Preparing your child for the birth of a sibling: 4 creative tips to encourage family bonding.

So you have a toddler, maybe a school aged child and now you’re pregnant again.  The first time around you and your partner took all the steps to prepare everything just in time for baby’s arrival:

The nursery – coordinated to perfection.

The birth plan – printed (with copies to spare).

So now that your estimated due date for THIS baby has been discussed and you feel it closing in week by week, what are your plans for getting ready to birth again? 

Advertisement

Childbirth Education Re-created: An exciting new workshop for pregnancy and birth.

Join Kate Taylor, experienced birth doula and board certified music therapist as she presents the first ever Creative Childbirth Concepts®  intensive workshop in the beautiful downtown Crystal Lake Muse Art studio.

September 1st, 2015 6:30-9:00 p.m.

Open to anyone preparing to give birth, their partners or birth team members.  No previous artistic ability is required.

---

Come,  learn comfort measures for birth and create:  

• a visual birth plan
• birth mandala
• meaningful nursery art piece

Experience first hand the relaxation and inspiration of coloring, painting, movement and music during this exciting childbirth workshop.   This 2.5 hour workshop will help you to begin exploring new ways of understanding your pregnancy, birth and parenting journey and offer you countless resources for pregnancy, birth and beyond.

Resources include:

• digital references for childbirth basics such as labor positions
• home practice strategies for relaxation
• scripts for imagery & meditation
• tips for shaping your birth environment
• how to design a playlist of music for birth

I look forward to hearing from you and serving your growing family! Kate.

Many couples have benefited from working directly with Kate Taylor and her unique concepts for bringing creative arts experiences into childbirth education and prep classes.  Their stories and testimonials share a glimpse into how meaningful this creative arts workshop will be for you and your birth team.  Read their stories at: http://www.birthmusic.net/testimonials.html

This is your chance to work with Kate Taylor in an exciting new creative space and small group setting so that you too can tell your creative childbirth story.  There are only 6 spots open for couples wishing to be inspired through creative arts, music for birthing and mentored with expert doula advice.  Register today at http://www.birthmusic.net/register-for-classes-or-workshops.html

It’s your Birth.  Be Creative.

Cost for couples to attend is $125.00.   Contact Kate for individual rates or fees to invite another birth team member like a hired doula to attend.  mymusictherapist@gmail.com.  Visit:  www.birthmusic.net for more info. 

Music for pregnancy & birth: 4 tips from Board Certified Music Therapist, Kate Taylor.

When childbirth is viewed as a holistic experience, music becomes one of the best resources to reach the diverse needs involved: physical, neurological, spiritual, emotional, social, environmental, interpersonal, even transcendental.  Music for birth is just.so.awesome.   Here are a few tips you can use when considering how to use music for during pregnancy, labor and beyond:

5 REASONS TO USE MUSIC FOR CHILDBIRTH

In my line of work as a birth doula, I get asked a lot of questions about very personal topics.  Most of the time those questions contain the words: “cervix”, “contraction” or “baby”.  But today, rather than revealing my client’s most intimate and urgent questions in preparing for childbirth,  instead I offer you my reflections as a perinatal music therapist to the question, “why should I use music for childbirth?”.

1. Music is the most accessible and adaptable resource available to you for childbirth.  Through music sharing platforms like Spotify you can search and share all types of existing playlists, create your own and even follow people (ahem), who can offer insight through expertise on what is the best music for various stages of childbirth.  When I’m attending births my smart phone loaded with music, tablet, ipod backup and portable bluetooth speaker literally all fit in one hand.  Accessible.
2. Music can be incorporated into any birth plan, pairs nicely will all childbirth techniques.  I collaborate with couples like you to create the most customized and comfortable playlists for birth no matter what type of birth they have planned.  As a music therapist,  I provide guidance in making the best song choices from preferred and familiar music to shape birth playlists to suit birth plans and personalities while maximizing the therapeutic potential of the music to support birth at home, in hospitals or through cesarean section.  Everyone’s birth rhythm is different.  This is why the music you choose can and should reflect your goals for birth.
3. Music can shape the birthing environment. Recently, I asked an expecting mother to consider what she wanted her birthing space to feel like, sound like, and look like.  She simply stated, “like my yoga studio.”  Later that month as she labored with her professionally designed music playlists, her obstetrician noticed the music and stated, “it feels like I want to stay and do some yoga.”   The music you choose, whether it’s your favorite upbeat ballad or a classical chamber selection will help communicate to your partner and assisting staff how you want your birthing environment to feel.  So carefully choose the style, message and instrumental arrangements to reflect that personal feeling and mood.
4. Music will support physiological processes during birth to reduce pain perception, optimize hormone release and steady breathing.  I was privileged to attend a birth where the mother, so calm and so peaceful, took deep, slow, controlled breaths and did not need to push her baby into this world.  Instead, the power of her breathing and the rhythm of her pulsing contractions, very simply, very gently, guided her baby out.  Her vocal and guttural instincts were validated through the singer and supported by her beautiful lyrical mantra.   The rhythm of the music helped the mother’s body entrain and progress, to open and release her baby gently into this world.
5. Music will create unforgettable bonds with baby before and at the time of birth.  As a whole brain stimulus, music is a window into great realms of creativity, self-awareness and healing.  I’ve witnessed families experience the importance of prenatal sound together prenatally in music, making art, moving through the stages of grief and life and love; all initiated by a song.  At the moment of birth the music can become part of your permanent memory landscape.  A simple playlist of songs can help you revisit the memories at any time, rejoicing in the happiness or healing from difficulties that were faced in labor.  Along with holding the space for the biological imperative of bonding after birth,  music can also etch the vibrations of your family birth song in your minds and on your heart, forever.  My first child had a carefully curated playlist and at the moment of birth we played a sweet duet called The Moment I saw You.  My second child was born quickly and the only song I remember playing was Just Breathe.  I’ll save my full birth stories for another blog but wanted to mention how memorable music at birth can be.

It’s been 10 years since my first birth and I still swell with emotion every single time I hear my child’s birth song playing.

If you’d like help designing an effective playlist of music for birth, contact me and we will get started today! 

Book your birth music consultation with Kate Taylor, MA, MTBC and receive three customized playlists (a $150.00 value) to use for relaxation as you prepare for birth, as support to cope through labor and for rest in your postpartum recovery.  Visit www.birthmusic.net or email mymusictherapist@gmail.com more information.