Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
According to Thomas R. Verny, how we enter the world is very important. Unresolved trauma (whether it is from a previous traumatic birth or from another traumatic event in the mother’s life) can result in high anxiety for the mother during delivery which can have a negative impact on the baby. Clearing trauma before birth can lead to a calmer, gentler delivery which in turn can promote better bonding and more alertness in the newborn baby. Songwriting, lyric analysis, and music assisted relaxation techniques could be used in a music therapy session to help mothers/parents clear trauma. Singing to an unborn baby can be beneficial for the baby as well as the parents. For the baby, it is a way to become familiar with the voices of his/her parents while still inside the womb. According to Rosario N. Rozada Montemurro, singing teaches an unborn child the basics of bonding and love. For the parents, singing to the unborn baby can be a way of bonding with one another as well as bonding with the baby. It is important to point out that some researchers have cautioned against too much stimulation for an unborn baby as it could potentially have a negative impact on the baby. Based on this advice, parents should be careful that the music sung/played to the baby is gentle and peaceful.
Yes to all. :) I recently assisted a family this summer in the birth of their 2nd child. There was a significant trauma to clear before the upcoming birth. The birth of the 1st child was particularly traumatic and the first baby needed CPR just after birth. I worked with this family using music imagery, drawing a mandala, and discussion afterwards. Both parents were able to verbalize their fears for the upcoming birth and felt relieved when they realized they both felt the same way. In the visualization they saw the family with new baby together as a whole surrounded by light and gentle music. Their drawings showed symbols of each family member united in the circle. The music held their family together as a circle. We also wrote a beautiful womb song. At the birth, both parents were extremely calm and the birth was beautiful and peaceful. The father cried and said this is how birth be and that he was so glad to have the support of the music before and after the birth. I recently saw the mother as it has been 3 months since the birth of the baby. She is glowing and she said it was the easiest recovery she could have ever imagined. They use music in the home with baby often and she loves being sung to.
That's so great! The birth of our second child was traumatic so my husband and I really had to work through a lot before our third child was born. Fortunately, my third delivery was the easiest of all! It's the one delivery where I used music during almost every phase of the labor and delivery. :)
Katie I'm sorry to hear that you have experienced a traumatic birth that it is so awesome that your third birth went great! The music has so many important functions during labor and birth it's amazing. :)
It is important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience so that the parents do not bring any of their unresolved issues to the birth experience. The parents should examine individual feelings and explore their relationship with each other so the development and comfort of the child is not affected by stress and an unsupportive environment. It is suggested in the readings to journal. Music while journaling could be used as a way to express and explore previous trauma. Using music with art or while journaling can help reveal issues or emotions from our subconscious or express feeling we may not be able to express verbally. Music can also be a way to begin conversation between partners. Just as Katie stated above, Montemurro’s findings from the pre-parenting book state, “If singing teaches the unborn child anything, it may be the basics of bonding and love.” Parents singing to their baby in the womb can build their relationship and parents may notice their baby responding back by kicking or the baby may be more still. Another technique in the readings is to Have the parents choose one song to sing to their baby in the womb daily. After the baby is born this song can be used to comfort the baby and lullaby the baby.
Yes I use music art and journaling in my trauma work with mothers and father prenatally. It is very powerful. Also the Womb Song is an amazing tool. Today Melissa and talked about how the womb song must be short in length, repeititious,easy to remember, simple melody, and focused on the baby.
If there have been previous traumatic birth experiences for the mother her anxiety or memories can negatively affect her next birth. She may not feel comfortable or confident in her body's ability to give birth and so she will not be able to fully focus on allowing her body to open up, and may not have the strength or perseverance needed to push the baby out. Being able to work through this trauma and the negative emotions associated with it will allow the woman to gain back confidence in her body. Having the support of her partner and a music therapist will also help her be confident and feel emotionally supported to prepare for the birth. Music and imagery, music with art, and song writing are all powerful tools a music therapist can use to help clear trauma from the mind. Once this has been done, special womb songs and lullabies are a great way to create positive experiences and memories for the parents as they prepare for the birth.
From reading the chapters and watching the videos, and thinking about personal experiences and those of close friends/family, trauma can become a pattern from one generation to the next. Events that did not directly involve the fetus can directly affect the fetus and any future generations that come. The hormones and inner workings of the body let the mother know that something is wrong through perception, a level below conscious thought. These responses of the body can also detrimentally affect the physical health of a fetus after birth, as well as the experiences during birth. Negative experiences during the birth can negatively affect one of the most important connections/bonds known to humankind. Providing a sense of emotional support, whether through music or a counseling therapeutic relationship, can help guide a person safely through the confusion and/or negative feelings surrounding a trauma. Music oftentimes embodies the experiences of others, including their emotions, reactions and wisdom that they learned from getting past it. Seeking out this music and using it to provide other cognitive options to a person in trauma might be a start for clearing trauma. On the other hand, building the parenting relationship during gestation requires multiple opportunities to provide affection for the fetus as well as cultivation of a communicative bond. Sometimes this simply involves educating the parents, but the parents may need the influence that music can provide in order to generate or clarify an emotional response to the growing fetus. A huge beneficial part of music is it's influence on our emotional processing. The right song can go a long way in feeling one's emotions and providing emotional perspective.
Yes! Music, counseling, and therapeutic relationship combined can be a very effective approach. Music goes straight to the core (the midbrain) where feelings are experienced without words. By processing those feelings/emotions, bringing them into cognitive awareness, and using language to express the thoughts related to them is how we begin to heal past trauma and prepare for birth.
It is important to clear trauma for a number of reasons. The primary reason is that anything we feel as mothers we are transferring to the unborn child. The child will likely feel that stress, depression, and other negative emotions. According to the book, Preparenting, these feelings are actually transmitted through the bloodstream.
Another reason to clear trauma is to be able to be fully conscious and aware of the child growing inside of you and to not let passed trauma cloud your experience. past traumas, if unresolved, can effect the birthing process. Also, according to the Preparenting book, if you, yourself, experienced a traumatic birth, you are more likely to have a traumatic birth with your child. This is also something we need to be aware of.
I'm going to reiterate what I believe is the most beautiful quote from the reading, "If singing teaches the unborn child anything, it is bonding and love". What could possibly be a better way to help ease the child into the world? Singing helps both the mother and baby. We know, based on the Mozart effect, that classical music specifically reduces stress hormones and stimulates endorphins, which are beneficial to both mama and baby. If trauma is process through music prenatally, stress hormones will be released next won't be carried throughout the pregnancy, labor, and birth.
Again, must is a bonding experience. In many other countries mentioned in the reading, Japan, Uganda, Nigeria, singing to the newborn is common practice. It helps the parent and child bond and it is a bond carried through to birth. The child will remember those melodies, and based on the research, these familiar melodies often have calming effects on the child and help them fall asleep.
You raise such good points! The Mozart Effect was great in bringing people's attention to the power of music, but it was a one-time thing. They weren't able to replicate the study, so the results are invalid. What's more important to keep in mind, which I think is the point you are making, is that music can stimulate endorphins and reduce stress hormones. Which is amazing!
Yes we must clear trauma prior to birth so we don't pass on the negative effects to the baby. Yes music is the perfect media to enhance the bonding process dues to its bio-psycho-social factors. Singing especially by the mother stimulates and comforts the baby prenatally and post partum. Music experiences can help the parents develop communication skills and deepen emotional relationship with each other which will be critical for parenthood.
I think that IT IS very important to clear trauma before first, second or…any birth experience. Personally speaking I was not lucky enough during the last trimester of my pregnancy as I had traumatic experiences since from 8m (hospitalization, urgent CS, separation from my new born baby, incubator, no touch, no sound….enough reasons to leave traumatic traces to the baby, new mom and dad). So as a therapist and brand new mom I used to work hard to be able TO BE more conscious as much as I can of all situation firstly and to try to resolve, step by step, that traumatic experiences, during the time. Still working on some of them… (in last three years I am working with new moms and babies through musical baby bonding, infant massage, also I finished great program First Sounds: Rhythm, Breath & Lullaby NICU Music Therapy Training which is great and now I am here in Prenatal Music field so I would love to bring this beautiful program here in Serbia because we need it.)
