Therapeutic Uses of Music During Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond

The use of music during pregnancy and childbirth is highly recommended. There are so many benefits and advantages including the obvious fact that music can do no harm to the mother. Others are:

Biological — Music changes biology by supporting a laboring mother to regulate breathing, lower blood pressure and respiration, and to block the pain response.
Psychological — Music enhances the ability to use coping skills and childbirth techniques during labor.
Environmental — Music blocks out extraneous sound in the birth environment. Music provides a “sound blanket” which fills the space and wraps the mother in sounds of comfort and safety.
Sociological — Music evokes social support from others and holds the birthing team together.
Emotional — Music is used to match or affirm moods and feelings the laboring mother is experiencing and it is used also to help change her mood.
Developmental — Music supports the process of becoming a mother and helps work through a mother’s fears, to relax and let the process happen.
Spiritual — Music can enhance and support the spiritual process of the laboring mother and may evoke a peak or transpersonal experienience.
These seven foundations were identified and clarified by Mary DiCamillo, Ed.D., MT-BC and are part of the Sound Birthing Program model of care.