditory structure to train the body to relax with an auditory cue." I couldn't have said it better. I also enjoyed the reading about the nightly music sessions, and as I'm going through this course, am working to incorporate as much into my pregnancy as possible. Today I told my husband about the 30-45 minutes a night we could be doing, which I knew would be a stretch for us to accomplish. His response was, "well, in the least you could do that." I'm curious what all your thoughts are on how a music therapist can educate and encourage the client's husband of the benefits of his participation in the nightly relaxation exercises to the music. I'm coming up against challenges within myself, wanting to take in everything as a professional as well as wanting to apply it directly to my own life. I don't know how effective it will be to "educate and encourage" my own husband as it would be for someone else to tell him the benefits.
Yes the Nightly Practice sessions are amazing. It is very important for the clients to take the time to do them. Women who do the Nightly Practice Sessions have shorter labors and feel more empowered by the experience. These mothers are better equipped psychologically, emotionally and physically to meet their new babies at birth.
As for the length of time the Nightly Practice sessions take.... it is a small investment for immense benefits- it gives you uninterrupted quality time with your partner each night.... something which will be in high demand when the baby arrives. Mom is more relaxed and this is good for baby. Research shows shown that high levels of stress hormones can cause negative effects on brain development of babies in utero. This practice reduces stress hormones in the body and develops an autogenic relaxation response so that when the music and the comfort measures are paired in labor an even deeper relaxed state can be achieved. Also it helps the partner get to know how and practice how to help and comfort the birth mother during pregnancy and labor. The more information and practice the spouse has the more relaxed everyone will feel at the birth. Relaxation is the key to a gentle, easy, beautiful birth.
Wow, I just think that's amazing. Relaxation leads to gentle easy births and nightly sessions can lead to shorter births. It's amazing how much mothers are able to "control" through preparation and rehearsal.
The nightly practice sessions are a time commitment. I can see how a first time mother could do this, but my thoughts have been on mothers with a child or children at home. I decided to practice and several nights I've tried to incorporate this into our bedtime routines with my 2 year old. Although I'm not the one in the bathtub or getting a massage (as the focus is on my daughter), I still find myself associating the music to relaxing experiences.
The natural sleep inducement tracks are amazing. My 2 year old took a nap while our roof was being replaced. I sat in her room while reading our homework for this class and found myself SO relaxed (while our roof sounded like it was falling in on us). ha.
I just thought it was neat that I could still experience the benefits while taking care of my 2 year old in the evenings, or even breaking up the activities as I had time for them.
I think the nightly practice session also provides a feeling of inclusion for the husband. There are so many things about pregnancy that they don't experience that as I mentioned in my post can bring a feeling of disconnect. (In some ways - aren't they lucky!) The practice session provides the opportunity for dad to bond with baby as well as building a stronger connection between the couple (which is so important during labor!).
The manual lists benefits of singing, listening to music, and speaking to the baby prenatally. Just this morning, as I was getting out of bed (my husband had already left for work), I remembered reading about babies hearing the mother’s voice and becoming acquainted even with the daily activities of her life, as a way to learn and recognize her voice. One of the benefits listed was that the baby begins to learn the intonation and sounds of the native language. I’m a Finnish American, and my husband speaks minimal Finnish so far, but we want our children to speak Finnish. I began to speak in English but then remembered how important it was for me to speak to the baby in Finnish, so I did that for the first time, but would have felt self-conscious if I hadn’t been alone. I think the spoken voice has similar importance to a baby as a mother’s singing voice, because both provide the comfort of a familiar, close family member.
Music and singing provide an important opportunity for the bonding of the mother, father, and baby together prenatally. The nightly practice sessions offer families a flexible but specific framework within which to bond before they’ve met the child. Just as I earlier said I would have felt self-conscious speaking or singing to the baby with others around, I think offering bonding through music within this framework helps adults feel more comfortable together, thus making them ready for the actual birth. It makes sense to practice relaxation before birth, just as it is wise to practice a piece before performing on stage, practice timing oneself before running a track meet, or practice engaging in self care strategies such as journaling or listening to music when stressed out. It’s unlikely to happen at all when the real deal occurs if it hasn’t been practiced.
I love that Sears brought up music therapists very briefly on p. 147! They talk about how listening to music relieves pain and that rhythm of music may affect the body’s rhythm by “stimulating release of those feel-good hormones-endorphins. It may also give the body a cue to do some rhythmic moving.” Listening to rhythmic music makes me want to move-how much more natural it is when encouraging laboring clients to shift positions when the music communicates directly with their bring. As far as the endorphins go, having clients listen to music prenatally can still have the same effect, lessening stress and giving them a better experience in pregnancy, which will in turn better prepare them for the rigors of birth.
There hasn’t been much said in the readings yet about the use of live music by clients, but I would propose that clients who have musical abilities of any sort can be asked to make music at least weekly together as a way to bond together. It’s important to utilize the musical resources available to the family unit, because they’re more likely to engage in that which is familiar to them. Perhaps these clients will write their own womb song with little assistance from the music therapist, or might write other songs for or about the baby or others in the family. How wonderful would it be to have a musical father leading the mother in singing during labor as well.
Yes singing in early labor is good but remember we want to stay out of the cognitive thinking brain because that inhibits labor. We want to be in the music vocalizing or toning rather than singing for optimal support. I have worked with many musical couples over the last 20 years and the most effective use of live music has been during prenatal and post partum times not during labor. This will all make sense when we do the experientials together in a few weeks. Looking forward to it!
I enjoyed reading everyone’s comment and most of the things I want to comment about this week’s blog have been well said by all of you. I agreed with what Kristin and Anna said about using music for bonding with your partner and music offers a direction for partners who feel they have run out of options for connecting together. Very true, when you have run out of words and when words can’t say it all, music is a good media to help the father/partner to convey the message of support to the. And I also agreed on how important it is, besides connecting with your baby, to also connect with your partner so as to develop a labor management strategy, to come into an agreement on those strategies, to practice on and to familiarize with them. In my own opinion, the father or your supporting partner plays a very important role as well. I bet he/she will be a close person to you who makes you feel safe and comforts you just by his/her presence. Through the use of music in form of singing, listening, slow dancing, massaging etc. can enhance the father/partner’s familiarity and to build more confidence on helping the mother’s labor. I cannot imagine a labor without my husband to be there to support me. During the prenatal period, a mother has a lot to prepare to welcome her new baby and that could exhaust a mom physically and mentally. The Nightly Practice could be a good opportunity to relax; to let your body and mind to have “a moment of silence” for 30-45 minutes with your partner. I think when our brains notice a change in our physical state (relaxed muscles); our emotions begin to change accordingly as well. This can reduce stress hormones which can cause negative effect of your baby’s brain development in the utero. On the other hand, writing a womb song sounded like it’s the mother’s job but I think writing the womb song together with your partner can optimize the bonding between the mother, the father/partner and the baby. The relationship between these three people should be well connected. Through the writing process and singing to the baby, the mother and father/partner can explore their feelings towards and bond with the baby more closely.
I strongly believe they should write it together. This is a way for the partner to be more involved. This is the person who will, lets face it, feel pretty helpless at times during labor when the person they love is in pain. They can write their own verse, or as my comment below says, siblings can write a verse too. But I have had a beautiful experience watching a couple write the lyrics together, and figure out how to make the other understand what they were saying. This is very important to practice since during labor, understanding what the other one needs is a big factor.
Live music can be used by both parents during the prenatal period no matter what the musical background of the individuals are. Toning, singing and humming are generally "available" to anyone. If the parents have a background in music they may also choose to make music together in other ways such as playing instruments. They could attend live music events together. Any of these activities would be a source for connecting and bonding with one another and the baby. The simple act of participating in live music together requires that the father and mother are present and interacting with one another and with the baby. Assuming that participation in live music experiences would be ongoing, such experiences may provide a familiar anchor for baby and the parents after the baby is born. Participation in live music would be beneficial as a stress reducer, external point of focus and would have physiological benefits beyond that of recorded music; however use of any music prior to and after the baby is born would be beneficial to baby and parents. By practicing music as a family, both live and recorded, prior to baby's birth the family is creating a safe and loving environment. It will be familiar to baby and comfortable and natural for the parents to use after baby is born since they practiced it prior to babies birth. They will be able to use what they practiced as an anchor when they need to reconnect, find equilibrium or calm after baby.
Terri, I love what you said about new parents using their practice of being together in music after the birth of the baby as a way to reconnect and find calm. This can be so important for new parents! It can be so all consuming to be a new parent and having a way to reconnect with your partner is a healthy and necessary part of feeling supported during such a huge life transition!
Yes a need for calm and equilibrium is so important. It can be hard to achieve when there is little sleep and much excitement in caring for a new little one. Using music to help focus and reconnect is very important for couples because if the parents are connected they can more easily parent and help each other.
Much of what I would comment here has already been said: music can be used prenatally to connect to each other, reduce stress, connect to baby, and rehearse for labor and delivery. I feel it is so important for partners and mothers to take the time to connect to one another and to their baby during the nightly practice session and I love that it's laid out in a step by step guide that will be easy to follow. In this way parents are encouraged to take time out of their day to connect with their baby, with each other, and with themselves, and consider the ways in which their lives are about to change. This may help to prepare parents physically and emotionally for the journey ahead.
I think others touched on the benefits of practice before a big event. Using recorded music to encourage relaxation may give mothers an auditory cue that could be beneficial in helping her relax during labor. This unconscious response could be essential in helping her focus on things like breathing, her partner, her baby, and the task at hand instead of being overwhelmed or stressed.
I also see the benefits of using live music prenatally, especially as it pertains to bonding with baby. I wonder if a mother who was shy to sing a song to her baby might respond to a live call and response facilitated by the music therapist about loving her baby and being excited to meet them. This type of musical play could also easily encourage the partner to join in music and give parents a space to sing that is lower pressure than having to 'perform' a song by themselves. This might be a good place to start if clients are shy about singing and could encourage mom and partner to sing to baby during the day so that baby can hear and be calmed by their voices.
(I apparently had too much to say - so I have to break it up into separate posts!)