Anyway, definitely I think it is very important to clear (work on) trauma at the beginning of pregnancy and afterwards. As Dorian already said: “important reason to clear trauma is to of the child growing inside of you and to not let passed trauma cloud your experience. Past traumas, if unresolved, can affect the birthing process and after. Being able to work through trauma and the negative emotions associated with it will allow the woman to gain back confidence in her body and herself. So therefore (here in Serbia) we should have more educative programs, therapists, supportive community and awareness of birth trauma and their consequences. As a music therapist it would be great to have opportunity to have therapist in hospitals especially if the pregnancy is risky (been there done that). As we all know music goes straight to the core where the feelings are. And it can be very powerful. By processing those feelings/emotions, bringing them into cognitive awareness, and using language to express the thoughts related to them is how we begin to heal past trauma and prepare for birth. It would be great to work with those moms (and babies) straight away. Also if we are speaking about private practice I would definitely recommended parent to choose one or two songs to sing to their baby, daily. To make womb song, do communicate through touch, movement and sound and to focus on the baby. It will be beneficial even when the baby comes and it can be used to comfort the baby and mom as well. At the end beautiful sentence explained everything:“If singing teaches the unborn child anything, it may be the basics of bonding and love.”
I love the First Sounds Rhythm Breath lullaby program! It is wonderful! and yes music does go straight to the core that is why it is so effective in healing trauma. Yes the womb song is the essential tool of the prenatal music bonding experience. :)
Clearing trauma before birth is very important for setting the new parents and baby up for success! Past trauma and mental illness can negatively effect baby by hormones passing through the placenta. Prolonged exposure to stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine have been linked to low birth weight and irritability in newborns as well as learning and memory challenges in children. Epigenetics tell us that our environmental stressors can change our genes which are passed on to further generations. Working with new parents to relieve stress and clear past trauma (especially birth trauma). Community support and loving parents are the strongest way to counteract trauma and negate any negative effects that may be passed along to baby. Trauma may be lurking in the subconscious until pregnancy and birth. By giving parents a safe and nurturing environment to explore their feelings we can assist in preventing any surprises! Birth has enough surprises without psychological events from the parents. To assist in "clearing the cobwebs" we can use music to process through hopes and fears for the parents. Guided Imagery, mandalas, and relaxation are powerful tools to notice what is going on under the surface. These experiences can also be used to help the parents really listen to each other and found their parenting relationship on openness. We can also use music to assist in bonding with baby. Womb songs and simple communication through music may help mom feel bonded with baby and alleviate some stress before birth.
Yes that is so true about epigenetics! And yes in preparing for birth and in the birth experience we relive our trauma unless we resolve it prior to the experience. Yes guided imagery and mandalas are wonderful- I use them a lot in trauma work with couples preparing for childbirth. The more bonded parents are prenatal with baby the better prepared they will be when baby comes. :)
Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience?
This section was fascinating, I never knew that life in utero could affect one’s entire life. The fetus is aware of changes in the mother’s emotional state and can absorb some of her feelings and emotions. It is important for the mother to clear stress, especially in the third trimester so that the fetus does not receive increases levels of stress hormones. Things such as moving, changes in job, unwanted pregnancy, lack of support can all effect the child. By working to clear the trauma and stress during this delicate time the mother is helping their child stay as balanced as possible.
In addition, the trauma of birth itself can leave a lasting impact on the child. Modern conveniences and medical technology have made the birth experience itself more stressful and less comforting that those of our forefathers.
What are ways you could use music to help parent’s clear trauma?
This is an area that I would really love more ideas on as I work to build my program. One thing that I thought would be helpful would be a combination of journal writing and songwriting. Using art mixed with it would be more powerful but I do not feel comfortable analyzing art to incorporate this component. Music improvisation to initially address trauma to then lead to a more in depth conversation of addressing the underlying trauma and then working to process it. Part of trauma comes fear so I would also consider helping the mother to make a compilation of music that assist in calming and relaxing themselves to use when their fears start to make them a little more unsettled.
In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
There is so much bonding that can occur prenatally. Some ideas that I had while reading the text included singing lullabies to the fetus while massaging the stomach. They can hear the lower sounds better and their mother’s voice the best. One of the text mentioned Peter and the Wolf and other children’s stories paired with music. This would provide an opportunity for the parent to bond with their child and begin that supportive relationship.
I also considered if the mom journal their thoughts through the process to then put some of these into song to create a special song for the child once they are older. Or helping the mom to write and start singing a specific to them lullaby that can be used to help calm the child once they are born.
I love song writing and journaling. :) And the musical stories like Peter and the Wolf are great! Even some other fun music books like Miss Mary Mack and Down By the Bay would be fun too. Sung at a slower tempo of course. Exposing baby to rhyming structures in songs helps helps stimulate language development.
Question: Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
Unresolved trauma plays into our everyday lives and can be damaging to our relationships with ourselves and others. Being a new parent, a mother will begin to go down a new path and it is a path easier traveled without baggage. A traumatized mother will have more difficulty connecting with her child in a healthy, balanced way. Teaching breathing techniques through singing and chanting will offer a very helpful coping skill for the new mom as she processes and deals with the effects of trauma. a music therapist can facilitate a sort of psychic cleansing, using songwriting and mantras to process baggage and create new scripts to replace old, negative ones. A music therapist can also help expecting parents bond before the birth through call and response signing and drumming, didactic instrumental improvisation and listening to songs that are significant to the couple
Yes traveling down a new path is easier without baggage. What a great way to explain that to clients. Accessing unconscious material through creative arts processes can lead the way to reframing and processing the trauma experience, putting it in perspective and helping a client to move forward. Relaxation and coping skills through music are essential for life, anxiety management, and relationship building. I like the call and response singing idea. Do you have any songs you can suggest that might work well with expectant parents?
Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience?
As everyone mentioned above, we don't want to pass along the trauma to the unborn child, for physiological, hormonal, mental, spiritual and emotional reasons. The baby experiences and subconsciously understands a lot more than we once thought, so it's very important to release the past and be present for this new being, so as not to continue the cycle. It's also good for the mother and her partner, so they can have a healthier relationship, and will also help her to feel more empowered and relaxed in her birth, which can lead to better outcomes. It will also help her to bond and connect with her baby.
What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma?
Music is a very powerful modality to use when working with trauma. As many have already mentioned, using songwriting, journaling, art/mandalas, guided imagery, visualization and chanting are all powerful methods. I would add using music in relationship to movement/dance to help release trauma that is stored in the body. I would also like to experiment with chant writing/singing positive affirmations to help the mother focus and transform her fear. The goals here are to help her to feel safe, understand/release her trauma through creative means, and to be present and empowered with her child. I would also add some sound healing/vibrational healing modalities to help resonate in different areas of her body as she becomes for comfortable as well as an iso principal playlist that you make together that can gradually move her from her fear/trauma response to a more calm and present place.
Another way music could be used would be to integrate it with all the senses to help the mother with reality orientation and creating her safe space (aromatherapy, color therapy, comforting touch, and even wonderful tastes.)
Lastly I would add that I would use music to pair with a slow rhythmic breathing technique (such as HeartFocused Breathing from HeartMath) an evidence based practice shown to move us from our more reactive brain to our cerebral cortex. We need to help her move out of fight or flight into having more cortical facilitation. The steady rhythmic breathing paired with the music can help her to do that.
It would be good to help her make a list of tools she can use if/when a trauma response arises. It's important to remember how vulnerable pregnancy/birth can be, and that it can re-traumatize women, especially those who have been sexually abused or raped. Creating a safe place where she feels in control is number one.
In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
They can choose songs to express feelings to one another that are more difficult to talk about. In therapy they could do a lyric analysis of each one as a in road to having those important discussions around fears and hopes. Writing a womb song together as others mentioned can be a very bonding and intimate experience. If they are together romantically, I would add using music with slow dancing, massage/touch and for intimacy (looking into each others eyes, holding hands, snuggling, etc.) Remembering special love songs or songs that hold significant or positive memories would be great, or making a special love playlist for them to share. Mixtape y'all :)
Further, it would be good to actually play live music together (could be soft drumming, singing, etc.) to learn metaphorically what it feels like to work together, listen to one another, communicate in a balanced effective way, observing non-verbal cues, reading one another, have their voice be heard and celebrate their differences and the unique gifts each one brings to the table. Live music as a metaphor could be a great jumping off point to explore their new dynamic and their partnership in a non-verbal into verbal way.
