The Tomatis method, pregnancy, childbirth and child development: Annaëlle's story.

From pregnancy to childbirth, calmly and serenely.

Annaëlle kindly agreed to answer our questions about her experience of the Tomatis method during her pregnancy, at the birth and during her daughter's first months of life.

First of all, let's set the timeline: when did you do the Tomatis method?

“I tried Tomatis 3 times during my pregnancy: once at 3 months, once at around 6 months and once near the end (8 and a half months), really right at the end of the pregnancy.”

Which protocol did you follow? How long did you listen each day?

“1 hour 20, every day for 13 days.”

And what did you listen to?

“It was a mix of Mozart, marching songs and Gregorian chant, a bit of a mix of all that.”

How old is your child today?

“She's 10 months old.”

Could you tell us about your Tomatis experience during pregnancy: what did it do for you, and how did you feel?

“What was really good is that it really relaxed me. When you're pregnant, you have lots of little worries and stress.

Tomatis really took that stress away, and helped me sort out the information in my head. It's as if it helped me let go of and sort out the things that were stressing me. So it really relaxed me, and it let me sleep when I needed a nap.”

So you slept while you were listening?

“Yes! I took naps during the pregnancy, and when I listened to Tomatis, it sent me to sleep. So I set myself up so that I could have a nap during the listening sessions.”

Did you feel the baby react while you were listening to Tomatis?

“Yes, the first time I felt her move was with Tomatis. So I don't think we did it at exactly 3 months, I think it was more like 3 and a half or 4 months, because I felt her move very early.

Lots of people said to me, ‘Wow, that's very early to feel the baby move’. She reacted to Tomatis very quickly and really moved, so I had the feeling she liked it.”

Do you think she seemed to react throughout the treatments, at 3 months and at 6 months?

“Yes.”

Did she react differently depending on the music, when it was Mozart or Gregorian chant?

“She was more relaxed with the Gregorian chant and more active with the rest. And what was really nice is that it's as if it created a sort of ‘Pavlovian relaxation reflex’. When she was a newborn, as soon as I felt she was a bit unsettled, in the evening for example, I could put on some Mozart.

It wasn't exactly the same pieces, but we'd picked pieces that were a bit like the ones I had listened to. She reacted and it calmed her straight away.”

A music therapy that supports you from pregnancy to childbirth.

So we can say today that if she's stressed, you can put on some Mozart, for example, to calm her. So she remembers!

“Yes, and I think it opened her up to music in general, because she's sensitive to it and really loves music. But as a newborn, it was really the classical pieces that calmed her.”

Do you feel it helped you with the birth?

“Yes, because at the end of a pregnancy you're waiting for something that's supposed to happen. You don't really know what's going to happen, and it can be a very frightening time…”

Was this your first child?

“Yes, and once again Tomatis helped me sort through those fears. All the things that were coming up to the surface, and to be ready for the birth.”

Did you feel that Tomatis music therapy helped you give birth?

“Yes, but it's hard to answer that question, because I did lots of other things as well as Tomatis. My birth went very well and I gave birth at home. It's always a very special moment, and I think Tomatis played a part in that.”

Looking back today, do you think Tomatis music therapy helped your baby through some stages of her development, from the birth onwards?

“I think listening to music is as if it gives the child a wish to leave the world they are in and set out into our world. Because it can be a special moment for the child, and one that may frighten them, this transition between two worlds.

My feeling is that listening to this music, for the baby or the embryo, develops curiosity, a wish to discover. And it makes the birth easier, it lets the child be active in the birth, it awakens their desire to discover the world.”

Yes, it gives the child a boost of curiosity to see the outside world, which can have a positive effect on the baby's position and on how quickly the birth goes.

“The baby is very active in the birth. For example, if a woman needs to be induced, you can often say there's a fear on the mother's side, the fear of giving birth.”

It would also ease the baby's anxiety.

“And it gives them a wish to discover and be curious.”

So we could say your child is very alert.

“That's true, right from the start she's been a really alert child. She's often impressed people around her; we didn't even need to support her head, she could hold it up very quickly. She was very comfortable on her tummy, she lifted her head very early, and she was very strong on her legs.

Then she started to walk a little at around 9 and a half months. Now, at 10 months, she walks about 6 metres on her own, especially barefoot, she walks really well. She's very curious, and when people interact with her, they think she's very alert for her age, and I think Tomatis had a lot to do with that.”

Did you notice anything about her crawling?

“She started crawling quite early too. When she crawls, she's like a robot, in the sense that she's very synchronised and places each hand and knee firmly. She's well grounded and you can tell she's very coordinated.”

Did you notice anything about her fine motor skills?

“Yes, they say the pincer grip (between the thumb and index finger) is something that comes at around 9 months. I'd say she got it at around 7 and a half months; by 8 months she already had it.

She's also aware of her body in her surroundings. If she goes under a table, she can feel the tabletop is going to bump her head, so she crouches down and is careful. She really goes for it and sets herself challenges, but she's very careful.

I get the impression our child isn't clumsy: she's aware of her limits while still wanting to go for it, and she makes herself little obstacle courses, for example with the steps, she goes from one side to the other, and under the chairs as well, and so on…

And she likes to understand where her body is in relation to her surroundings; she has a very good grasp of it.”

How does she relate to music? Does she recognise musical instruments?

“She adores it, she really loves it. I did a music class with her when she was 8 months old. Straight away she grabbed the drumstick and instinctively hit the drum.

Other children who were 1 year old couldn't do it. All children are different, of course, but she really loves it, and once again she's very coordinated too. It makes it sound as though I have the perfect child.”

It's not that she's perfect, it's that compared with other children of the same age, you can still see the contrast and the difference.

“I don't know if Tomatis did it all, but I think it played a part.”

In summary, Tomatis music therapy proved very positive and pleasant for both the baby and the mother, throughout the pregnancy and up to the birth. We can see that it has had a very positive effect on the child's alertness, coordination and fine motor skills.

Interested? Come and visit us at the centre: the first consultation is free! Click here to go to our contact page.

Note: to protect our clients' privacy, we use a fictitious first name and a stock photo. Exclusive to the Tomatis centre in Geneva (not available at any other Tomatis centre).