Music and songs have been specially composed by Lindsay Lucas, and arranged into a series of sessions designed for mums of 16+ weeks' gestation (when the baby's ear starts to form). The sessions are relaxed and informal, focusing on mental and spiritual preparation for the birth experience. They give hard-working ladies an island of peace to relax and indulge in some valuable 'me-time'. They also provide invaluable grounding in simple relaxation and self-massage techiques, to help you cope with caring for your new-born baby.
Mums who have attended classes have valued their special time out, once a week:
- "It's so relaxing"
- "The songs really help me engage with my baby"
- "It's the only time I have to chill out and focus on my unborn child"
- "It's really helpful to meet up with other pregnant Mums and talk about pregnancy"
As research uncovers the many benefits of antenatal music, Music Within opens up the possibility of Mums learning to relax whilst the music stimulates the unborn baby. The 'Annie Appleseed Project' shows results of a study carried out on pregnant women, concluding that "live music lowered their blood pressure as well as raising the number of heartbeats in the unborn child - a sign that it is responding well to external stimuli." (BBC news story, 23rd January 2002) Dr Michael Odent, director of the Primal Health Research Centre in London, says, "Music provides the foetus with sensory stimulation, and singing improves the emotional state of a pregnant woman, which can influence the growth and development of the baby in the womb."(Daily Telegraph, November 2005)
Please note that these classes are not birth preparation classes, and the music teachers are not medically trained.
You may now wish to know about what actually happens in the sessions, how to find a class in your area, or even running classes of your own.