Yes Summer, release the past and be present for this new being. Very powerful words. Another very eloqent way to explain this to our clients. Thank you! Chant can be very powerful and yes I think Heart Math is very cool too. :) Intimacy is very important for the couple because if their relationship is strong they have a good foundation for loving, caring for, and bonding with their baby. Using music to support relationship building in pregnancy is very important. This is one of the principles of the Nightly Practice Sessions we teach during the Sound Birthing Music Therapy Assisted Childbirth program. We offer this course in a workshop format and Blended Learning. Contact me or check the Sound Birthing Website for more information. :)
Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience?
What great responses from everyone so far! I'm really enjoying learning from your perspective and ideas. As you all mentioned, as learned in our readings, mother's emotions and hormones have a significant impact on her unborn baby. How important it is to go into birth feeling confident, strong, and full of hope! Even just comparing my two home births (which both went very well without having suffered any traumas), my second birth went so much more smoothly because I was that much more confident, relaxed, and I trusted my body and myself more. Therefore, with my more relaxed body and mind, my labor was so much easier - which results in less birth trauma and more peri and postnatal bonding! It's a beautiful cycle when you clear your fears and trauma. If we help to heal the trauma before birth, we can lowered the risk of future traumas for this mom and generations to come. And what hope we can give our clients through the evidence of "post-traumatic growth"! Not only can they heal from previous traumas, but they can approach birth even stronger than before the trauma occurred!
What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma?
The goal would be to move from identifying, accepting, and validating feelings from the trauma to experiencing acceptance, peace, hope, confidence, and strength for the future. I liked how Penny Simkin's video reminded us that we shouldn't "go into the trauma" and "get lost there" but instead live in the present time and be cared for. You all have shared such great ideas - journaling and music, improvisation, guided imagery and visualization, songwriting, playlists to support the early and later stages of the healing process (ex. validation/grief then confidence/hope), and movement to music. Summer, I'm really curious about your chant writing/positive affirmation idea - it sounds perfect. And what a great tool and reminder to take with you into labor (or in other times of fear or doubt) when times get tough! I think some women could really respond well to having that musical reminder of hope playing in their minds. (a little jingle of hope.)
In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
This is a great opportunity! Our readings emphasized how important the father's positive relationship is to the security and happiness of the mother and child. If the mother and father are in a secure and loving relationship, environmental stresses (financial, moves, etc) can have very little impact. My first intervention idea (which someone mentioned) was to have Mom and Dad simply participate in active music-making together (improv or more structured). The opportunities for complimenting each other in the music, listening, give and take, and creating something beautiful together not only creates music for their child but unites them as a couple and as parents. Also, giving the parents a repertoire of songs that they can sing to their child is a great gift (lullabies, cultural, spiritual). And experimenting with ways that they can be complimentary in the song (ex. maybe each person has a special part or harmony to add, or a specific part for a hug/rub or kiss for each other and/or child).
We must heal and move through the trauma to a place of hope. I have seen this time and again with my clients. It is possible to have a blissful birth after a traumatic one. With careful work and preparation it can happen. The clients need to trust in the process and rebuild their trust in themselves. Yes there are so many intervention choices we can use in clearing trauma and working through the experience. Each client's experience is unique so it will be important to keep that in mind as you choose your interventions and work together. Strengthening the bond of the couple is so important in helping to prepare them for parenthood.
Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
I think a lot of people try so hard to compartmentalize different aspects of their lives that it can be hard for them to see how one area of their life can affect another area of their life. Helping people connect the dots can be one way to help them understand why dealing with underlying issues is important before giving birth (ideally before conceiving). This can be done in a variety of ways, and there are a lot of great ideas above. Some go-to ideas I have are:
-guided imagery with music to gently address any unwanted feelings are issues in a private and safe mental space, followed by processing it by talking, journaling, and/or music improvisation
-regularly singing and talking to the baby prenatally are great ways to establish a parenting relationship. Writing or improvising songs to sing to the baby can help communicate and explain feelings. Whether the feeling is love, excitement, anxiety, or fear, singing about it can help communicate to the baby in a safe and loving way. If writing music or improvisational singing is uncomfortable for either parent, then talking with the baby with relaxing, calming music playing open air can help convey the message.
-exercising/dancing to music can help unlock feelings/memories that may be stored in the body. Unlocking it can help free the body and mind to be less anxious, and more present/aware. This can be followed up with loving touch on the mother's belly to stay connected to the baby, and to further communicate the feelings the mother (or father) experienced.
Yes multi-sensorial nonverbal ways grounded in specifically chosen music experience to unlock and process trauma are very powerful. Keep us posted on your work Laura. You have wonderful ideas. I like the movement idea- that is powerful.
As a therapist, these readings highlight the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the realness of the pregnant woman's feelings if she has been traumatized previously through a bad experience. After awareness and acknowledgment through a supportive relationship such as therapy, understanding and peace can come. Music can be used to clear trauma through its ability to access unconscious material and process emotions through improvisation, lyric analysis and discussion, and songwriting. And since calm is so important during pregnancy, music relaxation and breathing could be extremely effective. The music therapeutic relationship can also be used to develop a relationship between mother and infant. Because mothers can communicate to their unborn children through sensory means, using singing while rubbing and patting the belly is one way to facilitate a mother-child interaction as a music therapist. Culturally sensitive lullabies that are sung during pregnancy have been shown to be recognized by babies after birth. Excitingly, intuitive communication is one way mother and child can understand one another. The creation of music is very much an intuitive one, so musical improvisation with a therapist is a way to access that intuitive communicative channel. A mother could also journal when the baby was responsive to certain music or other stimulus and keep it as a gift to give to her child later to send the message- I knew you and listened to you before you were even born! It is also interesting to think that one can be conscious about the type of music you choose to listen to when you are pregnant, and the stories and messages it conveys, as something that you want to become part of your child at the cellular level.
It's important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience because if not cleared, the mother can be at risk for having a traumatic birth. The mother's feelings and past traumatic experiences are to be taken very seriously and should be looked into, recognized and discussed so she can be in a better emotional position when it comes time for the birth of her baby. As far as how to use music to help parents clear trauma; I think that guided imagery and music could be helpful to recognize and talk about past experiences and how to move forward from the trauma. I like the idea of having the parents keep a journal and processing their thoughts and feelings about the trauma through improvisational music making. I think that bonding between parents and having a good understanding of each other's perception of one another emotionally is a very positive thing before pregnancy and during. That being said, I think that anything we can do as music therapists to help the parents work on bonding at this time would be beneficial (both with one another as well as with baby). We could encourage engagement of music making together, singing lullabies with one another to the baby in the womb, and scheduling time together outside of music therapy to engage in singing and music making together would all be great things.
I have found that art and song writing can be most helpful in clearing and healing trauma but every client's experience will be different. It is also important to remember that the birth partner may have experienced birth trauma and may need to work through it and process it too.
It's very important to clear trauma prior to birth due to the lasting effects it can have on your child. For developing fetuses in utero trauma that has not been resolved for the mother will effect the development of the child. Trauma can lead to psychological and physical developmental delays for a child. As a music therapist, we can assist pregnant mothers to clear trauma before the birthing experience. For example guided imagery can be used to as a powerful cleansing tool. Encouraging the mother open up about her ideal birthing experience and mentally rehearsing that experience in order to support her through it. In conjunction to providing individual therapy, I think family music therapy could help couples discuss concerns and insecurities prior to the birthing experience. I thought the example provided in "pre-parenting" about the father who opened up about his reservations about being able to provide support and strength to his wife during her pregnancy was extremely powerful. By clearing this notion prior to the birth the couple was able to let go and be fully in the moment without any unspoken insecurities. I also think that songwriting could be a great way to encourage this dialogue as well as providing songs for lyric analysis and discussion. As MT's, We can assist mothers and fathers in the prenatal bonding experience by encouraging them to engage in sensory experiences with the child in utero as well. Singing while rubbing or patting the belly along to the music or breathing and relaxation techniques can be extremely beneficial for facilitating a lasting bond between parents and their unborn child.
