MUSIC THERAPY AND PREGNANCY

Listening to music but also the use of musical instruments through music therapy techniques can help the future mothers to achieve a state of relaxation, to contain and/or channel states of anxiety, to achieve and maintain a state of psycho/emotional well-being, as well as to start a process of recognition, acceptance and relationship with the fetus.

Do you know what is the first sense that develops in the fetus? hearing. This is why Music therapy and pregnancy have a very close bond. The music therapy sessions during pregnancy are usually offered from the fifth month of pregnancy onwards as starting from the 27th week of pregnancy the fetus is able to hear the sound of the strong> the voice of the mother and other family members, sounds with low and high frequencies, as well as perceive the rhythm.

How to listen to music during pregnancy

The best way to enjoy music therapy during pregnancy is to dedicate it to two distinct moments of the day, preferably the late morning before lunch and the late afternoon.

The first moment, in a lying down and/or sitting position lasting about 20/30 minutes, can be dedicated to listening to classical music which releases light, joy, happiness, self-confidence and energy.

As a first approach to classical music, I recommend listening to pieces by composers such as Mozart, Debussy, Vivaldi and Brahms, as recommended below, so you can create that beautiful relationship between music and fetus.

It should be kept in mind that listening to music promotes dialogue between the pregnant woman and the fetus and, if continued even after the birth, constitutes a bridge between the before and after of great importance for the harmonious development of the child.

Here are some classical music pieces suitable to be listened to during pregnancy:

Mozart – Sonata for Two Pianos in D, K. 448

Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major Andante

Claude Debussy – Clair de Lune

Ludovico Einaudi – white clouds

The second moment to devote to listening, always lasting 20-30 minutes, is a pleasant moment to obtain psycho-mental relaxation in the late afternoon. The relaxation that comes from listening contributes, in fact, as noted by various studies, to lowering tensions, regulating the heart rate and blood pressure. In addition, music promotes the formation of endorphins, natural substances that relieve stress and promote a state of general well-being.

In this part I also recommend listening to the lullabies and melodies aimed at the newborn and also relaxing songs with a 432 Hz tuning that generates a natural resonance with the frequencies underlying parts of our body. If you want to know more, I invite you to read my article about it: Tuning to 432 HZ: Everything you need to know

Here are some soothing music to listen to at this stage:

Sound meditation with Simone Gatto

432Hz 》Nature’s Healing Music

Simone Gatto – The Golden Ratio

OM SO HUM – I am the Universe

Emiliano Toso – Music for Cells

The “Mozart effect” in pregnancy

There are several and not yet completely irrefutable theories on the mozart effect’ according to which listening to Mozart’s pieces can have a causal effect on raising the IQ level of the fetus strong>.According to the theory elaborated by G. Shaw and F. Rauscher in the early 90s, listening to a Mozart sonata by a group of volunteers (Sonata in D major for two pianos KV 448 ), would have produced an increase, albeit temporary, in cognitive abilities. The experiment, published in the journal “Nature”, was subsequently contested by other researchers, as the results were not replicable from other similar experiences. Only in 1998, some studies conducted in the psychology department of Wisconsin demonstrated that listening to Mozart temporarily increased space-time intelligence.

On the basis of these premises, the idea has spread that even listening to Mozart during pregnancy can influence the nervous system, producing effects on the IQ of the unborn child, increasing its level, but these remain only theories yet to be disproven and proven. Obviously the beneficial effect of listening to classical music during pregnancy remains undisputed.

The use of the mother’s voice

Few of us know that the voice (therefore above all the maternal voice during pregnancy) as well as being used in structured singing is a very powerful tool for self-healing and transformation. Much of the scientific data on the effects of self-produced sound with our voice (the hum, as well as the pitch of all vowel sounds) points to some important physiological benefits. They include:

• Increase of oxygen in the cells
• Lowering of blood pressure and heart rate
• Increased lymphatic circulation
• Increased levels of melatonin
• Reduction of hormone levels related to stress
• Endorphin release
• Increased production of interleukin-l, a protein associated with blood and immune function
• Increased levels of nitric oxide (NO), a molecule associated with promoting healing
• Release of oxytocin, the hormone of confidence.

Especially during labor, mothers-to-be are focused only on what is happening to their body and natural singing in the form of a sweet moan is of great help to get out go the pain that comes in waves.

Thus, through free singing and without judgement, according to a very personal scheme of use and declination, Music Therapy helps mothers during pregnancy to rediscover their own expressiveness. Even from the simplest and most unstructured song authentic and personalized lullabies can be born; from the song combined with the words, nursery rhymes can be born for your child: every mother has the opportunity to create a personalized musical journey for herself and her child, to be used during gestation, to be preserved and rediscovered after birth.

Birth accompaniment path

The prenatal course, also called birth accompanying course is a very important event not to be underestimated and which allows future parents to face the childbirth with greater serenity and trust. >moment of birth and everything that happens before and after it.

For some time I have been involved in the organization of prenatal courses in the province of Lecce which consist of ten weekly meetings in which expectant mothers from the fifth month onwards are welcomed. Not only therefore music therapy and pregnancy but thanks to a team made up of midwife, music therapist, naturopath, nutritionist, maternity educator and psychotherapist allows the expectant mother to live the nine months of waiting with serenity, but also to learn many notions and practical techniques that help concretely in the moment of childbirth. Some examples are recognition of contractions, pain management during childbirth, relaxation techniques, information on baby care child but also all the psychological problems associated with this period.