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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Uses for music therapy in birth

I'm finally have gotten around to looking at some material I have on music therapy in pregnancy and birth.  The book I'm looking at tonight is Music Therapy: An Introduction 2nd edition by Jacqueline Schmidt Peters.

In the book it lists five ways that music therapy can be used to help during birth.

1-to help focus attention
2-to use as distraction
3-to help stimulate the pleasure response
4-as a conditioned stimulus for relaxation(this is used in hypnobirthing)
5-to help with breathing

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Birth is a Journey: Does it have to be life changing?


  • One woman might have to climb on an overfilled boat, risking her life and nearly dying as she escapes over the ocean to come to this land. This experience could certainly be life altering. It may very well color the rest of her life, positively or negatively. (I overcame this amazing struggle and here I am triumphant! OR Holy crap, that was SO hard I don’t know if I can go on! By the way, neither response is “right”. No one would judge the woman with the 2nd response.)
  • One woman may buy an airplane ticket, sit on a comfortable 747 and fly to America with a nice smooth flight and landing. She is happy to be in America. Those welcoming her are glad she is here safe and sound. She may only travel by plane 2-4 times in her life, so it is pretty memorable. But the journey itself probably wouldn’t be life changing; it would simply be a journey.
  • One woman may learn to fly an ultra-light plane to lead a flock of geese into America teaching them to migrate. This experience could certainly be empowering and life altering.