It’s important to try and clear trauma prior to the birthing experience, as this is something that can potentially be passed on to the baby and carried throughout their lifetime, manifesting into depression, anxiety, conduct disorders and inappropriate aggression. It can also impact on the labour process and make for a more difficult birth. Using music to help firstly address trauma issues with the mother and then exploring them through music could help enormously. Interventions such as guided imagery and music could be appropriate, as well as using music with meditations to work alongside some Yoga practice. Using visualisation methods and combining them with creative expression through drawing and music offers a safe space to identify the source of trauma, gently work through the issues and visualise positive outcomes. Combining this work with a woman’s partner also means there are opportunities for further discussion, identifying mutual fears and increasing support. Playing gentle music and singing lullabies could then also be used to help strengthen the bond between parents and child before birth and could then be used immediately post-birth as a way to ‘orient’ the child to his/her surroundings and provide calm from the familiarity of the music, thereby strengthening the bond between parents. The creation of a womb song in particular, can be a particularly positive and practical way to not only help form attachment, but with closure of any previous trauma.
Yes trauma can cycle through generations if it is not cleared. In my work with APPPAH I have met some wonderful colleagues who do trauma work with parents and newborns. It is very important if signs of trauma are observed in the newborn such as difficulty feeding or inability to soothe that the baby be examined by a perinatal psychologist to assess for birth trauma. We can follow their lead and guidance and begin to explore, research and document music therapy practices for clearing pre and peri natal trauma. Yes I have found that creating the womb song provides a vehicle for experiencing feelings related to the moment of birth, a time which is traumatic for many.
Clearing trauma is of the utmost importance because you are trying to allow the baby to be free from past baggage. The pre-natal baby and mother share the same experience so a music therapist should use all modalities at their disposal, music, imagery and even verbal therapy to provide a safe holding space. Trauma is stored somatically so soothing music can introduce a calming atmosphere into the labor room which will alleviate the hold trauma has on the body. Family singing can provide a bonding experience just as strong as skin-to-skin and eye-to-eye contact.
Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
When a woman has uncleared trauma, she carries those energetic patterns within her body, mind and heart field and this gets communicated to the baby. Unresolved trauma generally results in feeling of danger or not feeling safe and can get easily triggered by thing that remind the mother of the past trauma. All of the physiologic responses that result from the triggering - the hormones, neurotransmitters, heart rate variability pattern go right to the baby and shape its experience. Music is a wonderful to help process trauma because it speaks at the feeling/emotional level and can help bring the issues to conscious awareness so they can be cleared. (easier said than done in real practice!) Music, especially the mother's voice (singing) can be soothing and make the baby and mother both feel calm and safe. Deeper bonding and connection can only occur with a feeling of safety.
Yes and music is such a great tool at creating safety and calm thus facilitating the bonding process between mother and baby. We must clear trauma in order for the boding experience to evolve readily.
It is important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience for many reasons. Holding trauma, especially trauma that is classified as PTSD, can create an anxiety-filled space for the baby in the womb and also carry through out of the womb. There are studies that show that babies that came from mothers that had a lot of trauma throughout the pregnancy may have more health and emotional issues once delivered. Music can be used to do emotional work with moms during a pregnancy by doing songwriting of what being a mother means to them or exploring other themes around the body. Hopefully, through exploring different themes through the context of music, will give moms an open door to explore things they might be holding onto that they were not even aware of. This could also be used for parents, prenatally, in opening up many topics/themes to explore about parenting; how they were parented and how they envision parenting.
Yes exactly. We must help our mothers process the trauma safely and work through it so it does not affect them and the developing baby. The effects of trauma on birth can be lifelong. Music is an excellent tool to explore thoughts and feelings in a non-threatening way. I also often use mandalas paired with song writing.
Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
It is important to clear trauma before the birth experience because the more you are holding onto going into it, the higher the likelihood of not being able to let go during the birth experience and be wholly a part of it. "Cob-web clearing sessions" can help in being open to what happens during labor and afterwards. In labor, some of these issues can come out in failing to progress if not worked out ahead of time. While in utero, the anxiety from previous trauma can affect baby as well. Stress hormones that are released into the blood can cross through the placenta to the baby. This can affect the babies emotional well being after they are born. Not addressing trauma can also affect the relationship with baby afterwards as bonding might not be as strong if mom is still working through these experiences.
We can use music to help clear trauma by engaging in a variety of self exploration interventions. I'm thinking of a lyric analysis with the song "Roar" by Katy Perry and looking at the trauma as the thing that was holding them down and discussing how "biting our tongue and holding our breath," and not talking about it might not be the best thing for us. We could also discuss how people are going to hear her "roar" during childbirth because she is a "champion" and how she is going to "dance through the fire" of childbirth.
We can use music to build parenting relationships prenatally by working with the parents to write a lullaby for their child. We can discuss adding things such as how they feel about baby, what the parents look forward to doing once their baby is here, etc. This lullaby can be used throughout the pregnancy and then after the baby is born as well. After baby is born, it would be familiar to them so that it can be a comfort to baby when they need some help calming down.
Exactly I have seen it happen many times... even with women who started to process and clear their trauma. Sometimes it is too little too late. We must start early so mother and baby are prepared for the transition outside the womb. Music is an amazing way to build communication and relationships prior to birth.
Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? It is important for both parents to clear trauma prior to the pregnancy and birth of their child in order for the baby to not "absorb" the stress, anxiety, and tension of the trauma. The authors of the texts clearly outline potential long-term effects of exposure to high levels of stress during pregnancy, and the importance of surround the pregnant woman and baby with as much security, positivity, and nurturing as possible.
What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? Speaking from my own experience, I found that clearing my trauma was an active and physical process. With that in mind, I could see drumming to be a beneficial experience, as long as it remains controlled. One of the videos spoke about clearing trauma as very cathartic, but avoiding going into the actual trauma, but rather treating clear the experiences and associations surrounding it. Additionally, I found meditation and just deep relaxing to music to be beneficial after such experiences.
In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally? Music is one of the first ways we can communicate effectively with unborn babies. It allows baby increased exposure to mother and partner's voice, and exposure to language, speech patterns, rhythm, etc. Researchers indicate babies exposed to music in utero have significantly higher language skills than their peers unexposed to music.
I think it's also worth noting that music is a profoundly strong tool, and may, at times, be overwhelming emotionally- not in a way that is helpful. I remember that when I returned to work after my daughter's death, I opened my mouth to sing and nearly lost control of my emotions. It took a few weeks of singing very "safe" songs before I could use music effective in my coping.
It is important to clear trauma prior to birth so that the mother does not pass on any negative energy to her baby. Clearing trauma will allow the mother to be present and positive and empowered and loving so that these are the feelings that the baby experiences at the point of birth, thereby providing a foundation for a well-adjusted, empowered child.
Some ways I might use to help parents to clear trauma would be to create a time-line of their life. The music can be songs that provide them with memories of many points in their lives. If a song is a trigger for a negative memory, I would want to play some instrumental music in the background and then have them write down words that come to mind when they reflect on this time. I would then have them restructure the words into a new set, like a poem. They could then sing or speak their words to music. I would allow for ample verbal processing about how it felt to explore this time in their life and whether more processing would be necessary to “let it go”.
I also might use art combined with music to help the couple express any prior trauma. Movement, mandalas, creating safe spaces, or positive affirmations (much of the same ideas used in the Creative Art Birthing course). This is a beautiful way to combine modalities and allow a deeper level of consciousness to come through, assisted with music.
Moms and dads can play music over a sound system and talk about the music to the baby. They can share if it’s their favorite song, what kind of music it is, the instruments that are playing, whether the music makes them feel relaxed, etc. And of course, writing a womb song and singing it each night to the baby when the mom is calm will help establish a secure, relaxed feeling when it hears the song after it is earthside!
According to Thomas R. Verny, how we enter the world is very important. Unresolved trauma (whether it is from a previous traumatic birth or from another traumatic event in the mother’s life) can result in high anxiety for the mother during delivery which can have a negative impact on the baby. Clearing trauma before birth can lead to a calmer, gentler delivery which in turn can promote better bonding and more alertness in the newborn baby. Songwriting, lyric analysis, and music assisted relaxation techniques could be used in a music therapy session to help mothers/parents clear trauma.
ReplyDeleteSinging to an unborn baby can be beneficial for the baby as well as the parents. For the baby, it is a way to become familiar with the voices of his/her parents while still inside the womb. According to Rosario N. Rozada Montemurro, singing teaches an unborn child the basics of bonding and love. For the parents, singing to the unborn baby can be a way of bonding with one another as well as bonding with the baby. It is important to point out that some researchers have cautioned against too much stimulation for an unborn baby as it could potentially have a negative impact on the baby. Based on this advice, parents should be careful that the music sung/played to the baby is gentle and peaceful.