Pregnancy brings a multitude of emotions for a mom and her partner. Excitement, uncertainty, joy, fear ... just to name a few. Some of these emotions along with the various changes that occur during pregnancy can lead to feelings of stress (especially in first time moms). Her partner notices her stress, but isn't sure how to help her. Mom may feel alone and that her partner doesn't understand what she's going through. Her partner may feel a sense of disconnect during the pregnancy. (I had a discussion with my husband about this to see if this was an accurate assessment and he made the statement "There's a bond between a mom and the baby that a man doesn't get to experience.") It's important for mom to know that her partner is there for strength and support. It's equally important for the partner to know that their support and role in the pregnancy and birth process is vital. Music can be used prenatally to aid in relaxation to reduce feelings of stress and to support the emotional and physical connection between a couple. Using the music to: dance together, hold one another, offer physical touch (like practicing techniques that can be used during labor such as the physical support positions mentioned in the Sears book or massage techniques) and express shared feelings about their baby to create a womb song. (Just an aside - I think this would also be great for a couple who already has children to include them in this process to create their own womb song to interact/connect with and welcome their new sibling!) The Nighly Practice playlist provides an opportunity for relaxation (which helps reduce stress) and to connect physically while practicing labor techniques. The Sound Birthing manual states how important it is to practice with the music and techniques to create familiarity and enhance preparation for the birth experience. Feeling prepared can help reduce the stress and anxiety about the coming labor experience. Toning provides a grounded feeling that aids in relaxation. This could be practiced together so that the partner can assist mom in toning during labor. Because the baby is affected by what mom experiences, it is important for mom to stay as stress-free as possible during the pregnancy as well as labor. The various ways to strengthen the emotional and physical connection between a couple prenatally using music are important because this connection is part of the support that is essential during labor. A woman is strong, but she is stronger with the support of those who surround her. I feel using the music following birth can also be beneficial to help remind the couple of their connection and that they are a team.
It is encouraged to interact with baby prenatally and has been shown that babies in the womb will respond to familiar voices and sounds. Talking and singing to baby can help create an early bond with the baby in utero that is essential for the baby and the parents. Singing their womb song gives both parents a heartfelt, personal way to interact with their baby. Bonding prenatally/postnatally through the use of music can help ease the fear and anxiety about the transition from baby being inside to outside of the womb. (As a parent, I feel there is a period of mental and physical transition. From "How do I care for this new little person?" for first time parents to "How do I care for this new little person is addition to my other child(ren)?" for experienced parents.) The use of music prenatally also provides familiarity following birth. The baby will recognize music that was being played while in the womb which can help calm and relax baby. A calm, relaxed baby makes for a calm, relaxed mom & dad! (I think this is important for first time parents who are learning about life with a newborn and being a parent while feeling sleep deprived!) Having personally dealt with infertility, I think the use of music prenatally could be helpful for couples who have experienced infertility or loss. These experiences could potentially inhibit the interacting and bonding with baby during pregnancy (and sometimes following baby's arrival) and music could be used to support and encourage this process. The use of live music is beneficial because the musical elements (tempo, dynamics, etc) can be manipulated unlike recorded music. It also brings a different aesthetic sound. The ability to sing, hum or use toning is readily available where recorded music may not be (though that has become easier now thanks to technology).
Couples could use live music while singing with each other or while singing womb songs to their baby. Although most couples probably don't sing to each other or in front of each other often (or at all), I think it could be a wonderful opportunity to experience something new and vulnerable preparing for labor and delivery. The process of giving birth requires both parents to function outside of their normal comfort zones and the use of live music (with singing) prenatally could be a wonderful opportunity for them to feel connected in this new vulnerable place.
The encouragement of a mother using her voice and feeling comfortable to sing only puts needed value on her role and unique voice to this new baby. Incredible that this baby is being wired by everything about her (her voice, her diet, her emotions). I was just watching "what babies learn before they're born" Ted Talk. I never knew that babies even cry using the accent of their mothers language (french babies using an up accent and german babies using a down accent at the end of their cry). Just amazing.
Singing requires us to control our bodies, breath, becoming present in the moment, slow down, place value on our role and contribution of a process, make time for one another, work together, connect, and relax. All important elements while preparing for birth.
That is extremely interesting about the baby's cry and accent of mother's language!! I'm going to have to watch that some time. I agree about trying something that is new & vulnerable. Giving birth is definitely a very vulnerable feeling.
Couples can sing together and dance to the songs that they fell in love with, to bond with each other and so that the baby can hear their voices. But the best thing they can do is write a song together for the baby and about the baby. It can be words of encouragement and strength, words of what they wish for their child and what they hope will comfort the child. These things can also have the same effect on the parents as they are singing them. Having a song that is "just the baby's song" makes it special, so when they sing it to the baby, that is forcing them to focus on the baby...which in turn, blocks out other things that may be bothering them and helps them to relax.
If the baby's name is already decided, then put it in the song. I have seen on 2 different occasions how special it is to hear a song for a baby that has not been born yet. One is of a friend that, still at age 12 at 10, sings it to her daughters every night--and they both have their own special song! The other time I have experienced the joy of a womb song was with a young couple that already had a 3 year old at home. They made a beautiful song for their unborn daughter, and I suggested they let the son sing it to his baby sister to help with bonding. They loved it and so did he! The brother sang it to his little sister every day with his own verse he had made.
I also said in my post that I thought it would be great to include siblings in the womb song process! :) I wish I would have thought of that when we had our 2nd son. What a great opportunity for sibling interaction prior to birth!!
I think bonding is important in this stage. When I was pregnant with my first, my stepson chose a song and would sing it to the baby every night. It was an important part of our routine and my son felt like he was participating in the pregnancy because it was his special time with the baby. Having a song that belongs to the parents or siblings for the baby is so special, both prenatally and after birth for bonding.
Additionally, we know that practice makes progress (no one is perfect!). And practicing relaxation in a non-stressful situation readies your body and mind for remaining relaxed in a difficult situation. Relaxation practice during the prenatal period is imperative in order to get ready for the journey of labor and birth.
I think music is a strong component in strengthening cohesiveness between the couple and can help center their focus on the womb. I also think this would be a beautiful component for couples who have experienced miscarriages, still births, or other loss that had led to this child that is developing. Using music to set a calm and meditative environment could reduce the stress and worry those parents could be feeling.
My sister, who I have spoken about before, had her son four weeks early due to no amniotic fluid. Her son also has Down syndrome, and the stress and grief she felt through her pregnancy was incredibly heartbreaking. Now, she is the happiest mom and can't understand why she was ever grieving, but she understands that what she felt was part of the process to becoming a wonderful mom to a child with special needs. She used music often to help calm herself and center her mind around her developing son. This situation is more common than not--worrying about the pregnancy and having concerns throughout the entire developing process.
I also read in other posts about having songs that incorporate the siblings as well. I think that is a great component to add, to create a bond between siblings. Music can help create a familial focus on welcoming their new child to the world. And music they have used throughout the pregnancy will have more meaning and could be used during the birth itself. Creating memories and enjoying the pregnancy experience can only increase when involving music.
I agree that music offers a potentially beautiful way for mothers and couples to address and cope with the feelings which accompany any unanticipated birth outcomes (or outcomes which are anticipated but less desired). Music also does offer a special opportunity for siblings. Since it can be potentially confusing or at least unclear for young children to understand interactions with a baby that has not yet arrived, music can offer an age-appropriate and accessible medium through which some prenatal sibling bonding can occur.
Several methods come to mind in terms of the ways in which both live and recorded music can be used by couples at various points within a pregnancy. The first way is related to the methods covered in this week's readings in which recorded music is utilized in a systematic way to practice the desired relaxation responses as training for labor and bonding throughout the pregnancy. Beyond bonding with the baby prenatally, recorded music could also be utilized to strengthen the relationship between the parents perhaps through slow dancing. Both music and dancing can influence positive neurological and hormonal responses and improve closeness and encourage feelings of strength as a couple. This strength would hopefully sustain and translate to other areas of life such as the challenges of pregnancy and labor. Live music could also be used for improving the bond of the couple through dancing as mentioned above or through singing/making music together. Making music together creates similar neurological and hormonal responses that reduce stress and encourage intimacy and strength.
Outside of increasing positive feelings for the couple, live music experiences (perhaps within a music therapy session) could also create a constructive and safe emotional outlet for the various stressful or anxious feelings that come up during pregnancy for any sort of reason. Both live and recorded music can validate difficult feelings and also eventually create a healthy coping mechanism for moving through to more positive mental and emotional states. This would be beneficial not only for the mother as her emotions can affect the growing baby, but also for the father as they may keep their feelings more quiet during a pregnancy or their feelings can impact those of the mother and baby. In general, using music in any way which decreases negative thoughts and emotions would be beneficial to the couple and ultimately the baby as well.
For families which already have children, music can be an accessible and familiar medium to children through which the changes in the family are addressed and normalized. Music can also create security in times when other aspects of family life may be uncertain or changing. Live or recorded music could become a new family ritual and involve siblings in prenatal bonding with the baby as well. Furthermore, having worked with mothers who were hospitalized for having high-risk pregnancies, music was also a special way for these mothers to create a connection back to their other children at home or other loved ones. This was important in that while it was not directly focused on strengthening the bond with the baby, it did strengthen the perception of connection to family and support for the mother. In the end this created more confidence for the mother and less anxiety over being separated from her family and ultimately benefited the baby as the mother became more relaxed and able to focus on positive feelings.
Yes I often use live musical experiences to work through fears, feelings, and emotions prior to birth or to heal a past trauma. Using music to enhance bonding and build relationship skills during pregnancy is very important too because it prepares the couple for parenting. Writing the womb song can be a powerful experience for a couple in many ways. : )
Couples can choose playing recorded music when practice relaxing and breathi ng at home, and as a kind of live music, singing or humming to baby is a good way for expectant mom to practice breathing, be relaxed, and bonding with baby.
The prenatal practice/rehearsal as a part of preparation of the delivery, is a preparation to be parents, reducing the pressure of being a new roles of parents. Some selected music are related to the couples special time when they met, falled in love, the wonderful time they live together, which evoke and reinforce the positive energy between them. This process bond the wife and the husband closely,to work through having a baby.
When my brother and his wife have their second baby, their daughter is six years old. One day when they three get together chatting with the baby inside, the dauhgter sing a melody spontaneously when she stroke mom bulged belly. Mom surprised that the melody was a lullaby she sing to her daughter when she was very little. It seems that the lullaby was not the bond bettween mom and daughter, but the bond bettween the daughter with the new baby now.
