
Music has long been a major part of culture around the world. While music differs between countries, it is always a pillar of society with strong roots in history and popular culture. For that reason, music therapy is slowly becoming more commonly accepted by nurses in many different fields of medicine. Music therapy is often used as a treatment for stress and for dealing with terminal illnesses, which can help the body in many different ways. Recently, even nurses that specialize in obstetrics have started looking to music therapy as a way to keep their pregnant patients calm and happy during the stressful moments of gestation. Many women demonstrate high instances of psychological stress during their pregnancy, so stress management is of the utmost importance. Stress has many negative and long-term effects on the body, and it can even have negative effects on babies who were faced with it during their development in the womb.
A recent study shows that women who were exposed to a two-week music therapy intervention experienced an improved psychological state. Their perceived stress, anxiety, and depression were all much lower than women who did not go through the music intervention. If music therapy can have these kinds of positive benefits in just two weeks, there is really no telling what it could do for pregnant women throughout their gestation. Pregnancy is so stressful on many levels, and any way to reduce that stress without affecting the development of the baby should be welcomed. Music therapy is a natural and non-invasive way to deal with stress.
When you are pregnant, stress is inevitable. Even before your pregnancy begins, you probably have many things in your life that cause you stress. Once pregnancy is added to the mix, it might seem like too much to handle. If you are stressed out and pregnant, keep in mind that such stress can have negative effects on your child’s development. Maternal stress has been associated with heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes for babies. While stress has many negative side effects, heavy medication for stress likely has even more, so your stress management should be natural. Yoga is another way that stress can be reduced naturally and safely for pregnant women. If you are interested in trying music therapy as a way to calm down during your pregnancy, speak with your doctor about music therapy providers in your area.
Source: Mel-Yueh Chang et al: Effects of Music Therapy on Psychological Health of Women During Pregnancy. Journal of Clinical Nursing Volume 17 Issue 19 pp. 2580-2587 October 2008