Let’s talk about the benefits for the baby, the place of the father and singing during delivery.
The benefits for the baby
The baby in the uterus hears the voice of his mother, he rekindles with it after birth and it is his best milestone. The skin of the foetus perceives vibrations long before his auditory system is developed. Without knowing it, the mother and the father produce, with their voice, a sound envelope that will undoubtedly leave a sensorial print on their child.
Affective bond
Not only the vibrations of our voice reach the baby, the affective climate does too. The mother varies the pitch, intensity and tone of her voice whether she talks to her child or not, and depending on her mood and spirits. Her spoken voice is like a song charged with affectionate messages. The vibrations of her singing voice are even more palpable and are perceived like nice micro-massages by both the mother and the child. The songs suggested in pre-natal singing workshops, whether they are soft or energetic, often thematic, offer moments of significant sharing and nourish the baby’s emotional life.
Stimulation through rhythm and resonance
Rhythm is part of the life of the foetus. Very early, he is stimulated by various beats. Your heartbeat, emotions, physical activity and tonus are all impacting on the baby’s heartbeat. The rocking motion, front-back or sideways, suggested during prenatal signing classes triggers an impulsion in the body that acts on the brain. The woman who swings and sings does not realize that such a simple movement can have an effect on many levels such as balance, memory, coordination and the baby’s well-being.
Security
We just discussed swinging. This movement also provides the child with his first landmarks in time and space. Singing while swinging has an effect on the tissues and liquids and promotes the circulation in the body. The baby experiences a feeling of total security. We also observe that the baby recognizes the songs sung during the classes after birth. They are a bridge between the pre and post natal and help calm and reassure the baby.
Oxygenation
Like the heartbeat mentioned earlier, breathing is also part of the foundation of the biological rhythm and the air inhaled and exhaled by the mother gives a beat to the life of her in vitro child. The quality of breathing established by the mother through her singing undoubtedly results in a better oxygenation of the baby.
Better space
If the mother combines good posture and wide, deep and regular breathing, she gives her child more space and allows him to be more comfortable to grow in the uterus. The swing felt during the songs invites the baby to take his place in the middle of the pelvis. Furthermore, for the mother who regularly practices prenatal singing and who trains with low pitch sounds that diffuses in the pelvis, the relaxation of the tissues will benefit the positioning of the child. Very few cases of breeched baby happened to our regular participants.
At birth, we are not surprised to see that the baby feels the need to find his beat and the voice of his mother when he is laying on her. When he hears her heartbeat and her voice again, he feels secured by the movement and vibration.
Strengthening the parental relationship with songs
The intense bond that develops between the woman and the child she bears is sometimes abstract for the man and it is often difficult for him to feel included in that relation.
The place of the father
The man remains a spectator of the adventure of pregnancy but he can get ready to become a father by establishing a physical and verbal bond with his child.
- In addition to touching his child in the mother’s belly, the father can associate a sound to increase the bond.
- The male voice travels easily through the uterine wall. The child will recognize his father’s voice, to his delight! The fathers who participate to prenatal singing classes admit that they find it easier to communicate with their child through songs that with words alone. The low frequencies of the male voice bring relaxation and comfort.
- When the mother inhales, odours pass through the placenta and reach the baby. That is another way for the father to be part of the sensory environment of his child.
- Finally, signing allows the man to feel useful at the time of delivery. The moral, physical and psychological support of the mother is possible with simple gestures: rhyming his breathing on hers, making vocalizations with her during contractions, making supporting sounds. It will also allow the mother to stay relaxed, focused and confident.
Therefore, singing allows the parents to communicate with a little being that feels real instead of remaining and idea of what their child will be at birth. Those workshops aim to help everyone find their place in this father-mother-child trio by accepting his own ideas and reactions.
The social bond
When quitting, even briefly, your professional life, the individualism of big cities, your relationships with friends, for which you have no time, the short medical appointments, a lot of women feel isolated and helpless. There is not that many occasions to share your experiences with others, prenatal singing is one.
For women of foreign origin, it is a good opportunity to learn the language and to feel valued when sharing traditional songs. Many women mention that it is through prenatal singing that they manage to relax, breathe and forget their problems for a while. Friendliness, gaiety, humor and sharing experiences provide a significant source of balance. Friendships formed during the classes often last beyond the period of pregnancy!
Voice and childbirth
Whether in India with Carnatic vocals, in China, in Egypt or in Italy where women use repetitions of words while swaying rhythmically, the voice has always been used in various ways by pregnant women during delivery. We use those rites because they are linked with the production of endorphins, which reduce pain.
Labour
As we already mentioned, breathing is the foundation of singing. It also represents an essential part in birthing techniques. The principle is to exhale during a contraction. When we sing, we exhale; so let’s sing in a deep voice to see through contractions. The advantage: emitting a low pitch sound takes little air so the woman can go though a contraction by singing a low pitch and upheld sound without having to voluntarily control her breathing. Also, the mouth remains open and helps relaxing the jaw.
When contractions get closer together and increase in intensity, the woman focuses more and more. She can choose a comfortable position and decrease her activity to start listening to her breathing. Those sounds sang on O or OU and descending in the low pitch sounds have an analgesic and relaxing effect that contributes to dilate the cervix.
There is no recipe. Prenatal singing is not magical but it often helps women to live their delivery fully and positively. All women should feel free to listen to themselves and express the way they want.
Prenatal singing is enjoyable and rich. Far from wanting to make “super-babies”, the mothers who took part in prenatal singing during pregnancy share their observations. Many of them testified that there were differences between a child who vibrated to the sound of their voice and another who did not experience this preparation: the child is calmer, more attentive, more relaxed, sleeps better, reacts to the songs heard during pregnancy (appeasement). The moms feel a connection between before and after birth.
It is your turn now to choose the activity that pleases you, according to your interests and your desires!