I think it is neat to see what a unifying force music is in birth. Music is able to benefit, mother, partner, and baby simultaneously. Couples can use live music prenatally as a way to bond with their baby. In the Sound Birthing Manuel it describes how parents who bond during the prenatal period have already begun to establish a relationship with their child that with be further fostered after birth. Live music can be an activity that unifies the parents and preparing them for parenthood.
As for benefits for the baby, the baby begins to learn the voices of its parents. Not only is the baby learning to recognize voices he or she is also laying the ground work for learning the language he or she will one day speak. Live music or singing to your baby helps foster a sense of calm and relaxation. More calm leads to less stress and less stress leads to better health for both mother and baby.
Further music can be used prenatally to prepare both parents for the actual labor and deliver portion of pregnancy. Listening to music prior to birth allows for the mother to associate the music with a relaxed state and this will aid her during the birthing process. During prelabor music can be used to distract the restless and discomforted mother. I think it was an important point to note in all the readings that it is the repetition and commitment to participation that actually makes all these benefits truly possible. Without the practice and repetition the benefits will not be as great.
Live music can be used many ways prenatally, however I will only talk about a few. One way it can be used is as a bonding experience between the parents. The act of making music together is extremely personal and exposing. When individuals are willing to take that risk of opening up so fully in the music, it allows them opportunities to explore each other in a different way and encourage that relationship. Live music is also a great way for parents to bond with their baby. While they may bond making music together, they can also bond with their baby in the process. By singing their chosen lullaby or womb song to the baby every night, not only are the parents attaching themselves to the little one still growing, but the baby is learning the sounds of the parents’ voices. This also helps the baby learn to be soothed by those voices, which will greatly enhance the baby’s ability to be soothed once he or she is born. Finally, singing live music to your baby is extremely important for his or her developmental needs. It allows the baby to practice listening and to prepare the brain to integrate and eventually produce language sounds in the native tongue.
Recorded music can also be a great tool to use during pregnancy. Relaxation to music has been shown in many areas to help reduce heart rate and blood pressure which provides many health benefits for both mom and baby. When relaxing to music is used on a daily basis, it helps your body develop a routine, so when you hear that music, it begins to trigger relaxation responses within the body. This is extremely helpful when labor begins and it becomes much more difficult to get yourself to “just relax.”
I love going to a live concert. Nothing like it. Listening to the music naturally vibrate around you at the same time you feel your baby move inside you. It is a bonding moment. I think when the opportunity are available for the couple to spend quality time together bonding and listening it will be one they remember and often comment. For me, my husband and I went to many concerts while pregnant with my first child. We both were able to feel Jeff move and groove to the music. We still talk about those times. I also think the nightly practice sessions of recorded music has a definte place. Your body natural begins to calm, relax and and settle. Having that familiar music each night your body seems to go into auto pilot, knowing what is coming next. Preparing your body for rhythms, and taking your mind away from thinking and you begin to focus on the birthing process. The music once gain becomes another soul in the room, assisting and guiding the body.
I always love to hear what couples share when I asked them about their relationship and music! I've had couples that play in groups together, couples that remember car rides, etc. I feel like I get a special glimpse into their life when I tell them to tell me songs that are important to their relationship.
Many of the couples I work with say their most cherished time prenatally was singing to the baby the Womb Song they created. Also Many couples say that the Nightly Practice Sessions bring them much closer together as a couple and helps them prepare for the birth rituals that develop natural during the flow of labor. :) MD
Hello all! The biggest component I took from using music prenatally was it's power to assist both partner bonding and bonding with the infant. Music has the power to connect people, which is one of the many things that makes music therapy so special. The manual talks about how a relationship is built while the baby is still in utero, and how that relationship can serve as a foundation once the baby is born.
Couples can work together and share the experience of writing a birthing song to sing to their baby which can serve as a contribution that connects all three beings. Music also allows for couples to spend time together and with their baby relaxing and meditating-something that may not be a top priority but is quite valuable. They have the chance to step away from chaos around them and focus on that specific moment, which may end up being an imprinted memory they will hold on to.
Yes! Music has the ability to connect us in many ways. I think *sometimes* couples think I am nuts as I walk them through the steps of the practice sessions, but in the end they always value that time spent together as a couple with their baby.
I think as has already been said, that sharing music together pre-natally would be extremely beneficial for not only bonding together with the baby, but also as a means to gain confidence in the use of music. Using these positive experiences would help to empower not only the mother, but the father also, by enabling him to support the mother during the birthing experience and immediate post-partum period. As we know, because music has a physiological effect due to our emotional response to it, sharing these musical experiences prenatally means that a positive association during labour is going to be more automatic and easier to achieve. We also know from the research that live music has a greater impact than recorded music, so exposure to live music before labour should then theoretically create a stronger emotional response to be remembered during labour - even if it is then used in a recorded format. I also imagine that the shared experience of creating a womb song as a couple, would not only enhance bonding, but also give them the opportunity to perhaps work through any positive or negative emotions that may be associated with birth - some of which may otherwise have gone unknown. I always think there is a lot of expectation on women to feel nothing but joy and excitement about giving birth, but there are so many other emotions associated with such a life changing event, that there needs to space and permission given to explore those as well. I think writing a womb song would at least open the window for exploration for some of these feelings as well, in the safe, productive and nurturing structure of song.
Womb songs are a wonderful way of expressing love and connecting. And yes prenatal practice with the recorded music is very important because it is what will be used during the active and transition phases of labor. :)
Confidence in the delivery room (whether that is a hospital room, living room, or birthing center) is such an important component to making women feel safe- and we know that feeling safe leads to better birth outcomes.
Music creates space for parents to bond with not only the baby but each other. Often both partners are busy with work and taking care of the household. Having a time to make, listen to, and discuss music creates an opportunity for them to bond.
Collaborative music making also inspires confidence in the couple's ability to create something together. This is not unlike the confidence required when thinking about raising a child together or going through the birthing process with someone. Live music is preferred because it's reflexive. Properties like lyrics, harmony, timbre, and rhythm can be manipulated to express emotions and thoughts that may not be addressed in day to day life. Like Rebecca mentioned in a previous post, not all the emotions associated with this process are pure joy and the music making experience may provide an outlet for less comfortable and more taboo emotions.
Receptive listening and recorded music can be great to introduce a partner who is less confident in their musical abilities to more active music making. This may be the most appropriate way to involve a partner who was hesitant about music therapy or who has negative cognitions about their musicianship but still wants to incorporate the music.
Well said! I find parents are really hesitant about singing to baby. Always remind families that baby loves their voice best! They don't have voices to compare it to anyway ;-)
Great observations Zoe. What is unique about the birth experience is that Labor usually lasts from 12-24 or more hours. So the use of recorded music during labor is necessary. Also at MTs in during labor in MTACB we are much less "active" in the process and more "present" in the music with client, baby, and partner. :) MD
I see music as a bridge that allows the body a way to speak when the mind can’t find the words. Prenatally, music can be used to connect mother and baby, husband and wife, father and baby, and even mother to herself.
Singing not only aids in connection and relaxation for the parents, but also aids in development and helps the baby to learn their parents voice and speech sounds.
Music, both live and recorded, can help to support the process of becoming a mother. Since I am not a mother, that is something I hadn’t thought of until reading it in the manual. Music can be the constant for the mother throughout her pregnancy by providing her support prenatally, during labor, and when bonding after birth.
Writing womb songs can be a powerful outlet for both parents. Music provides a relatively equal opportunity for the father to feel that connection. He can write his own song and sing it to his child, help aid in soothing the baby, and allows the baby to start learning his voice as well.
I liked the term “sound blanket” when going back through the manual. The term is under the seven foundational processes of music during labor and birth, however, I think the process can start prior to labor. While the mother is home listening to the playlists, or writing and singing womb songs, she can also be practicing blocking extraneous sounds by focusing on the music. Being able to successfully do this prior to labor can (in theory) make blocking out sounds less challenging with the added physical stress of child birth. Music will fill the space regardless, but with the practice, she may have recognized a component of the music that she can really grab on to.
Yes Jill a sound blanket is a wonderful tool that we can use in pregnancy as well. This course is about birth specifically but we also use it in our Prenatal Music Bonding course and Creative Arts birthing. A sound blanket can be nurturing and helpful in reducing stress in everyone at anytime, but especially during pre and peri natal stages of life.
Using both live and recorded music prenatally allows opportunity for the parents to bond with the baby and create routine in interactions with the baby.
In terms of using live music, singing can greatly benefit the mother and baby. Writing and using a womb song, again creates opportunity for bonding and establishing a relationship with the baby. Singing supports brain development of the baby, and allows the baby to learn the mother's voice, as well as native speech patterns/sounds. As the mother and father sing to the baby, the baby then is also learning the melody of the song. Following birth, the familiarity of music can calm the baby.
Preparing for birth and becoming parents can be a stressful time of one's life -- on top of every day routines at home and work, partners are often then putting together rooms, making sure they have everything they need, and doctors appointments. The stress a mother-to-be is feeling also directly effects the baby. Singing can allow the mother to relax and create calmness as she connects to the baby.
Using the nightly practice sessions can also support and prepares the couple for birth. As the couple practices movement, massage, deep breathing, and relaxation with music that will be used during labor, ideally the mother's body would develop an autogenic response. The autogenic relaxation response would then support the mother during labor as she tunes in to her instincts.
I really like your statement about the autogenic relaxation response supporting the mother during labor as she tunes into her instincts. I think that one of the most important reasons that music is conducive to prenatal preparation is that music is inherently human. It is instinctual to use music to relax or to calm yourself or your child.
Because of the intrinsic nature of music, using a live ritualistic practice will help for family to bond. Research shows that choral singing can align heart rates due to the rhythmic breathing structures. This is applied in the prenatal situation to prepare the parents for the child, but also to create mediative state for the child. A mother's blood pressure directly affects the child and providing structured time to bond, to familiarize the baby with parental voices of safety, and allow the develop of speech patterns can enhance the the experience and provide safety for both mom and baby.
Yes and we can do this with live music and recorded music. Parents can also sing and vocalize with the recorded music if they do not have access to live music (other than singing acapela).
Couples can use live music to reduce stress, increase bonding/sense of family, express themselves creatively, and as a conscious way to prepare themselves for a future as parents. They can use recorded music to support their voices if they would like to sing, and with the help of the "Nightly Practice Sessions" playlist, they can use recorded music to create order, structure, and organization that can lead to relaxation and bonding for the couple as well as the baby.
