Music is one of the key instruments proven to aid in reducing physical and psychological pain. Infact, music is now used as part of therapies to help patients recover faster. Women who are pregnant are advised to listen to soothing songs to overcome stress. Pregnancy is filled with mood swings, depression, mental stress and anxiety. The symptoms for each person may differ as one progresses through the stages of pregnancy.Music can be the best way to deal with these challenges and get back to normalcy. Not only does it help in relaxing the mind of the mother, but also showed many positive effects on the unborn baby. In fact, it’s become a common trend in hospitals to play fine music like Beethoven to put their patient’s worries to rest and prepare well for their delivery. Let’s explore the wonderful benefits of listening to music during pregnancy.
TABLE OF CONTENT:
- Effect Of Pregnancy Music For Baby In The Womb.
- Benefits Of Listening to Music During Pregnancy.
- How To Play Music For An Unborn Baby?
- What Type Of Music Is Advisable During Pregnancy?
- Sound Levels For Listening to Music During Pregnancy.
- Tips For Listening To Music During Pregnancy.
- How To Know If The Music Is Too Loud For Babies?
Effect Of Pregnancy Music For Baby In The Womb:
The therapeutic powers of music can certainly help in healing a chaotic mind, which can promote a healthy body. However, the impact of music on the unborn was only assumed until the recent times. A proper study was conducted on a group of pregnant women, who were played with Indian Carnatic music for 20 minutes each day for about 20 days. The results of the response tests showed that their unborn babies displayed better growth rates and refluxes compared to those whose mothers were not part of this program.
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Benefits Of Listening to Music During Pregnancy:
The following are some of significant benefits of music for pregnant ladies:
1. Aids in Better Fetal Refluxes:
When you listen to music, your baby doesn’t hear the tunes or the sound of the instruments. Infact, it listens to the vibrations created by the music, which can stimulate better refluxes in the babies. Such babies tend to show faster reactions to situations compared to those who are not exposed to music.
2. Improves Concentration:
Exposing your baby to good music can help in better development of their hearing abilities. It slowly gets used to listening to these vibrations and starts focusing more. Thus, the concentration abilities are greatly improved.
3. Helps in Relaxing Mom and Baby:
An anxious mom and her unborn can be greatly benefitted with music. Music has wonderful healing properties to help in reducing the chaos and clutter on the mind. This inturn shows a positive effect on the baby’s growth. Music can also calm down the nerves and offer a soothing relief.
4. Influences Overall Behavior Of the Baby:
Studies show that babies whose mother listened to music regularly when pregnant has better brain development. A profound influence of music was noticed in their overall cognitive abilities, speech, memory and behavior. Such babies were generally found to be slightly happy and cheerful compared to the normal babies.
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How To Play Music For An Unborn Baby?
Read below to know how to play music for pregnant women:
Create a Playlist:
Try and match the music with the rhythm of your labor. During the early stages of labor, quicker, more upbeat music is needed to keep the mood light and distracting; and as labor progresses, slower, repetitive music is much more preferable as one finds the sync with the rhythm of labor. Don’t forget to include all these variations in your playlist.
Modes to Play Music:
While in the hospital ask if they have speakers to play the music there. Or else, get your own speakers from your home.
Use Earphones:
If you want to block away all distractions completely and just focus on the labor, there can be nothing better than earphones. Don’t forget to pack them.
Enjoy Pregnancy Music For Fetal development :
All the benefits of music during labor are also valid for a calm, relaxed and happy pregnancy. Listen to the music regularly during pregnancy as well to relax, de stress and rejuvenate yourself. Music also lifts the mood and energy by leaps and bounds. Hearing music during pregnancy can better prepare your labour.
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What Type Of Music Is Advisable During Pregnancy?
If you are wondering which is the best music to listen to while pregnant, keep in mind that not any music will do.
- Soothing music like the classical versions of both Indian, Hindustani and even western is considered to be the relaxing music for pregnancy.
- Listening to classical music during pregnancy is shown to improve baby’s refluxes
- The recommended forms are chants, instruments like flute, Jalatarangini and even soft music for pregnancy. Never go for loud music like heavy metal and rock, as it can totally disturb the baby’s movements and lead to an abnormal behavior.
- Mozart pregnancy music is found to be the most effective for pregnant women and is proven to increase an affinity for music in the babies.
- Pregnancy Meditation Music can help in calming down a troubled mind and restore inner peace.
Sound Levels For Listening to Music During Pregnancy:
Unborn babies are safe in the womb of their mothers and not exposed to any loud sounds. A decibel level of 50-60 should be ideal for them, as it is in harmony with the sounds they are accustomed to like their mother’s voice, gurgles of the stomach etc., Anything beyond this level is too loud for them and can create anxiety issues.
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Tips For Listening To Music During Pregnancy:
Check out these simple tips for playing music during pregnancy:
- Choose Light Music: Playing soothing music in low volume can be the best way to help your babies get benefitted.
- Sing Your Own Tune: Yes! There can no better way to start bonding with your baby that to sing for it. Go for a favorite song of yours and keep singing or humming.
- Instruments: Listening to soft instruments like Veena, flute or violin played in low volumes can help in feeling light and relaxed
- Avoid Abrupt Sounds: Sudden sounds like a big thud can create a disturbance in the baby. Try to avoid such places like movie theatres, construction sites etc, where the baby might feel uncomfortable.
How To Know If The Music Is Too Loud For Babies?
An unborn baby’s ears are extremely tender and sensitive to loud sounds. Listening to loud music while pregnant can trigger rapid movement and abnormally high kick rates of the baby. If this movement persists for more than a few minutes, you can assume that the baby is undergoing an intense amount of stress inside. In such cases, just go to a quiet place and speak softly to the baby to calm it down.
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There are many versions of music available for pregnant on the internet. Most of them are classical tunes or chants, which are known to have the best benefits on babies. The best way is to plug in your earphones and start playing this music for atleast 20-30 minutes each day. Remember the story of Abhimanyu in Mahabharata, whose mother listening to the Vedas while she was pregnant. He became the master of literature even before he was born and surprised everyone with this impeccable knowledge. Such is the power of great music for pregnancy brain development!
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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers:
1. Why are earphones recommended for pregnant women?
When you plug in earphones, you tend to cancel external noises, thereby shifting your complete focus on the music. Every single detail can be clearly heard and enjoyed. This offers the best music experience to you and the babies. Do ensure the volume levels are not too high.
2. Can I listen to music while working?
Yes! You can! In fact, that would be the best thing to do. Not only does it help you overcome your work stress and anxiety, but also keep your baby occupied with some great music. You don’t have to squeeze in separate time for listening to music.
3. From where can I download good pregnancy music?
A number of sites offer great music for pregnant. These albums have been specially designed to cater to the needs of an expectant mother and her baby. Some of the best sites are Youtube, BabyCenter and Babymozart.org. Just login and enjoy beautiful music anytime and anywhere.
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