Benefits of Music during Pregnancy and Beyond . . .

Ultrasound studies have shown that at 16 weeks gestation the fetus can respond to outside sound and actively listens by the 24^th week. The sense of hearing is thought to be the most developed of all the senses before birth.

·       Sounds and rhythms in the womb may contain information important to the development of the fetal brain, and the results of one study note that, due to synaptic development during the 2^nd and 3^rd trimester, the fetus is participating in an “auditory amphitheater that is perhaps more important than any other classroom.”

·       Other studies suggest that prenatal exposure to music facilitates postnatal development, with a group of infants who were exposed to music in the womb exhibiting significantly more rapid development of many behaviors in infancy.

Music can be beneficial during natural childbirth, with birth under epidural anesthesia and during cesarean section.

·       Music can make the hospital environment less hostile and anxiety-provoking for both patients and family members.

·       In the pregnant woman, elevated levels of stress hormones cause decreased effectiveness of uterine contractions. Additionally, the extremely anxious woman in labor will have high catecholamine levels which decrease placental blood flow and can cause fetal distress. Music can slow respiratory rates and decrease the stress response. It has also been shown to have the ability to shorten labor and decrease the perception of pain.

A number of studies have shown that therapeutic music in the NICU is helpful in decreasing stress, relieving pain, increasing oxygen saturation, increasing weight gain, and decreasing length of hospital stay for premature babies.

·       Soothing music can benefit newborns attempting to adapt to extrauterine life while cared for in the hospital nursery. Music is structured and sequential. If a steady, calming rhythm and melody are introduced into an environment, it supports and encourages those in that environment to become steady and calm.

·       The use of music in NICU may help to compensate for the early loss of the intrauterine sound environment.

Music provides babies with love and attention, creating a natural a state of alert relaxation.

·       Music has the potential to arouse the lethargic or withdrawn infant, and in can effectively calm crying, anxious babies and act as a natural sleep-inducer.

·       Music prepares the ear, body and brain to listen to, integrate and produce language sounds. Music can be likened to a pre-linguistic language which is nourishing and stimulating to the whole human being, affecting body, emotions and intellect, and developing an internal sense of beauty, sustaining and awakening the qualities in us that are wordless and otherwise inexpressible.

Available Servcies:

*Prenatal Music Therapy

*Childbirth Music Assistances

*Pregnancy Massage & Prenatal Music Therapy Packages