The womb song seems to provide a very concrete example of how parents can use live music prenatally without much music experience. And couples who write and sing their womb song together are using live music to great effect. This song is an opportunity for the baby to learn the speech sounds of their family's native language(s), the voices of their mother, father, or other caregivers, and when paired with the relaxation of mom often enough, will provide a cue for calming after birth.
Couples benefit from bonding, but I would also think that they benefit from feeling like they have something "to do" for/with their baby. Other "nesting" type tasks to prepare for the baby (preparing the home so baby has a place to sleep, clothing, etc) only benefit the baby after birth. Fetuses can hear pretty well in the third trimester, so talking and singing to the baby is the one thing a couple can do to start "parenting" their baby before birth. I really like the way music can provide continuity and acknowledge that these couples are already parenting their child in utero.
https://www.scienceandsensibility.org/blog/parents-singing-to-fetus-and-newborn-enhances-their-well-being,-parent-infant-attachment,-&-soothability-part-one found this little gem written by Penny Simkin, and it has a nice anecdote at the end that illustrates a father knowing his child's song, and providing it at birth. That is a huge reminder that couples who are consciously using music prenatally are parenting through music modeling already and are ready to use music to help their child at birth as well.
Music can be used in several ways both prenatally and post-natally. We know from scientific studies that babies can hear and perceive sounds from inside the womb, and being exposed to music stimulates and helps facilitate brain development.
When music is used as a common practice by the mother during pregnancy, the health benefits to her and the baby will be apparent. She may experience lower blood pressure and decreased stress, thus leading to decreased stress on the baby as well. Keeping up a regular practice of singing may assist the mother with cardiovascular health and endurance needed for labor.
Writing a womb song together with the partner may provide a creative way for the parents to bond and brainstorm important things and ideas they would like their child to be exposed to shortly after birth.
The womb song may also serve as a way to remember this time in their lives, what the parents were thinking, and the child himself may enjoy looking back and reading it through once they are old enough, almost as a family relic.
The Nightly Practice Sessions are an integral part of the Sound Birthing Music Therapy process. This includes the womb song, bonding with the baby and practicing the relaxation techniques with the Sound Birthing music each night. Couples who practice the techniques regularly during pregnancy report shorter labors and more satisfaction with the birth experience even when it doesn't go according to plan. The Nightly Practice Sessions are essential for bio-psycho-social preparation for birth. :)
Couples may use music to meet a variety of goals and needs during pregnancy. For example, an anxious mama may benefit from music assisted relaxation with a music therapist and instructions on using it herself. A couple may enjoy introducing their baby to their favorite music (at an appropriate volume of course!) as a family bonding activity. Older siblings also may enjoy interaction with baby through nursery rhymes and songs.
Writing and singing a womb song are also beneficial activities! Singing helps baby learn the voices of people who love him, stimulates him, and can convey feelings of love and wantedness. Parents also benefit from the routine and serenity that come with singing to baby. Singing may also decrease stress hormones in mom's (and baby's) body.
Recorded music is a great benefit for couples because it allows them to make their own choices, discuss why they chose that recording, share memories associated with those recordings, and most importantly, share it with their incoming child.
The benefits of live music is that it is so much more personal and intimate. It allows the couple to really bond with their unborn baby and grow closer together in this new exciting adventure. The couple sharing live music will also be able to share and introduce their voices to their baby.
As stated in the readings, singing and speaking to the baby in the womb stimulates brain development for the infant as well as increase relaxation and decrease stress and anxiety for the mother. This is extremely important because as learned in week 1, stress can complicate the labor/pregnancy process.
What so wonderful about music is that it is so flexible. We can flow from live music to recorded music, chant, vocalizations to composed songs, even just humming to communicating love to baby. It's all good and can be personalized for each family's experience. :)
Live music can be beneficial in so many ways for couples during pregnancy. To begin with, live music events can be a wonderful way to reconnect and celebrate the growing life they created. More specifically, I really love the concept of nightly practice sessions using the womb song and/or other lullabies. Singing as a couple or as a family to the baby is a wonderful way for the entire family to bond with each other. It also provides and opportunity for concrete interaction with the baby for older siblings who may not understand the abstract thought of an impending addition to the family. Singing to the baby in utero provides developmental opportunities for the baby, relaxation and bonding opportunities for the parents, and assists in birth and parenting preparation.
Throughout this assignment I have been reminded of a story I heard about African Himba Tribe's birth song. (https://theperfectbirth.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/the-himba-namibia-the-birth-song/) For this tribe, their version of a womb song begins with the thought of the child. It is used to invite the child to their family and follows their child throughout their life. It becomes a part of the child. Their song defines who they are and where they come from.
Thank you for sharing the story of the Himba birth song--that is really beautiful! I also love the idea of including older siblings in singing the womb song. Joining their parents in song does seem like it would help make the idea of a new baby more concrete, and ease the process of adjusting to/bonding with a new sibling.
I love the idea of using live music for parents and babies during pregnancy. There are so many possibilities and opportunities for exploration, bonding and celebration. Live music can be so impactful and personal for a music therapist can use. Music therapists can create an atmosphere between couples that may not be achieved through recorded music.
I had never thought of writing a womb song before but it's concept that makes total sense to me. It reminds me of a articles I've read about music therapy and NICU babies. Womb songs are a total precursor to situations like that. Imagine if a NICU baby had a womb song that had been sung everyday throughout pregnancy. That baby could experience that song during their stay in the NICU and draw so much comfort and familiarity from it in a scary, unfamiliar place. Not only do songs like this and other live music provide comfort for the baby, it can connect a woman and her birthing partner as well and provide them with comfort.
Further, that song can become a permanent part of that family's life, consistently serving as a source of comfort and warmth.
Yes every baby needs a womb song!!! And yes it would definitely make the NICU more bearable and less scary for this little babies. And parents continue to sing these womb songs for years to come. And each child in the family has a uniques womb song. I have even worked with grandparents to write welcome songs for the grandchildren after birth. It can be an intergenerational experience and include the extended family too. It takes a village.... and how wonderful that the new baby is surrounded by such love. :)
Music seems inherently connected to nurturing and caregiving. Singing to babies and young children feels like an instinctual way to communicate love, safety, and warmth. I have known several women who felt a natural desire to sing to their babies during pregnancy, even if they had been uncomfortable with their voices beforehand. I love the idea of using the womb song to create a ritual grounded in this natural urge to sing and nurture.
Involving the mother's partner and other family members in singing to the baby can strengthen bonds among all family members. The baby gets to know the voices of his/her parents (and siblings, potentially), and the family gets to connect with the new baby in an intentional way before birth. Using the womb song after birth can help the baby adjust to the environment outside of the womb and reinforce his/her connection with parents and siblings, creating a sense of continuity and easing the transition for the whole family.
Singing is natural and instinctual. We need to support our clients so they comfortable to sing to their babies anytime. Baby loves the sound of the mother's voice!
Incorporating music during prenatal has many benefits. Music can encourage couples to spend time together by focusing their energy into welcoming their baby and to understand each other’s needs, in particular the mother’s needs. As per the Sound Birthing Manual, couples can be encouraged to spend time together by listening, talking, and practicing relaxation techniques with the nightly session playlist created. Familiarizing them with music played during labor and birth also allows the baby to be part of the process. Each song can facilitate couples to explore different relaxation techniques as the mother begins to understand her body better in terms of how she can release tension. She also has the opportunity to know what works for her as her partner understands how to be supportive. Together, they develop a labor management strategy. On page 135 in the Birth Book, the author quotes “fear upsets the balance of birth hormones,…resulting in increased pain and length of labor.” A common feeling many mothers may experience is fear. Fear has a tendency to overtake a body, thus preventing anyone from moving forward comfortably. Thus, incorporating live or recorded music during prenatal is crucial and beneficial to prepare the body and mind as much as possible in terms of relaxation. Understanding how one’s body functions can provide a sense of control and empowerment for the mother, and even the father.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, singing is a great way to decrease stress as it provides an opportunity for mothers and fathers to be grounded. Vibrations are transmitted throughout the body, which enhances sensations while providing an emotional landscape. I agree with the bullet points listed in the Sound Birthing Manual under “benefits of singing to your baby in utero.” The overall experience not only provides bonding experience, but an opportunity for couples to use music as a routine structure in their possible chaotic schedule. Music enforces them to take a moment to think about themselves, while taking a moment to breathe and embrace each other’s presence. What a great opportunity to begin bonding with their baby together as a couple in order to continue building their relationship after birth.
Ultimately, spending time together allows couples to discuss and recognize their possible common goal of wanting a safe delivery, along with continuing to develop their relationship as a family.
Hi Angel,
DeleteI completely agree with your diagnosis of singing and the vibrations through the body. During my internship, my supervisor was big into toning while putting our foreheads together and it is totally true that the vibrations connect and bring out a sense of awareness like nothing I have ever felt before. I wonder if this 'toning' could be beneficial during the prenatal period or even the deliver? What are your thoughts?
Yes Angel and Kristin- toning is amazing during prenatal and labor. We will be doing this at the experiential. The whole body vibrates when you are toning- it is very cool. :) It is also very affirming when we tone with the mother in labor.
DeleteI believe that toning is beneficial and really allows anyone to embody themselves. Just from my own personal experience of toning, it allows me to listen to my body and experience how sound/vibrations are traveling throughout my body. I can only imagine what toning can provide for a pregnant mother and how using one's voice can provide an opportunity to really breathe down, focus, and release excess energy.
DeleteI am very interested in the toning as well. I know that just making sounds, such as humming or moaning, can help focus their energy and help work through a contraction. And doing it with the mother can help with keeping them in control and focused.
DeleteI remember years ago when I was working at a nursing home - there were events planned for staff. I remember at the end of one of the events - we did some toning. That was the first experience I had ever had with toning - and it was simply amazing!! The vibration and feeling throughout my body was indescribable! I agree with Mary - it is very cool!!
DeleteHi Everyone,
ReplyDeleteThis week was particularly interesting to me as I have always been fascinated by parental and infant bonding. I feel this is a period of the labor and delivery process that many parents miss out on. I think using a womb song that is specifically written for the new child is a wonderful way to bond with the infant prior to delivery and as this child enters the world.