Yes to all. :) I recently assisted a family this summer in the birth of their 2nd child. There was a significant trauma to clear before the upcoming birth. The birth of the 1st child was particularly traumatic and the first baby needed CPR just after birth. I worked with this family using music imagery, drawing a mandala, and discussion afterwards. Both parents were able to verbalize their fears for the upcoming birth and felt relieved when they realized they both felt the same way. In the visualization they saw the family with new baby together as a whole surrounded by light and gentle music. Their drawings showed symbols of each family member united in the circle. The music held their family together as a circle. We also wrote a beautiful womb song. At the birth, both parents were extremely calm and the birth was beautiful and peaceful. The father cried and said this is how birth be and that he was so glad to have the support of the music before and after the birth. I recently saw the mother as it has been 3 months since the birth of the baby. She is glowing and she said it was the easiest recovery she could have ever imagined. They use music in the home with baby often and she loves being sung to.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story!
DeleteHow special that the whole family was part of the process.
DeleteThat's so great! The birth of our second child was traumatic so my husband and I really had to work through a lot before our third child was born. Fortunately, my third delivery was the easiest of all! It's the one delivery where I used music during almost every phase of the labor and delivery. :)
ReplyDeleteKatie I'm sorry to hear that you have experienced a traumatic birth that it is so awesome that your third birth went great! The music has so many important functions during labor and birth it's amazing. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience so that the parents do not bring any of their unresolved issues to the birth experience. The parents should examine individual feelings and explore their relationship with each other so the development and comfort of the child is not affected by stress and an unsupportive environment. It is suggested in the readings to journal. Music while journaling could be used as a way to express and explore previous trauma. Using music with art or while journaling can help reveal issues or emotions from our subconscious or express feeling we may not be able to express verbally. Music can also be a way to begin conversation between partners.
ReplyDeleteJust as Katie stated above, Montemurro’s findings from the pre-parenting book state, “If singing teaches the unborn child anything, it may be the basics of bonding and love.” Parents singing to their baby in the womb can build their relationship and parents may notice their baby responding back by kicking or the baby may be more still. Another technique in the readings is to Have the parents choose one song to sing to their baby in the womb daily. After the baby is born this song can be used to comfort the baby and lullaby the baby.
Yes I use music art and journaling in my trauma work with mothers and father prenatally. It is very powerful. Also the Womb Song is an amazing tool. Today Melissa and talked about how the womb song must be short in length, repeititious,easy to remember, simple melody, and focused on the baby.
ReplyDeleteIf there have been previous traumatic birth experiences for the mother her anxiety or memories can negatively affect her next birth. She may not feel comfortable or confident in her body's ability to give birth and so she will not be able to fully focus on allowing her body to open up, and may not have the strength or perseverance needed to push the baby out. Being able to work through this trauma and the negative emotions associated with it will allow the woman to gain back confidence in her body. Having the support of her partner and a music therapist will also help her be confident and feel emotionally supported to prepare for the birth. Music and imagery, music with art, and song writing are all powerful tools a music therapist can use to help clear trauma from the mind. Once this has been done, special womb songs and lullabies are a great way to create positive experiences and memories for the parents as they prepare for the birth.
ReplyDeleteYes the trauma work must occur first. And the womb songs and lullabies are great way to foster healing and hope for the next birth. :)
ReplyDeleteFrom reading the chapters and watching the videos, and thinking about personal experiences and those of close friends/family, trauma can become a pattern from one generation to the next. Events that did not directly involve the fetus can directly affect the fetus and any future generations that come. The hormones and inner workings of the body let the mother know that something is wrong through perception, a level below conscious thought. These responses of the body can also detrimentally affect the physical health of a fetus after birth, as well as the experiences during birth. Negative experiences during the birth can negatively affect one of the most important connections/bonds known to humankind. Providing a sense of emotional support, whether through music or a counseling therapeutic relationship, can help guide a person safely through the confusion and/or negative feelings surrounding a trauma. Music oftentimes embodies the experiences of others, including their emotions, reactions and wisdom that they learned from getting past it. Seeking out this music and using it to provide other cognitive options to a person in trauma might be a start for clearing trauma. On the other hand, building the parenting relationship during gestation requires multiple opportunities to provide affection for the fetus as well as cultivation of a communicative bond. Sometimes this simply involves educating the parents, but the parents may need the influence that music can provide in order to generate or clarify an emotional response to the growing fetus. A huge beneficial part of music is it's influence on our emotional processing. The right song can go a long way in feeling one's emotions and providing emotional perspective.
ReplyDeleteYes! Music, counseling, and therapeutic relationship combined can be a very effective approach. Music goes straight to the core (the midbrain) where feelings are experienced without words. By processing those feelings/emotions, bringing them into cognitive awareness, and using language to express the thoughts related to them is how we begin to heal past trauma and prepare for birth.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to clear trauma for a number of reasons. The primary reason is that anything we feel as mothers we are transferring to the unborn child. The child will likely feel that stress, depression, and other negative emotions. According to the book, Preparenting, these feelings are actually transmitted through the bloodstream.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason to clear trauma is to be able to be fully conscious and aware of the child growing inside of you and to not let passed trauma cloud your experience. past traumas, if unresolved, can effect the birthing process. Also, according to the Preparenting book, if you, yourself, experienced a traumatic birth, you are more likely to have a traumatic birth with your child. This is also something we need to be aware of.
I'm going to reiterate what I believe is the most beautiful quote from the reading, "If singing teaches the unborn child anything, it is bonding and love". What could possibly be a better way to help ease the child into the world? Singing helps both the mother and baby. We know, based on the Mozart effect, that classical music specifically reduces stress hormones and stimulates endorphins, which are beneficial to both mama and baby. If trauma is process through music prenatally, stress hormones will be released next won't be carried throughout the pregnancy, labor, and birth.
Again, must is a bonding experience. In many other countries mentioned in the reading, Japan, Uganda, Nigeria, singing to the newborn is common practice. It helps the parent and child bond and it is a bond carried through to birth. The child will remember those melodies, and based on the research, these familiar melodies often have calming effects on the child and help them fall asleep.
Dorian Campbell
You raise such good points! The Mozart Effect was great in bringing people's attention to the power of music, but it was a one-time thing. They weren't able to replicate the study, so the results are invalid. What's more important to keep in mind, which I think is the point you are making, is that music can stimulate endorphins and reduce stress hormones. Which is amazing!
DeleteYes we must clear trauma prior to birth so we don't pass on the negative effects to the baby. Yes music is the perfect media to enhance the bonding process dues to its bio-psycho-social factors. Singing especially by the mother stimulates and comforts the baby prenatally and post partum. Music experiences can help the parents develop communication skills and deepen emotional relationship with each other which will be critical for parenthood.
ReplyDeleteI think that IT IS very important to clear trauma before first, second or…any birth experience. Personally speaking I was not lucky enough during the last trimester of my pregnancy as I had traumatic experiences since from 8m (hospitalization, urgent CS, separation from my new born baby, incubator, no touch, no sound….enough reasons to leave traumatic traces to the baby, new mom and dad). So as a therapist and brand new mom I used to work hard to be able TO BE more conscious as much as I can of all situation firstly and to try to resolve, step by step, that traumatic experiences, during the time. Still working on some of them…
ReplyDelete(in last three years I am working with new moms and babies through musical baby bonding, infant massage, also I finished great program First Sounds: Rhythm, Breath & Lullaby NICU Music Therapy Training which is great and now I am here in Prenatal Music field so I would love to bring this beautiful program here in Serbia because we need it.)
Anyway, definitely I think it is very important to clear (work on) trauma at the beginning of pregnancy and afterwards. As Dorian already said: “important reason to clear trauma is to of the child growing inside of you and to not let passed trauma cloud your experience. Past traumas, if unresolved, can affect the birthing process and after. Being able to work through trauma and the negative emotions associated with it will allow the woman to gain back confidence in her body and herself. So therefore (here in Serbia) we should have more educative programs, therapists, supportive community and awareness of birth trauma and their consequences.
