Benefits of Music During Pregnancy

Listening to music is an easy way to lift the mood or relieve stress. Because of its healing power, music therapy has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of physical and mental problems. Some surgeons believe that playing their favourite music helps relieve stress in the operating room. In addition, extending music to patients is known to improve surgical outcomes. Studies have also revealed that listening to music while pregnant can benefit both the mother and the unborn baby in many ways.

Exposure to music while in the womb was linked to significant improvement in the overall mental, cognizant, behavioral, sensory, psychological and emotional development in unborn babies.

What effect does music have on babies in the womb?

• It is proven that music has a role in brain development before birth.
• Listening to music during pregnancy will not only have a soothing and uplifting effect on the pregnant woman, but also a positive influence on the unborn baby.
• Around 16─18 weeks of pregnancy, the little one hears its very first sound.
• By 24 weeks, the little ears start to develop rapidly and babies have been shown to turn their heads in response to voices and noise in the last few months of pregnancy, an unborn baby can recognize her mother’s voice, her native language, word patterns and rhymes.
• In the third trimester, the baby will definitely be able to hear the music you play. Classical music, gentle sounds like lullabies, nice melodies that inspire happiness all are designed to be soothing.

Benefits of Playing Music During Pregnancy

Listening to music while pregnant has many benefits for the developing fetus and also encourages the mother and baby’s prenatal bonding. Prenatal music stimulation takes place when you expose your unborn baby to music whilst still in the womb. However, you wish to introduce babies to music, an ever-increasing body of scientific research is beginning to show the benefits of playing music in the womb, for both mother and baby alike.

• Listening and fetal development

The womb is a relatively quiet place registering around 50 – 60dB. A normal conversation registers about 60dB. The fetus develops ears in the third week of gestation but they don’t become functional until week 16. While we know the fetus can actively listen by week 24, ultrasounds reveal that the fetus can hear and in turn respond to sound at week 16.

• Reduce Anxiety and Stress

High-stress levels in expectant mothers can have negative effects on fetal development. Music and singing has a soothing effect on the expecting mother and the unborn baby alike and contributes to a healthy and happy baby later in life. Choose any kind of music you like – anything from a Beethoven classic to singing lullabies.

• Prenatal bonding

Music is also an important part of prenatal bonding. Listening to a relaxing song or singing lullabies sends calming chemicals throughout the body and into the placenta, facilitating bonding and relaxation.

• Baby’s early brain development

Listening to all kinds of music encourages early brain development in the fetus because music facilitates neuron connections in the brain. Listening and experiencing music stimulates the fetus’ brain and assists with the growth of brain structures.

• Prevention of PND

Addressing good mental wellbeing is vital during pregnancy (especially during the third trimester) to prevent low mood and mental health problems after childbirth.

Studies have indicated that listening to music in the third trimester of pregnancy can reduce the risk of postnatal depression (PND).

• Preeclampsia treatment

Music can help in lowering blood pressure in pregnant women with pregnancy-induced hypertension/ preeclampsia. Therefore, it can be a useful adjunct to the conventional preeclampsia treatment.

• Improves your baby's movement

Believe it or not, the baby in your womb can also hear the music you're listening to. When the unborn baby hears the vibration, he/she may also try to move in sync with the beats. This may improve the baby's reflexes and reactions, as well as overall movement.

• Increases your baby's auditory senses

When you listen to your favourite songs with headphones on, your baby may try to concentrate on the sound waves. This will improve his/her mental stimulation and significantly enhance the baby's concentration, auditory senses, and skills.

• Can soothe your little one after birth

Some researchers say your unborn baby may be able to remember the music and the sounds that you listened to while you were pregnant even after birth. If this is true, you can use the same music to soothe your little one after he/she is born.

• Music can shape your baby's personality

It is also believed that the type of music you listen to during your pregnancy can have an effect on the baby's overall personality. For example, a pregnant woman who listens to soothing sounds and soft music may have a baby with a calm personality. If you listen to music that is loud and jarring, your baby could develop an aggressive and anxious personality. However, there is not enough research yet to back this theory.

Important Points To Remember

• Exposure of the fetus to music during pregnancy can be beneficial.
• Loud noise (>80dB) should be avoided during pregnancy, especially recurrent and long exposures. This can result in hearing loss.
• Talking, singing and reading aloud to the baby (by the mother, partner and family member) during pregnancy (especially during the third trimester) can improve bonding and attachment, ensure good hearing, and speech and language development.
• There is no scientific evidence to suggest that music therapy/ specific compositions during pregnancy makes the baby more intelligent.
• Headphones/music devices/ loudspeakers should NOT be placed directly on the abdomen during pregnancy.
• No robust scientific evidence to support the use of pregnancy music belts or other similar commercial devices.
• Music such as regular, slow and soft rhythm (such as ‘lullabies’ and classical music) are thought to be most suitable for the fetus.