As for music during the prenatal period, I see bonding and relaxation as 2 main components where music can facilitate more so than any other method. As our readings suggest, bonding is extremely important between the parents and the parents and the infant. The music can facilitate a safe space to talk or sing to the infant while in the womb for both parents. This could also be an opportunity for the father/non-pregnant partner to bond with the developing baby through song and singing/speaking. Parents can use music in the form of music listening and gentle tummy rubbing, humming, singing lullabies and their originally recorded womb song.
To facilitate bonding between the parents the music can create a space where the parents can listen to music while slow dancing or moving rhythmically together to enhance their entrainment and connection. Parents can also participate in sing to the baby together, work together to write lyrics for their womb song, massage and gentle touch.
With regards to relaxation the music provides an auditory structure to train the body to relax with an auditory cue. I personally feel this is a genius use of music for auditory cueing with relaxation. Music can be used while receiving a gentle massage, meditation, or sleep. Using music nightly, according to the Sound Birthing Manual, will help the mother to become familiar with the music and help prepare her for the birth. This relaxation, guided/facilitated by the music practice will aid in relaxation for both the mother and partner. It has the potential to encourage relaxation for both physical and emotional tension that the mother is caring during her pregnancy as she nears labor and delivery.
I look forward to reading the rest of your responded for this week.
Kristin
I like the option of using music for bonding specifically to slow dance prior to birth, as a way to "enhance their entrainment and connection". This offers a wonderful direction for partners who feel they have run out of options for connecting together. It will also help them move together when they most need to during labor.
DeleteI agree with your concisely written comment to use music for relaxation as "an auditory structure to train the body to relax with an auditory cue." I couldn't have said it better.
I also enjoyed the reading about the nightly music sessions, and as I'm going through this course, am working to incorporate as much into my pregnancy as possible. Today I told my husband about the 30-45 minutes a night we could be doing, which I knew would be a stretch for us to accomplish. His response was, "well, in the least you could do that." I'm curious what all your thoughts are on how a music therapist can educate and encourage the client's husband of the benefits of his participation in the nightly relaxation exercises to the music. I'm coming up against challenges within myself, wanting to take in everything as a professional as well as wanting to apply it directly to my own life. I don't know how effective it will be to "educate and encourage" my own husband as it would be for someone else to tell him the benefits.
Yes the Nightly Practice sessions are amazing. It is very important for the clients to take the time to do them. Women who do the Nightly Practice Sessions have shorter labors and feel more empowered by the experience. These mothers are better equipped psychologically, emotionally and physically to meet their new babies at birth.
DeleteAs for the length of time the Nightly Practice sessions take.... it is a small investment for immense benefits- it gives you uninterrupted quality time with your partner each night.... something which will be in high demand when the baby arrives. Mom is more relaxed and this is good for baby. Research shows shown that high levels of stress hormones can cause negative effects on brain development of babies in utero. This practice reduces stress hormones in the body and develops an autogenic relaxation response so that when the music and the comfort measures are paired in labor an even deeper relaxed state can be achieved. Also it helps the partner get to know how and practice how to help and comfort the birth mother during pregnancy and labor. The more information and practice the spouse has the more relaxed everyone will feel at the birth. Relaxation is the key to a gentle, easy, beautiful birth.
DeleteWow, I just think that's amazing. Relaxation leads to gentle easy births and nightly sessions can lead to shorter births. It's amazing how much mothers are able to "control" through preparation and rehearsal.
DeleteThe nightly practice sessions are a time commitment. I can see how a first time mother could do this, but my thoughts have been on mothers with a child or children at home. I decided to practice and several nights I've tried to incorporate this into our bedtime routines with my 2 year old. Although I'm not the one in the bathtub or getting a massage (as the focus is on my daughter), I still find myself associating the music to relaxing experiences.
The natural sleep inducement tracks are amazing. My 2 year old took a nap while our roof was being replaced. I sat in her room while reading our homework for this class and found myself SO relaxed (while our roof sounded like it was falling in on us). ha.
I just thought it was neat that I could still experience the benefits while taking care of my 2 year old in the evenings, or even breaking up the activities as I had time for them.
Great-glad the music is working for you. :)
DeleteI think the nightly practice session also provides a feeling of inclusion for the husband. There are so many things about pregnancy that they don't experience that as I mentioned in my post can bring a feeling of disconnect. (In some ways - aren't they lucky!) The practice session provides the opportunity for dad to bond with baby as well as building a stronger connection between the couple (which is so important during labor!).
DeleteThe manual lists benefits of singing, listening to music, and speaking to the baby prenatally. Just this morning, as I was getting out of bed (my husband had already left for work), I remembered reading about babies hearing the mother’s voice and becoming acquainted even with the daily activities of her life, as a way to learn and recognize her voice. One of the benefits listed was that the baby begins to learn the intonation and sounds of the native language. I’m a Finnish American, and my husband speaks minimal Finnish so far, but we want our children to speak Finnish. I began to speak in English but then remembered how important it was for me to speak to the baby in Finnish, so I did that for the first time, but would have felt self-conscious if I hadn’t been alone. I think the spoken voice has similar importance to a baby as a mother’s singing voice, because both provide the comfort of a familiar, close family member.
ReplyDeleteMusic and singing provide an important opportunity for the bonding of the mother, father, and baby together prenatally. The nightly practice sessions offer families a flexible but specific framework within which to bond before they’ve met the child. Just as I earlier said I would have felt self-conscious speaking or singing to the baby with others around, I think offering bonding through music within this framework helps adults feel more comfortable together, thus making them ready for the actual birth. It makes sense to practice relaxation before birth, just as it is wise to practice a piece before performing on stage, practice timing oneself before running a track meet, or practice engaging in self care strategies such as journaling or listening to music when stressed out. It’s unlikely to happen at all when the real deal occurs if it hasn’t been practiced.
I love that Sears brought up music therapists very briefly on p. 147! They talk about how listening to music relieves pain and that rhythm of music may affect the body’s rhythm by “stimulating release of those feel-good hormones-endorphins. It may also give the body a cue to do some rhythmic moving.” Listening to rhythmic music makes me want to move-how much more natural it is when encouraging laboring clients to shift positions when the music communicates directly with their bring. As far as the endorphins go, having clients listen to music prenatally can still have the same effect, lessening stress and giving them a better experience in pregnancy, which will in turn better prepare them for the rigors of birth.
There hasn’t been much said in the readings yet about the use of live music by clients, but I would propose that clients who have musical abilities of any sort can be asked to make music at least weekly together as a way to bond together. It’s important to utilize the musical resources available to the family unit, because they’re more likely to engage in that which is familiar to them. Perhaps these clients will write their own womb song with little assistance from the music therapist, or might write other songs for or about the baby or others in the family. How wonderful would it be to have a musical father leading the mother in singing during labor as well.
Yes singing in early labor is good but remember we want to stay out of the cognitive thinking brain because that inhibits labor. We want to be in the music vocalizing or toning rather than singing for optimal support. I have worked with many musical couples over the last 20 years and the most effective use of live music has been during prenatal and post partum times not during labor. This will all make sense when we do the experientials together in a few weeks. Looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading everyone’s comment and most of the things I want to comment about this week’s blog have been well said by all of you. I agreed with what Kristin and Anna said about using music for bonding with your partner and music offers a direction for partners who feel they have run out of options for connecting together. Very true, when you have run out of words and when words can’t say it all, music is a good media to help the father/partner to convey the message of support to the. And I also agreed on how important it is, besides connecting with your baby, to also connect with your partner so as to develop a labor management strategy, to come into an agreement on those strategies, to practice on and to familiarize with them.
ReplyDeleteIn my own opinion, the father or your supporting partner plays a very important role as well. I bet he/she will be a close person to you who makes you feel safe and comforts you just by his/her presence. Through the use of music in form of singing, listening, slow dancing, massaging etc. can enhance the father/partner’s familiarity and to build more confidence on helping the mother’s labor. I cannot imagine a labor without my husband to be there to support me. During the prenatal period, a mother has a lot to prepare to welcome her new baby and that could exhaust a mom physically and mentally. The Nightly Practice could be a good opportunity to relax; to let your body and mind to have “a moment of silence” for 30-45 minutes with your partner. I think when our brains notice a change in our physical state (relaxed muscles); our emotions begin to change accordingly as well. This can reduce stress hormones which can cause negative effect of your baby’s brain development in the utero.
On the other hand, writing a womb song sounded like it’s the mother’s job but I think writing the womb song together with your partner can optimize the bonding between the mother, the father/partner and the baby. The relationship between these three people should be well connected. Through the writing process and singing to the baby, the mother and father/partner can explore their feelings towards and bond with the baby more closely.
I strongly believe they should write it together. This is a way for the partner to be more involved. This is the person who will, lets face it, feel pretty helpless at times during labor when the person they love is in pain. They can write their own verse, or as my comment below says, siblings can write a verse too. But I have had a beautiful experience watching a couple write the lyrics together, and figure out how to make the other understand what they were saying. This is very important to practice since during labor, understanding what the other one needs is a big factor.
DeleteLive music can be used by both parents during the prenatal period no matter what the musical background of the individuals are. Toning, singing and humming are generally "available" to anyone. If the parents have a background in music they may also choose to make music together in other ways such as playing instruments. They could attend live music events together. Any of these activities would be a source for connecting and bonding with one another and the baby. The simple act of participating in live music together requires that the father and mother are present and interacting with one another and with the baby. Assuming that participation in live music experiences would be ongoing, such experiences may provide a familiar anchor for baby and the parents after the baby is born. Participation in live music would be beneficial as a stress reducer, external point of focus and would have physiological benefits beyond that of recorded music; however use of any music prior to and after the baby is born would be beneficial to baby and parents. By practicing music as a family, both live and recorded, prior to baby's birth the family is creating a safe and loving environment. It will be familiar to baby and comfortable and natural for the parents to use after baby is born since they practiced it prior to babies birth. They will be able to use what they practiced as an anchor when they need to reconnect, find equilibrium or calm after baby.
ReplyDeleteTerri, I love what you said about new parents using their practice of being together in music after the birth of the baby as a way to reconnect and find calm. This can be so important for new parents! It can be so all consuming to be a new parent and having a way to reconnect with your partner is a healthy and necessary part of feeling supported during such a huge life transition!
DeleteYes a need for calm and equilibrium is so important. It can be hard to achieve when there is little sleep and much excitement in caring for a new little one. Using music to help focus and reconnect is very important for couples because if the parents are connected they can more easily parent and help each other.