As a music therapist it would be great to have opportunity to have therapist in hospitals especially if the pregnancy is risky (been there done that). As we all know music goes straight to the core where the feelings are. And it can be very powerful. By processing those feelings/emotions, bringing them into cognitive awareness, and using language to express the thoughts related to them is how we begin to heal past trauma and prepare for birth.
It would be great to work with those moms (and babies) straight away. Also if we are speaking about private practice I would definitely recommended parent to choose one or two songs to sing to their baby, daily. To make womb song, do communicate through touch, movement and sound and to focus on the baby. It will be beneficial even when the baby comes and it can be used to comfort the baby and mom as well.
At the end beautiful sentence explained everything:“If singing teaches the unborn child anything, it may be the basics of bonding and love.”
I love the First Sounds Rhythm Breath lullaby program! It is wonderful! and yes music does go straight to the core that is why it is so effective in healing trauma. Yes the womb song is the essential tool of the prenatal music bonding experience. :)
DeleteClearing trauma before birth is very important for setting the new parents and baby up for success! Past trauma and mental illness can negatively effect baby by hormones passing through the placenta. Prolonged exposure to stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine have been linked to low birth weight and irritability in newborns as well as learning and memory challenges in children. Epigenetics tell us that our environmental stressors can change our genes which are passed on to further generations.
ReplyDeleteWorking with new parents to relieve stress and clear past trauma (especially birth trauma). Community support and loving parents are the strongest way to counteract trauma and negate any negative effects that may be passed along to baby.
Trauma may be lurking in the subconscious until pregnancy and birth. By giving parents a safe and nurturing environment to explore their feelings we can assist in preventing any surprises! Birth has enough surprises without psychological events from the parents.
To assist in "clearing the cobwebs" we can use music to process through hopes and fears for the parents. Guided Imagery, mandalas, and relaxation are powerful tools to notice what is going on under the surface. These experiences can also be used to help the parents really listen to each other and found their parenting relationship on openness.
We can also use music to assist in bonding with baby. Womb songs and simple communication through music may help mom feel bonded with baby and alleviate some stress before birth.
Yes that is so true about epigenetics! And yes in preparing for birth and in the birth experience we relive our trauma unless we resolve it prior to the experience. Yes guided imagery and mandalas are wonderful- I use them a lot in trauma work with couples preparing for childbirth. The more bonded parents are prenatal with baby the better prepared they will be when baby comes. :)
ReplyDeleteWeek 3
ReplyDeleteWhy is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience?
This section was fascinating, I never knew that life in utero could affect one’s entire life. The fetus is aware of changes in the mother’s emotional state and can absorb some of her feelings and emotions. It is important for the mother to clear stress, especially in the third trimester so that the fetus does not receive increases levels of stress hormones. Things such as moving, changes in job, unwanted pregnancy, lack of support can all effect the child. By working to clear the trauma and stress during this delicate time the mother is helping their child stay as balanced as possible.
In addition, the trauma of birth itself can leave a lasting impact on the child. Modern conveniences and medical technology have made the birth experience itself more stressful and less comforting that those of our forefathers.
What are ways you could use music to help parent’s clear trauma?
This is an area that I would really love more ideas on as I work to build my program. One thing that I thought would be helpful would be a combination of journal writing and songwriting. Using art mixed with it would be more powerful but I do not feel comfortable analyzing art to incorporate this component. Music improvisation to initially address trauma to then lead to a more in depth conversation of addressing the underlying trauma and then working to process it. Part of trauma comes fear so I would also consider helping the mother to make a compilation of music that assist in calming and relaxing themselves to use when their fears start to make them a little more unsettled.
In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
There is so much bonding that can occur prenatally. Some ideas that I had while reading the text included singing lullabies to the fetus while massaging the stomach. They can hear the lower sounds better and their mother’s voice the best. One of the text mentioned Peter and the Wolf and other children’s stories paired with music. This would provide an opportunity for the parent to bond with their child and begin that supportive relationship.
I also considered if the mom journal their thoughts through the process to then put some of these into song to create a special song for the child once they are older. Or helping the mom to write and start singing a specific to them lullaby that can be used to help calm the child once they are born.
I love song writing and journaling. :) And the musical stories like Peter and the Wolf are great! Even some other fun music books like Miss Mary Mack and Down By the Bay would be fun too. Sung at a slower tempo of course. Exposing baby to rhyming structures in songs helps helps stimulate language development.
DeleteQuestion: Why is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
ReplyDeleteUnresolved trauma plays into our everyday lives and can be damaging to our relationships with ourselves and others. Being a new parent, a mother will begin to go down a new path and it is a path easier traveled without baggage. A traumatized mother will have more difficulty connecting with her child in a healthy, balanced way. Teaching breathing techniques through singing and chanting will offer a very helpful coping skill for the new mom as she processes and deals with the effects of trauma. a music therapist can facilitate a sort of psychic cleansing, using songwriting and mantras to process baggage and create new scripts to replace old, negative ones. A music therapist can also help expecting parents bond before the birth through call and response signing and drumming, didactic instrumental improvisation and listening to songs that are significant to the couple
Yes traveling down a new path is easier without baggage. What a great way to explain that to clients. Accessing unconscious material through creative arts processes can lead the way to reframing and processing the trauma experience, putting it in perspective and helping a client to move forward. Relaxation and coping skills through music are essential for life, anxiety management, and relationship building. I like the call and response singing idea. Do you have any songs you can suggest that might work well with expectant parents?
DeleteWhy is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience?
ReplyDeleteAs everyone mentioned above, we don't want to pass along the trauma to the unborn child, for physiological, hormonal, mental, spiritual and emotional reasons. The baby experiences and subconsciously understands a lot more than we once thought, so it's very important to release the past and be present for this new being, so as not to continue the cycle. It's also good for the mother and her partner, so they can have a healthier relationship, and will also help her to feel more empowered and relaxed in her birth, which can lead to better outcomes. It will also help her to bond and connect with her baby.
What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma?
Music is a very powerful modality to use when working with trauma. As many have already mentioned, using songwriting, journaling, art/mandalas, guided imagery, visualization and chanting are all powerful methods. I would add using music in relationship to movement/dance to help release trauma that is stored in the body. I would also like to experiment with chant writing/singing positive affirmations to help the mother focus and transform her fear. The goals here are to help her to feel safe, understand/release her trauma through creative means, and to be present and empowered with her child. I would also add some sound healing/vibrational healing modalities to help resonate in different areas of her body as she becomes for comfortable as well as an iso principal playlist that you make together that can gradually move her from her fear/trauma response to a more calm and present place.
Another way music could be used would be to integrate it with all the senses to help the mother with reality orientation and creating her safe space (aromatherapy, color therapy, comforting touch, and even wonderful tastes.)
Lastly I would add that I would use music to pair with a slow rhythmic breathing technique (such as HeartFocused Breathing from HeartMath) an evidence based practice shown to move us from our more reactive brain to our cerebral cortex. We need to help her move out of fight or flight into having more cortical facilitation. The steady rhythmic breathing paired with the music can help her to do that.
It would be good to help her make a list of tools she can use if/when a trauma response arises. It's important to remember how vulnerable pregnancy/birth can be, and that it can re-traumatize women, especially those who have been sexually abused or raped. Creating a safe place where she feels in control is number one.
In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
They can choose songs to express feelings to one another that are more difficult to talk about. In therapy they could do a lyric analysis of each one as a in road to having those important discussions around fears and hopes. Writing a womb song together as others mentioned can be a very bonding and intimate experience. If they are together romantically, I would add using music with slow dancing, massage/touch and for intimacy (looking into each others eyes, holding hands, snuggling, etc.) Remembering special love songs or songs that hold significant or positive memories would be great, or making a special love playlist for them to share. Mixtape y'all :)
Further, it would be good to actually play live music together (could be soft drumming, singing, etc.) to learn metaphorically what it feels like to work together, listen to one another, communicate in a balanced effective way, observing non-verbal cues, reading one another, have their voice be heard and celebrate their differences and the unique gifts each one brings to the table. Live music as a metaphor could be a great jumping off point to explore their new dynamic and their partnership in a non-verbal into verbal way.
