Do you have a song that takes you right back to a specific moment in time? One that makes you feel “all the feels” as if you were there in that moment again?

I do. It’s “Home” by Phil Phillips.

That was the song playing when my first daughter, B, entered the world. When I hear the opening guitar part, I’m instantly back in the OR at South Miami Hospital listening to my baby’s first cries.

As a music therapist I know music is an incredibly powerful tool that can bring up memories from the past and stir up all the feelings associated with those memories. I’ve witnessed some moving moments with my clients as a song they’re listening to transports them back to another place and time.

Recently, when I was pregnant with my second daughter, I had the opportunity to switch roles from therapist to client as I took part in the Sound Birthing Method.

The Sound Birthing Method uses carefully designed music programs to create a birth experience that is calm, safe and supportive for the mother and child.

My Sound Birthing coach, Jamie introduced me to the various ways that music could support my pregnancy and birth.

I want to share some of those experiences with you.

Nightly Relaxation Sessions

My second pregnancy was much more stressful than my first pregnancy. Much more.

During my second pregnancy, I was not only chasing around a toddler, I was working more clinical hours than I had before. This required more driving and physical energy output on my part.

On top of that, there was the zika outbreak in Miami (where I live and work!), election coverage craziness and other things that added to the list of stressors.

Needless to say, with the hustle and bustle of working more and tending to my toddler, I had little time to really slow down and enjoy my second pregnancy.

When Jamie coached me on how I could start doing nightly relaxation sessions, I was very eager to get started!

I began by choosing a playlist of relaxing songs that I would listen to each night before going to bed. Serenity spa music and zen meditation mixes were my pieces of choice. While I listened, I focused on calm deep breathing and talked quietly to my baby.

The nightly relaxation sessions forced me to stop what I was doing and have some me time…or “me and baby time” I should say! It was time I could turn off my thoughts and worries and focus solely on breathing and connecting with my baby.

I sincerely cherish those times because had I not had the nightly relaxation sessions “on my agenda” so to speak, I never would have made the time to do it for myself.

B Singing to Baby

Another routine I came to cherish was having my first daughter, B sing to baby in my belly.

Every night, after we’d finish her bedtime routine of lotion and books, she’d snuggle next to me and start singing sweetly to the baby.

Every night it was “Rock A Bye Baby” and “You Are My Sunshine” followed by a “ding dong” on my belly button (to make sure baby was really awake and listening in there!) and a kiss on my belly.

The baby was not only learning those songs that she heard each and every night, she was learning her sister’s sweet voice as well. B now sings those same songs to the baby and I can see the connection they have with each other already.  I love knowing that it was the music that created that connection!

Be sure to stay tuned next week as I share more about my experiences with Sound Birthing.