DeleteMuch of what I would comment here has already been said: music can be used prenatally to connect to each other, reduce stress, connect to baby, and rehearse for labor and delivery. I feel it is so important for partners and mothers to take the time to connect to one another and to their baby during the nightly practice session and I love that it's laid out in a step by step guide that will be easy to follow. In this way parents are encouraged to take time out of their day to connect with their baby, with each other, and with themselves, and consider the ways in which their lives are about to change. This may help to prepare parents physically and emotionally for the journey ahead.
ReplyDeleteI think others touched on the benefits of practice before a big event. Using recorded music to encourage relaxation may give mothers an auditory cue that could be beneficial in helping her relax during labor. This unconscious response could be essential in helping her focus on things like breathing, her partner, her baby, and the task at hand instead of being overwhelmed or stressed.
I also see the benefits of using live music prenatally, especially as it pertains to bonding with baby. I wonder if a mother who was shy to sing a song to her baby might respond to a live call and response facilitated by the music therapist about loving her baby and being excited to meet them. This type of musical play could also easily encourage the partner to join in music and give parents a space to sing that is lower pressure than having to 'perform' a song by themselves. This might be a good place to start if clients are shy about singing and could encourage mom and partner to sing to baby during the day so that baby can hear and be calmed by their voices.
Yes practicing with the music is so important and also helping the couple to find the comfort level in singing. : )
ReplyDelete(I apparently had too much to say - so I have to break it up into separate posts!)
ReplyDeletePregnancy brings a multitude of emotions for a mom and her partner. Excitement, uncertainty, joy, fear ... just to name a few. Some of these emotions along with the various changes that occur during pregnancy can lead to feelings of stress (especially in first time moms). Her partner notices her stress, but isn't sure how to help her. Mom may feel alone and that her partner doesn't understand what she's going through. Her partner may feel a sense of disconnect during the pregnancy. (I had a discussion with my husband about this to see if this was an accurate assessment and he made the statement "There's a bond between a mom and the baby that a man doesn't get to experience.") It's important for mom to know that her partner is there for strength and support. It's equally important for the partner to know that their support and role in the pregnancy and birth process is vital. Music can be used prenatally to aid in relaxation to reduce feelings of stress and to support the emotional and physical connection between a couple. Using the music to: dance together, hold one another, offer physical touch (like practicing techniques that can be used during labor such as the physical support positions mentioned in the Sears book or massage techniques) and express shared feelings about their baby to create a womb song. (Just an aside - I think this would also be great for a couple who already has children to include them in this process to create their own womb song to interact/connect with and welcome their new sibling!) The Nighly Practice playlist provides an opportunity for relaxation (which helps reduce stress) and to connect physically while practicing labor techniques. The Sound Birthing manual states how important it is to practice with the music and techniques to create familiarity and enhance preparation for the birth experience. Feeling prepared can help reduce the stress and anxiety about the coming labor experience. Toning provides a grounded feeling that aids in relaxation. This could be practiced together so that the partner can assist mom in toning during labor. Because the baby is affected by what mom experiences, it is important for mom to stay as stress-free as possible during the pregnancy as well as labor. The various ways to strengthen the emotional and physical connection between a couple prenatally using music are important because this connection is part of the support that is essential during labor. A woman is strong, but she is stronger with the support of those who surround her. I feel using the music following birth can also be beneficial to help remind the couple of their connection and that they are a team.
It is encouraged to interact with baby prenatally and has been shown that babies in the womb will respond to familiar voices and sounds. Talking and singing to baby can help create an early bond with the baby in utero that is essential for the baby and the parents. Singing their womb song gives both parents a heartfelt, personal way to interact with their baby. Bonding prenatally/postnatally through the use of music can help ease the fear and anxiety about the transition from baby being inside to outside of the womb. (As a parent, I feel there is a period of mental and physical transition. From "How do I care for this new little person?" for first time parents to "How do I care for this new little person is addition to my other child(ren)?" for experienced parents.) The use of music prenatally also provides familiarity following birth. The baby will recognize music that was being played while in the womb which can help calm and relax baby. A calm, relaxed baby makes for a calm, relaxed mom & dad! (I think this is important for first time parents who are learning about life with a newborn and being a parent while feeling sleep deprived!)
ReplyDeleteHaving personally dealt with infertility, I think the use of music prenatally could be helpful for couples who have experienced infertility or loss. These experiences could potentially inhibit the interacting and bonding with baby during pregnancy (and sometimes following baby's arrival) and music could be used to support and encourage this process.
The use of live music is beneficial because the musical elements (tempo, dynamics, etc) can be manipulated unlike recorded music. It also brings a different aesthetic sound. The ability to sing, hum or use toning is readily available where recorded music may not be (though that has become easier now thanks to technology).
Yes the flexibility of live music is so important and it also encourages active music making which encourages self expression.
DeleteCouples could use live music while singing with each other or while singing womb songs to their baby. Although most couples probably don't sing to each other or in front of each other often (or at all), I think it could be a wonderful opportunity to experience something new and vulnerable preparing for labor and delivery. The process of giving birth requires both parents to function outside of their normal comfort zones and the use of live music (with singing) prenatally could be a wonderful opportunity for them to feel connected in this new vulnerable place.
ReplyDeleteThe encouragement of a mother using her voice and feeling comfortable to sing only puts needed value on her role and unique voice to this new baby. Incredible that this baby is being wired by everything about her (her voice, her diet, her emotions). I was just watching "what babies learn before they're born" Ted Talk. I never knew that babies even cry using the accent of their mothers language (french babies using an up accent and german babies using a down accent at the end of their cry). Just amazing.
Singing requires us to control our bodies, breath, becoming present in the moment, slow down, place value on our role and contribution of a process, make time for one another, work together, connect, and relax. All important elements while preparing for birth.
That is extremely interesting about the baby's cry and accent of mother's language!! I'm going to have to watch that some time.
DeleteI agree about trying something that is new & vulnerable. Giving birth is definitely a very vulnerable feeling.
That is fascinating! Working together before birth helps couple prepare for anything that may come their way during the process.
ReplyDeleteCouples can sing together and dance to the songs that they fell in love with, to bond with each other and so that the baby can hear their voices. But the best thing they can do is write a song together for the baby and about the baby. It can be words of encouragement and strength, words of what they wish for their child and what they hope will comfort the child. These things can also have the same effect on the parents as they are singing them. Having a song that is "just the baby's song" makes it special, so when they sing it to the baby, that is forcing them to focus on the baby...which in turn, blocks out other things that may be bothering them and helps them to relax.
ReplyDeleteIf the baby's name is already decided, then put it in the song. I have seen on 2 different occasions how special it is to hear a song for a baby that has not been born yet. One is of a friend that, still at age 12 at 10, sings it to her daughters every night--and they both have their own special song! The other time I have experienced the joy of a womb song was with a young couple that already had a 3 year old at home. They made a beautiful song for their unborn daughter, and I suggested they let the son sing it to his baby sister to help with bonding. They loved it and so did he! The brother sang it to his little sister every day with his own verse he had made.
I also said in my post that I thought it would be great to include siblings in the womb song process! :) I wish I would have thought of that when we had our 2nd son. What a great opportunity for sibling interaction prior to birth!!
DeleteLOVE that idea.
DeleteI think bonding is important in this stage. When I was pregnant with my first, my stepson chose a song and would sing it to the baby every night. It was an important part of our routine and my son felt like he was participating in the pregnancy because it was his special time with the baby. Having a song that belongs to the parents or siblings for the baby is so special, both prenatally and after birth for bonding.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, we know that practice makes progress (no one is perfect!). And practicing relaxation in a non-stressful situation readies your body and mind for remaining relaxed in a difficult situation. Relaxation practice during the prenatal period is imperative in order to get ready for the journey of labor and birth.
I think music is a strong component in strengthening cohesiveness between the couple and can help center their focus on the womb. I also think this would be a beautiful component for couples who have experienced miscarriages, still births, or other loss that had led to this child that is developing. Using music to set a calm and meditative environment could reduce the stress and worry those parents could be feeling.
ReplyDeleteMy sister, who I have spoken about before, had her son four weeks early due to no amniotic fluid. Her son also has Down syndrome, and the stress and grief she felt through her pregnancy was incredibly heartbreaking. Now, she is the happiest mom and can't understand why she was ever grieving, but she understands that what she felt was part of the process to becoming a wonderful mom to a child with special needs. She used music often to help calm herself and center her mind around her developing son. This situation is more common than not--worrying about the pregnancy and having concerns throughout the entire developing process.
I also read in other posts about having songs that incorporate the siblings as well. I think that is a great component to add, to create a bond between siblings. Music can help create a familial focus on welcoming their new child to the world. And music they have used throughout the pregnancy will have more meaning and could be used during the birth itself. Creating memories and enjoying the pregnancy experience can only increase when involving music.
I agree that music offers a potentially beautiful way for mothers and couples to address and cope with the feelings which accompany any unanticipated birth outcomes (or outcomes which are anticipated but less desired). Music also does offer a special opportunity for siblings. Since it can be potentially confusing or at least unclear for young children to understand interactions with a baby that has not yet arrived, music can offer an age-appropriate and accessible medium through which some prenatal sibling bonding can occur.
DeleteYes I teach another course on Prenatal Music Bonding. This course just finished today but will be starting again in Spring March 23-April 4. : )MD
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSeveral methods come to mind in terms of the ways in which both live and recorded music can be used by couples at various points within a pregnancy. The first way is related to the methods covered in this week's readings in which recorded music is utilized in a systematic way to practice the desired relaxation responses as training for labor and bonding throughout the pregnancy. Beyond bonding with the baby prenatally, recorded music could also be utilized to strengthen the relationship between the parents perhaps through slow dancing. Both music and dancing can influence positive neurological and hormonal responses and improve closeness and encourage feelings of strength as a couple. This strength would hopefully sustain and translate to other areas of life such as the challenges of pregnancy and labor. Live music could also be used for improving the bond of the couple through dancing as mentioned above or through singing/making music together. Making music together creates similar neurological and hormonal responses that reduce stress and encourage intimacy and strength.