I like the idea of HeartMath. I was not aware of this but it sounds very beneficial
DeleteYes Summer, release the past and be present for this new being. Very powerful words. Another very eloqent way to explain this to our clients. Thank you! Chant can be very powerful and yes I think Heart Math is very cool too. :) Intimacy is very important for the couple because if their relationship is strong they have a good foundation for loving, caring for, and bonding with their baby. Using music to support relationship building in pregnancy is very important. This is one of the principles of the Nightly Practice Sessions we teach during the Sound Birthing Music Therapy Assisted Childbirth program. We offer this course in a workshop format and Blended Learning. Contact me or check the Sound Birthing Website for more information. :)
ReplyDeleteWhy is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience?
ReplyDeleteWhat great responses from everyone so far! I'm really enjoying learning from your perspective and ideas. As you all mentioned, as learned in our readings, mother's emotions and hormones have a significant impact on her unborn baby. How important it is to go into birth feeling confident, strong, and full of hope! Even just comparing my two home births (which both went very well without having suffered any traumas), my second birth went so much more smoothly because I was that much more confident, relaxed, and I trusted my body and myself more. Therefore, with my more relaxed body and mind, my labor was so much easier - which results in less birth trauma and more peri and postnatal bonding! It's a beautiful cycle when you clear your fears and trauma. If we help to heal the trauma before birth, we can lowered the risk of future traumas for this mom and generations to come. And what hope we can give our clients through the evidence of "post-traumatic growth"! Not only can they heal from previous traumas, but they can approach birth even stronger than before the trauma occurred!
What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma?
The goal would be to move from identifying, accepting, and validating feelings from the trauma to experiencing acceptance, peace, hope, confidence, and strength for the future. I liked how Penny Simkin's video reminded us that we shouldn't "go into the trauma" and "get lost there" but instead live in the present time and be cared for. You all have shared such great ideas - journaling and music, improvisation, guided imagery and visualization, songwriting, playlists to support the early and later stages of the healing process (ex. validation/grief then confidence/hope), and movement to music. Summer, I'm really curious about your chant writing/positive affirmation idea - it sounds perfect. And what a great tool and reminder to take with you into labor (or in other times of fear or doubt) when times get tough! I think some women could really respond well to having that musical reminder of hope playing in their minds. (a little jingle of hope.)
In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
This is a great opportunity! Our readings emphasized how important the father's positive relationship is to the security and happiness of the mother and child. If the mother and father are in a secure and loving relationship, environmental stresses (financial, moves, etc) can have very little impact. My first intervention idea (which someone mentioned) was to have Mom and Dad simply participate in active music-making together (improv or more structured). The opportunities for complimenting each other in the music, listening, give and take, and creating something beautiful together not only creates music for their child but unites them as a couple and as parents. Also, giving the parents a repertoire of songs that they can sing to their child is a great gift (lullabies, cultural, spiritual). And experimenting with ways that they can be complimentary in the song (ex. maybe each person has a special part or harmony to add, or a specific part for a hug/rub or kiss for each other and/or child).
We must heal and move through the trauma to a place of hope. I have seen this time and again with my clients. It is possible to have a blissful birth after a traumatic one. With careful work and preparation it can happen. The clients need to trust in the process and rebuild their trust in themselves. Yes there are so many intervention choices we can use in clearing trauma and working through the experience. Each client's experience is unique so it will be important to keep that in mind as you choose your interventions and work together. Strengthening the bond of the couple is so important in helping to prepare them for parenthood.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people try so hard to compartmentalize different aspects of their lives that it can be hard for them to see how one area of their life can affect another area of their life. Helping people connect the dots can be one way to help them understand why dealing with underlying issues is important before giving birth (ideally before conceiving). This can be done in a variety of ways, and there are a lot of great ideas above. Some go-to ideas I have are:
-guided imagery with music to gently address any unwanted feelings are issues in a private and safe mental space, followed by processing it by talking, journaling, and/or music improvisation
-regularly singing and talking to the baby prenatally are great ways to establish a parenting relationship. Writing or improvising songs to sing to the baby can help communicate and explain feelings. Whether the feeling is love, excitement, anxiety, or fear, singing about it can help communicate to the baby in a safe and loving way. If writing music or improvisational singing is uncomfortable for either parent, then talking with the baby with relaxing, calming music playing open air can help convey the message.
-exercising/dancing to music can help unlock feelings/memories that may be stored in the body. Unlocking it can help free the body and mind to be less anxious, and more present/aware. This can be followed up with loving touch on the mother's belly to stay connected to the baby, and to further communicate the feelings the mother (or father) experienced.
Yes multi-sensorial nonverbal ways grounded in specifically chosen music experience to unlock and process trauma are very powerful. Keep us posted on your work Laura. You have wonderful ideas. I like the movement idea- that is powerful.
ReplyDeleteAs a therapist, these readings highlight the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the realness of the pregnant woman's feelings if she has been traumatized previously through a bad experience. After awareness and acknowledgment through a supportive relationship such as therapy, understanding and peace can come. Music can be used to clear trauma through its ability to access unconscious material and process emotions through improvisation, lyric analysis and discussion, and songwriting. And since calm is so important during pregnancy, music relaxation and breathing could be extremely effective. The music therapeutic relationship can also be used to develop a relationship between mother and infant. Because mothers can communicate to their unborn children through sensory means, using singing while rubbing and patting the belly is one way to facilitate a mother-child interaction as a music therapist. Culturally sensitive lullabies that are sung during pregnancy have been shown to be recognized by babies after birth. Excitingly, intuitive communication is one way mother and child can understand one another. The creation of music is very much an intuitive one, so musical improvisation with a therapist is a way to access that intuitive communicative channel. A mother could also journal when the baby was responsive to certain music or other stimulus and keep it as a gift to give to her child later to send the message- I knew you and listened to you before you were even born! It is also interesting to think that one can be conscious about the type of music you choose to listen to when you are pregnant, and the stories and messages it conveys, as something that you want to become part of your child at the cellular level.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reminding us about intuition and improvisation Kalli!
DeleteIt's important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience because if not cleared, the mother can be at risk for having a traumatic birth. The mother's feelings and past traumatic experiences are to be taken very seriously and should be looked into, recognized and discussed so she can be in a better emotional position when it comes time for the birth of her baby. As far as how to use music to help parents clear trauma; I think that guided imagery and music could be helpful to recognize and talk about past experiences and how to move forward from the trauma. I like the idea of having the parents keep a journal and processing their thoughts and feelings about the trauma through improvisational music making. I think that bonding between parents and having a good understanding of each other's perception of one another emotionally is a very positive thing before pregnancy and during. That being said, I think that anything we can do as music therapists to help the parents work on bonding at this time would be beneficial (both with one another as well as with baby). We could encourage engagement of music making together, singing lullabies with one another to the baby in the womb, and scheduling time together outside of music therapy to engage in singing and music making together would all be great things.
ReplyDeleteI have found that art and song writing can be most helpful in clearing and healing trauma but every client's experience will be different. It is also important to remember that the birth partner may have experienced birth trauma and may need to work through it and process it too.
ReplyDeleteIt's very important to clear trauma prior to birth due to the lasting effects it can have on your child. For developing fetuses in utero trauma that has not been resolved for the mother will effect the development of the child. Trauma can lead to psychological and physical developmental delays for a child.
ReplyDeleteAs a music therapist, we can assist pregnant mothers to clear trauma before the birthing experience. For example guided imagery can be used to as a powerful cleansing tool. Encouraging the mother open up about her ideal birthing experience and mentally rehearsing that experience in order to support her through it. In conjunction to providing individual therapy, I think family music therapy could help couples discuss concerns and insecurities prior to the birthing experience. I thought the example provided in "pre-parenting" about the father who opened up about his reservations about being able to provide support and strength to his wife during her pregnancy was extremely powerful. By clearing this notion prior to the birth the couple was able to let go and be fully in the moment without any unspoken insecurities. I also think that songwriting could be a great way to encourage this dialogue as well as providing songs for lyric analysis and discussion.
As MT's, We can assist mothers and fathers in the prenatal bonding experience by encouraging them to engage in sensory experiences with the child in utero as well. Singing while rubbing or patting the belly along to the music or breathing and relaxation techniques can be extremely beneficial for facilitating a lasting bond between parents and their unborn child.
Yes to all Kailee. Well said. :)
DeleteIt’s important to try and clear trauma prior to the birthing experience, as this is something that can potentially be passed on to the baby and carried throughout their lifetime, manifesting into depression, anxiety, conduct disorders and inappropriate aggression. It can also impact on the labour process and make for a more difficult birth.