ReplyDeleteOutside of increasing positive feelings for the couple, live music experiences (perhaps within a music therapy session) could also create a constructive and safe emotional outlet for the various stressful or anxious feelings that come up during pregnancy for any sort of reason. Both live and recorded music can validate difficult feelings and also eventually create a healthy coping mechanism for moving through to more positive mental and emotional states. This would be beneficial not only for the mother as her emotions can affect the growing baby, but also for the father as they may keep their feelings more quiet during a pregnancy or their feelings can impact those of the mother and baby. In general, using music in any way which decreases negative thoughts and emotions would be beneficial to the couple and ultimately the baby as well.
For families which already have children, music can be an accessible and familiar medium to children through which the changes in the family are addressed and normalized. Music can also create security in times when other aspects of family life may be uncertain or changing. Live or recorded music could become a new family ritual and involve siblings in prenatal bonding with the baby as well. Furthermore, having worked with mothers who were hospitalized for having high-risk pregnancies, music was also a special way for these mothers to create a connection back to their other children at home or other loved ones. This was important in that while it was not directly focused on strengthening the bond with the baby, it did strengthen the perception of connection to family and support for the mother. In the end this created more confidence for the mother and less anxiety over being separated from her family and ultimately benefited the baby as the mother became more relaxed and able to focus on positive feelings.
Yes I often use live musical experiences to work through fears, feelings, and emotions prior to birth or to heal a past trauma. Using music to enhance bonding and build relationship skills during pregnancy is very important too because it prepares the couple for parenting. Writing the womb song can be a powerful experience for a couple in many ways. : )
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCouples can choose playing recorded music when practice relaxing and breathi ng at home, and as a kind of live music, singing or humming to baby is a good way for expectant mom to practice breathing, be relaxed, and bonding with baby.
ReplyDeleteThe prenatal practice/rehearsal as a part of preparation of the delivery, is a preparation to be parents, reducing the pressure of being a new roles of parents. Some selected music are related to the couples special time when they met, falled in love, the wonderful time they live together, which evoke and reinforce the positive energy between them. This process bond the wife and the husband closely,to work through having a baby.
When my brother and his wife have their second baby, their daughter is six years old. One day when they three get together chatting with the baby inside, the dauhgter sing a melody spontaneously when she stroke mom bulged belly. Mom surprised that the melody was a lullaby she sing to her daughter when she was very little. It seems that the lullaby was not the bond bettween mom and daughter, but the bond bettween the daughter with the new baby now.
That is amazing! What a great story!
DeleteI think it is neat to see what a unifying force music is in birth. Music is able to benefit, mother, partner, and baby simultaneously. Couples can use live music prenatally as a way to bond with their baby. In the Sound Birthing Manuel it describes how parents who bond during the prenatal period have already begun to establish a relationship with their child that with be further fostered after birth. Live music can be an activity that unifies the parents and preparing them for parenthood.
ReplyDeleteAs for benefits for the baby, the baby begins to learn the voices of its parents. Not only is the baby learning to recognize voices he or she is also laying the ground work for learning the language he or she will one day speak. Live music or singing to your baby helps foster a sense of calm and relaxation. More calm leads to less stress and less stress leads to better health for both mother and baby.
Further music can be used prenatally to prepare both parents for the actual labor and deliver portion of pregnancy. Listening to music prior to birth allows for the mother to associate the music with a relaxed state and this will aid her during the birthing process. During prelabor music can be used to distract the restless and discomforted mother. I think it was an important point to note in all the readings that it is the repetition and commitment to participation that actually makes all these benefits truly possible. Without the practice and repetition the benefits will not be as great.
Yes exactly Jessica!
ReplyDeleteLive music can be used many ways prenatally, however I will only talk about a few. One way it can be used is as a bonding experience between the parents. The act of making music together is extremely personal and exposing. When individuals are willing to take that risk of opening up so fully in the music, it allows them opportunities to explore each other in a different way and encourage that relationship. Live music is also a great way for parents to bond with their baby. While they may bond making music together, they can also bond with their baby in the process. By singing their chosen lullaby or womb song to the baby every night, not only are the parents attaching themselves to the little one still growing, but the baby is learning the sounds of the parents’ voices. This also helps the baby learn to be soothed by those voices, which will greatly enhance the baby’s ability to be soothed once he or she is born. Finally, singing live music to your baby is extremely important for his or her developmental needs. It allows the baby to practice listening and to prepare the brain to integrate and eventually produce language sounds in the native tongue.
ReplyDeleteRecorded music can also be a great tool to use during pregnancy. Relaxation to music has been shown in many areas to help reduce heart rate and blood pressure which provides many health benefits for both mom and baby. When relaxing to music is used on a daily basis, it helps your body develop a routine, so when you hear that music, it begins to trigger relaxation responses within the body. This is extremely helpful when labor begins and it becomes much more difficult to get yourself to “just relax.”
I love going to a live concert. Nothing like it. Listening to the music naturally vibrate around you at the same time you feel your baby move inside you. It is a bonding moment. I think when the opportunity are available for the couple to spend quality time together bonding and listening it will be one they remember and often comment. For me, my husband and I went to many concerts while pregnant with my first child. We both were able to feel Jeff move and groove to the music. We still talk about those times. I also think the nightly practice sessions of recorded music has a definte place. Your body natural begins to calm, relax and and settle. Having that familiar music each night your body seems to go into auto pilot, knowing what is coming next. Preparing your body for rhythms, and taking your mind away from thinking and you begin to focus on the birthing process. The music once gain becomes another soul in the room, assisting and guiding the body.
ReplyDeleteI always love to hear what couples share when I asked them about their relationship and music! I've had couples that play in groups together, couples that remember car rides, etc. I feel like I get a special glimpse into their life when I tell them to tell me songs that are important to their relationship.
DeleteMany of the couples I work with say their most cherished time prenatally was singing to the baby the Womb Song they created. Also Many couples say that the Nightly Practice Sessions bring them much closer together as a couple and helps them prepare for the birth rituals that develop natural during the flow of labor. :) MD
ReplyDeleteHello all! The biggest component I took from using music prenatally was it's power to assist both partner bonding and bonding with the infant. Music has the power to connect people, which is one of the many things that makes music therapy so special. The manual talks about how a relationship is built while the baby is still in utero, and how that relationship can serve as a foundation once the baby is born.
ReplyDeleteCouples can work together and share the experience of writing a birthing song to sing to their baby which can serve as a contribution that connects all three beings. Music also allows for couples to spend time together and with their baby relaxing and meditating-something that may not be a top priority but is quite valuable. They have the chance to step away from chaos around them and focus on that specific moment, which may end up being an imprinted memory they will hold on to.
Yes this is such a special time. I encourage the families to make the most of it each evening during the Nightly Practice Sessions.
DeleteYes! Music has the ability to connect us in many ways. I think *sometimes* couples think I am nuts as I walk them through the steps of the practice sessions, but in the end they always value that time spent together as a couple with their baby.
DeleteI think as has already been said, that sharing music together pre-natally would be extremely beneficial for not only bonding together with the baby, but also as a means to gain confidence in the use of music. Using these positive experiences would help to empower not only the mother, but the father also, by enabling him to support the mother during the birthing experience and immediate post-partum period. As we know, because music has a physiological effect due to our emotional response to it, sharing these musical experiences prenatally means that a positive association during labour is going to be more automatic and easier to achieve.
ReplyDeleteWe also know from the research that live music has a greater impact than recorded music, so exposure to live music before labour should then theoretically create a stronger emotional response to be remembered during labour - even if it is then used in a recorded format.
I also imagine that the shared experience of creating a womb song as a couple, would not only enhance bonding, but also give them the opportunity to perhaps work through any positive or negative emotions that may be associated with birth - some of which may otherwise have gone unknown. I always think there is a lot of expectation on women to feel nothing but joy and excitement about giving birth, but there are so many other emotions associated with such a life changing event, that there needs to space and permission given to explore those as well. I think writing a womb song would at least open the window for exploration for some of these feelings as well, in the safe, productive and nurturing structure of song.
Womb songs are a wonderful way of expressing love and connecting. And yes prenatal practice with the recorded music is very important because it is what will be used during the active and transition phases of labor. :)
DeleteConfidence in the delivery room (whether that is a hospital room, living room, or birthing center) is such an important component to making women feel safe- and we know that feeling safe leads to better birth outcomes.
DeleteMusic creates space for parents to bond with not only the baby but each other. Often both partners are busy with work and taking care of the household. Having a time to make, listen to, and discuss music creates an opportunity for them to bond.
ReplyDeleteCollaborative music making also inspires confidence in the couple's ability to create something together. This is not unlike the confidence required when thinking about raising a child together or going through the birthing process with someone. Live music is preferred because it's reflexive. Properties like lyrics, harmony, timbre, and rhythm can be manipulated to express emotions and thoughts that may not be addressed in day to day life. Like Rebecca mentioned in a previous post, not all the emotions associated with this process are pure joy and the music making experience may provide an outlet for less comfortable and more taboo emotions.
Receptive listening and recorded music can be great to introduce a partner who is less confident in their musical abilities to more active music making. This may be the most appropriate way to involve a partner who was hesitant about music therapy or who has negative cognitions about their musicianship but still wants to incorporate the music.
Well said! I find parents are really hesitant about singing to baby. Always remind families that baby loves their voice best! They don't have voices to compare it to anyway ;-)
DeleteGreat observations Zoe. What is unique about the birth experience is that Labor usually lasts from 12-24 or more hours. So the use of recorded music during labor is necessary. Also at MTs in during labor in MTACB we are much less "active" in the process and more "present" in the music with client, baby, and partner. :) MD
ReplyDeletePS- Zoe I loved you womb song! :) MD
DeleteThank you!
DeleteI see music as a bridge that allows the body a way to speak when the mind can’t find the words. Prenatally, music can be used to connect mother and baby, husband and wife, father and baby, and even mother to herself.
ReplyDeleteSinging not only aids in connection and relaxation for the parents, but also aids in development and helps the baby to learn their parents voice and speech sounds.
Music, both live and recorded, can help to support the process of becoming a mother. Since I am not a mother, that is something I hadn’t thought of until reading it in the manual. Music can be the constant for the mother throughout her pregnancy by providing her support prenatally, during labor, and when bonding after birth.
Writing womb songs can be a powerful outlet for both parents. Music provides a relatively equal opportunity for the father to feel that connection. He can write his own song and sing it to his child, help aid in soothing the baby, and allows the baby to start learning his voice as well.