ReplyDeleteUsing music to help firstly address trauma issues with the mother and then exploring them through music could help enormously. Interventions such as guided imagery and music could be appropriate, as well as using music with meditations to work alongside some Yoga practice. Using visualisation methods and combining them with creative expression through drawing and music offers a safe space to identify the source of trauma, gently work through the issues and visualise positive outcomes. Combining this work with a woman’s partner also means there are opportunities for further discussion, identifying mutual fears and increasing support.
Playing gentle music and singing lullabies could then also be used to help strengthen the bond between parents and child before birth and could then be used immediately post-birth as a way to ‘orient’ the child to his/her surroundings and provide calm from the familiarity of the music, thereby strengthening the bond between parents. The creation of a womb song in particular, can be a particularly positive and practical way to not only help form attachment, but with closure of any previous trauma.
Yes trauma can cycle through generations if it is not cleared. In my work with APPPAH I have met some wonderful colleagues who do trauma work with parents and newborns. It is very important if signs of trauma are observed in the newborn such as difficulty feeding or inability to soothe that the baby be examined by a perinatal psychologist to assess for birth trauma. We can follow their lead and guidance and begin to explore, research and document music therapy practices for clearing pre and peri natal trauma. Yes I have found that creating the womb song provides a vehicle for experiencing feelings related to the moment of birth, a time which is traumatic for many.
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated by the concept of intergenerational trauma but how would one go about collecting empirical data that supports this concept?
DeleteClearing trauma is of the utmost importance because you are trying to allow the baby to be free from past baggage. The pre-natal baby and mother share the same experience so a music therapist should use all modalities at their disposal, music, imagery and even verbal therapy to provide a safe holding space.
ReplyDeleteTrauma is stored somatically so soothing music can introduce a calming atmosphere into the labor room which will alleviate the hold trauma has on the body. Family singing can provide a bonding experience just as strong as skin-to-skin and eye-to-eye contact.
Yes if at all possible it is important to try to clear the trauma and achieve healing prior to the birth.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
ReplyDeleteWhen a woman has uncleared trauma, she carries those energetic patterns within her body, mind and heart field and this gets communicated to the baby. Unresolved trauma generally results in feeling of danger or not feeling safe and can get easily triggered by thing that remind the mother of the past trauma. All of the physiologic responses that result from the triggering - the hormones, neurotransmitters, heart rate variability pattern go right to the baby and shape its experience.
Music is a wonderful to help process trauma because it speaks at the feeling/emotional level and can help bring the issues to conscious awareness so they can be cleared. (easier said than done in real practice!) Music, especially the mother's voice (singing) can be soothing and make the baby and mother both feel calm and safe. Deeper bonding and connection can only occur with a feeling of safety.
Yes and music is such a great tool at creating safety and calm thus facilitating the bonding process between mother and baby. We must clear trauma in order for the boding experience to evolve readily.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience for many reasons. Holding trauma, especially trauma that is classified as PTSD, can create an anxiety-filled space for the baby in the womb and also carry through out of the womb. There are studies that show that babies that came from mothers that had a lot of trauma throughout the pregnancy may have more health and emotional issues once delivered. Music can be used to do emotional work with moms during a pregnancy by doing songwriting of what being a mother means to them or exploring other themes around the body. Hopefully, through exploring different themes through the context of music, will give moms an open door to explore things they might be holding onto that they were not even aware of. This could also be used for parents, prenatally, in opening up many topics/themes to explore about parenting; how they were parented and how they envision parenting.
ReplyDeleteYes exactly. We must help our mothers process the trauma safely and work through it so it does not affect them and the developing baby. The effects of trauma on birth can be lifelong. Music is an excellent tool to explore thoughts and feelings in a non-threatening way. I also often use mandalas paired with song writing.
DeleteWhy is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience? What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma? In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
ReplyDeleteIt is important to clear trauma before the birth experience because the more you are holding onto going into it, the higher the likelihood of not being able to let go during the birth experience and be wholly a part of it. "Cob-web clearing sessions" can help in being open to what happens during labor and afterwards. In labor, some of these issues can come out in failing to progress if not worked out ahead of time. While in utero, the anxiety from previous trauma can affect baby as well. Stress hormones that are released into the blood can cross through the placenta to the baby. This can affect the babies emotional well being after they are born. Not addressing trauma can also affect the relationship with baby afterwards as bonding might not be as strong if mom is still working through these experiences.
We can use music to help clear trauma by engaging in a variety of self exploration interventions. I'm thinking of a lyric analysis with the song "Roar" by Katy Perry and looking at the trauma as the thing that was holding them down and discussing how "biting our tongue and holding our breath," and not talking about it might not be the best thing for us. We could also discuss how people are going to hear her "roar" during childbirth because she is a "champion" and how she is going to "dance through the fire" of childbirth.
We can use music to build parenting relationships prenatally by working with the parents to write a lullaby for their child. We can discuss adding things such as how they feel about baby, what the parents look forward to doing once their baby is here, etc. This lullaby can be used throughout the pregnancy and then after the baby is born as well. After baby is born, it would be familiar to them so that it can be a comfort to baby when they need some help calming down.
Oh! I like the Katy Perry "Roar" idea. Great for cobweb clearing or an empowerment mantra for birth! :)
DeleteExactly I have seen it happen many times... even with women who started to process and clear their trauma. Sometimes it is too little too late. We must start early so mother and baby are prepared for the transition outside the womb. Music is an amazing way to build communication and relationships prior to birth.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it important to clear trauma prior to the birth experience?
ReplyDeleteIt is important for both parents to clear trauma prior to the pregnancy and birth of their child in order for the baby to not "absorb" the stress, anxiety, and tension of the trauma. The authors of the texts clearly outline potential long-term effects of exposure to high levels of stress during pregnancy, and the importance of surround the pregnant woman and baby with as much security, positivity, and nurturing as possible.
What are ways you could use music to help parents clear trauma?
Speaking from my own experience, I found that clearing my trauma was an active and physical process. With that in mind, I could see drumming to be a beneficial experience, as long as it remains controlled. One of the videos spoke about clearing trauma as very cathartic, but avoiding going into the actual trauma, but rather treating clear the experiences and associations surrounding it. Additionally, I found meditation and just deep relaxing to music to be beneficial after such experiences.
In what ways can music help parents build their parenting relationship prenatally?
Music is one of the first ways we can communicate effectively with unborn babies. It allows baby increased exposure to mother and partner's voice, and exposure to language, speech patterns, rhythm, etc. Researchers indicate babies exposed to music in utero have significantly higher language skills than their peers unexposed to music.
I think it's also worth noting that music is a profoundly strong tool, and may, at times, be overwhelming emotionally- not in a way that is helpful. I remember that when I returned to work after my daughter's death, I opened my mouth to sing and nearly lost control of my emotions. It took a few weeks of singing very "safe" songs before I could use music effective in my coping.
DeleteIt is important to clear trauma prior to birth so that the mother does not pass on any negative energy to her baby. Clearing trauma will allow the mother to be present and positive and empowered and loving so that these are the feelings that the baby experiences at the point of birth, thereby providing a foundation for a well-adjusted, empowered child.
ReplyDeleteSome ways I might use to help parents to clear trauma would be to create a time-line of their life. The music can be songs that provide them with memories of many points in their lives. If a song is a trigger for a negative memory, I would want to play some instrumental music in the background and then have them write down words that come to mind when they reflect on this time. I would then have them restructure the words into a new set, like a poem. They could then sing or speak their words to music. I would allow for ample verbal processing about how it felt to explore this time in their life and whether more processing would be necessary to “let it go”.
I also might use art combined with music to help the couple express any prior trauma. Movement, mandalas, creating safe spaces, or positive affirmations (much of the same ideas used in the Creative Art Birthing course). This is a beautiful way to combine modalities and allow a deeper level of consciousness to come through, assisted with music.
Moms and dads can play music over a sound system and talk about the music to the baby. They can share if it’s their favorite song, what kind of music it is, the instruments that are playing, whether the music makes them feel relaxed, etc. And of course, writing a womb song and singing it each night to the baby when the mom is calm will help establish a secure, relaxed feeling when it hears the song after it is earthside!