I liked the term “sound blanket” when going back through the manual. The term is under the seven foundational processes of music during labor and birth, however, I think the process can start prior to labor. While the mother is home listening to the playlists, or writing and singing womb songs, she can also be practicing blocking extraneous sounds by focusing on the music. Being able to successfully do this prior to labor can (in theory) make blocking out sounds less challenging with the added physical stress of child birth. Music will fill the space regardless, but with the practice, she may have recognized a component of the music that she can really grab on to.
Yes Jill a sound blanket is a wonderful tool that we can use in pregnancy as well. This course is about birth specifically but we also use it in our Prenatal Music Bonding course and Creative Arts birthing. A sound blanket can be nurturing and helpful in reducing stress in everyone at anytime, but especially during pre and peri natal stages of life.
DeleteUsing both live and recorded music prenatally allows opportunity for the parents to bond with the baby and create routine in interactions with the baby.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of using live music, singing can greatly benefit the mother and baby. Writing and using a womb song, again creates opportunity for bonding and establishing a relationship with the baby. Singing supports brain development of the baby, and allows the baby to learn the mother's voice, as well as native speech patterns/sounds. As the mother and father sing to the baby, the baby then is also learning the melody of the song. Following birth, the familiarity of music can calm the baby.
Preparing for birth and becoming parents can be a stressful time of one's life -- on top of every day routines at home and work, partners are often then putting together rooms, making sure they have everything they need, and doctors appointments. The stress a mother-to-be is feeling also directly effects the baby. Singing can allow the mother to relax and create calmness as she connects to the baby.
Using the nightly practice sessions can also support and prepares the couple for birth. As the couple practices movement, massage, deep breathing, and relaxation with music that will be used during labor, ideally the mother's body would develop an autogenic response. The autogenic relaxation response would then support the mother during labor as she tunes in to her instincts.
Yes exactly. Great summary- and this is the perfect way to explain it to your clients. Nice job!
DeleteI really like your statement about the autogenic relaxation response supporting the mother during labor as she tunes into her instincts. I think that one of the most important reasons that music is conducive to prenatal preparation is that music is inherently human. It is instinctual to use music to relax or to calm yourself or your child.
DeleteBecause of the intrinsic nature of music, using a live ritualistic practice will help for family to bond. Research shows that choral singing can align heart rates due to the rhythmic breathing structures. This is applied in the prenatal situation to prepare the parents for the child, but also to create mediative state for the child. A mother's blood pressure directly affects the child and providing structured time to bond, to familiarize the baby with parental voices of safety, and allow the develop of speech patterns can enhance the the experience and provide safety for both mom and baby.
ReplyDeleteYes and we can do this with live music and recorded music. Parents can also sing and vocalize with the recorded music if they do not have access to live music (other than singing acapela).
DeleteCouples can use live music to reduce stress, increase bonding/sense of family, express themselves creatively, and as a conscious way to prepare themselves for a future as parents. They can use recorded music to support their voices if they would like to sing, and with the help of the "Nightly Practice Sessions" playlist, they can use recorded music to create order, structure, and organization that can lead to relaxation and bonding for the couple as well as the baby.
ReplyDeleteThe womb song seems to provide a very concrete example of how parents can use live music prenatally without much music experience. And couples who write and sing their womb song together are using live music to great effect. This song is an opportunity for the baby to learn the speech sounds of their family's native language(s), the voices of their mother, father, or other caregivers, and when paired with the relaxation of mom often enough, will provide a cue for calming after birth.
Couples benefit from bonding, but I would also think that they benefit from feeling like they have something "to do" for/with their baby. Other "nesting" type tasks to prepare for the baby (preparing the home so baby has a place to sleep, clothing, etc) only benefit the baby after birth. Fetuses can hear pretty well in the third trimester, so talking and singing to the baby is the one thing a couple can do to start "parenting" their baby before birth. I really like the way music can provide continuity and acknowledge that these couples are already parenting their child in utero.
https://www.scienceandsensibility.org/blog/parents-singing-to-fetus-and-newborn-enhances-their-well-being,-parent-infant-attachment,-&-soothability-part-one found this little gem written by Penny Simkin, and it has a nice anecdote at the end that illustrates a father knowing his child's song, and providing it at birth. That is a huge reminder that couples who are consciously using music prenatally are parenting through music modeling already and are ready to use music to help their child at birth as well.
Yes!
DeleteShanna DeJoseph
ReplyDeleteMusic can be used in several ways both prenatally and post-natally. We know from scientific studies that babies can hear and perceive sounds from inside the womb, and being exposed to music stimulates and helps facilitate brain development.
When music is used as a common practice by the mother during pregnancy, the health benefits to her and the baby will be apparent. She may experience lower blood pressure and decreased stress, thus leading to decreased stress on the baby as well. Keeping up a regular practice of singing may assist the mother with cardiovascular health and endurance needed for labor.
Writing a womb song together with the partner may provide a creative way for the parents to bond and brainstorm important things and ideas they would like their child to be exposed to shortly after birth.
The womb song may also serve as a way to remember this time in their lives, what the parents were thinking, and the child himself may enjoy looking back and reading it through once they are old enough, almost as a family relic.
The Nightly Practice Sessions are an integral part of the Sound Birthing Music Therapy process. This includes the womb song, bonding with the baby and practicing the relaxation techniques with the Sound Birthing music each night. Couples who practice the techniques regularly during pregnancy report shorter labors and more satisfaction with the birth experience even when it doesn't go according to plan. The Nightly Practice Sessions are essential for bio-psycho-social preparation for birth. :)
DeleteCouples may use music to meet a variety of goals and needs during pregnancy. For example, an anxious mama may benefit from music assisted relaxation with a music therapist and instructions on using it herself. A couple may enjoy introducing their baby to their favorite music (at an appropriate volume of course!) as a family bonding activity. Older siblings also may enjoy interaction with baby through nursery rhymes and songs.
ReplyDeleteWriting and singing a womb song are also beneficial activities! Singing helps baby learn the voices of people who love him, stimulates him, and can convey feelings of love and wantedness. Parents also benefit from the routine and serenity that come with singing to baby. Singing may also decrease stress hormones in mom's (and baby's) body.
Yes there are so many opportunities for music in pregnancy and preparation for birth. :)
ReplyDeleteRecorded music is a great benefit for couples because it allows them to make their own choices, discuss why they chose that recording, share memories associated with those recordings, and most importantly, share it with their incoming child.
ReplyDeleteThe benefits of live music is that it is so much more personal and intimate. It allows the couple to really bond with their unborn baby and grow closer together in this new exciting adventure. The couple sharing live music will also be able to share and introduce their voices to their baby.
As stated in the readings, singing and speaking to the baby in the womb stimulates brain development for the infant as well as increase relaxation and decrease stress and anxiety for the mother. This is extremely important because as learned in week 1, stress can complicate the labor/pregnancy process.
What so wonderful about music is that it is so flexible. We can flow from live music to recorded music, chant, vocalizations to composed songs, even just humming to communicating love to baby. It's all good and can be personalized for each family's experience. :)
DeleteLive music can be beneficial in so many ways for couples during pregnancy. To begin with, live music events can be a wonderful way to reconnect and celebrate the growing life they created. More specifically, I really love the concept of nightly practice sessions using the womb song and/or other lullabies. Singing as a couple or as a family to the baby is a wonderful way for the entire family to bond with each other. It also provides and opportunity for concrete interaction with the baby for older siblings who may not understand the abstract thought of an impending addition to the family. Singing to the baby in utero provides developmental opportunities for the baby, relaxation and bonding opportunities for the parents, and assists in birth and parenting preparation.
ReplyDeleteThroughout this assignment I have been reminded of a story I heard about African Himba Tribe's birth song. (https://theperfectbirth.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/the-himba-namibia-the-birth-song/)
For this tribe, their version of a womb song begins with the thought of the child. It is used to invite the child to their family and follows their child throughout their life. It becomes a part of the child. Their song defines who they are and where they come from.
Thank you for sharing the story of the Himba birth song--that is really beautiful!
DeleteI also love the idea of including older siblings in singing the womb song. Joining their parents in song does seem like it would help make the idea of a new baby more concrete, and ease the process of adjusting to/bonding with a new sibling.
Yes I too love the Himba birth song tradition! How beautiful and amazing, right?
DeleteI love the idea of using live music for parents and babies during pregnancy. There are so many possibilities and opportunities for exploration, bonding and celebration. Live music can be so impactful and personal for a music therapist can use. Music therapists can create an atmosphere between couples that may not be achieved through recorded music.
ReplyDeleteI had never thought of writing a womb song before but it's concept that makes total sense to me. It reminds me of a articles I've read about music therapy and NICU babies. Womb songs are a total precursor to situations like that. Imagine if a NICU baby had a womb song that had been sung everyday throughout pregnancy. That baby could experience that song during their stay in the NICU and draw so much comfort and familiarity from it in a scary, unfamiliar place. Not only do songs like this and other live music provide comfort for the baby, it can connect a woman and her birthing partner as well and provide them with comfort.
Further, that song can become a permanent part of that family's life, consistently serving as a source of comfort and warmth.
Yes every baby needs a womb song!!! And yes it would definitely make the NICU more bearable and less scary for this little babies. And parents continue to sing these womb songs for years to come. And each child in the family has a uniques womb song. I have even worked with grandparents to write welcome songs for the grandchildren after birth. It can be an intergenerational experience and include the extended family too. It takes a village.... and how wonderful that the new baby is surrounded by such love. :)
DeleteMusic seems inherently connected to nurturing and caregiving. Singing to babies and young children feels like an instinctual way to communicate love, safety, and warmth. I have known several women who felt a natural desire to sing to their babies during pregnancy, even if they had been uncomfortable with their voices beforehand. I love the idea of using the womb song to create a ritual grounded in this natural urge to sing and nurture.
ReplyDeleteInvolving the mother's partner and other family members in singing to the baby can strengthen bonds among all family members. The baby gets to know the voices of his/her parents (and siblings, potentially), and the family gets to connect with the new baby in an intentional way before birth. Using the womb song after birth can help the baby adjust to the environment outside of the womb and reinforce his/her connection with parents and siblings, creating a sense of continuity and easing the transition for the whole family.
Singing is natural and instinctual. We need to support our clients so they comfortable to sing to their babies anytime. Baby loves the sound of the mother's voice!
ReplyDelete