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A ��ɫ��Ƶ researcher is inviting pregnant women in Limerick to take part in a new music research programme that aims to support maternal wellbeing in pregnancy.

The Mums Using Music (MuM) Community programme is the first antenatal music programme for maternal wellbeing co-designed by midwives, music therapists and mothers with lived experience of pregnancy, local maternity care and perinatal music therapy. The programme is led by Dr Tríona McCaffrey, Associate Professor of Music Therapy ��ɫ��Ƶ and a leading music therapy researcher. 

The five-week in-person programme is aimed at pregnant women living in the northside ��ɫ��Ƶ city who are between 18 and 35 weeks pregnant. The programme, which will be rolled out in October in partnership with the Northside Family Resource Centre (NFRC) located in Ballynanty, will be the first antenatal programme to run in any of the 121 Family Resource Centres located across Ireland. 

Expectant mothers will learn how to use music for relaxation and connecting with their unborn baby, while also being guided on how to use music to support childbirth and early parenting. The one-hour weekly workshops are all designed according to best available evidence on how to effectively use music for wellbeing in pregnancy. 

According to the HSE, as many as one in five women in Ireland will experience mental health problems during pregnancy, with the World Health Organisation estimating that perinatal anxiety and depression affects one to 10 women in high-income countries and one in five in low- and middle-income countries. 

In response to the global need to support perinatal mental health, researchers ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and the Department of Nursing and Midwifery have engaged in interdisciplinary research with midwives, music therapists and perinatal psychiatrists on topics such as the role of music and music therapy in perinatal care, music listening in childbirth, songwriting in pregnancy and maternal singing in neonatal care.

Dr McCaffrey explained: “Through our research ��ɫ��Ƶ, we’ve discovered that women, their partners and healthcare practitioners’ want to learn about the health benefits of using music in pregnancy, and while the HSE recognises music as a tool for wellbeing in pregnancy, no resource exists for pregnant women on how to effectively use music for this purpose.”

All these factors led to the development of the Mums Using Music (MuM) programme, which was initially offered online to pregnant women in 2023 with participants directly attributing their engagement with music to their maternal wellbeing. MuM-Community, the follow on to the online programme, will be rolled out in-person at NFRC in Ballynanty, Limerick from 9 October.

Dr McCaffrey said: “MuM-Community is about educating and empowering women with knowledge and tools on how to effectively use music to support wellbeing in pregnancy. It’s an opportunity for women to have some time to connect with themselves and their unborn baby in a supportive space where no previous music skills are required. 

Our hope is that women who attend MuM-Community will leave with some helpful music resources that they can add to their parental wellbeing toolkit. ��ɫ��Ƶ is delighted to partner with NFRC in Ballynanty on this programme who are at the heart of supporting communities on the northside ��ɫ��Ƶ city.”

Marie Therese Tierney, Deputy Coordinator at NFRC said: “We’re proud to partner with ��ɫ��Ƶ on the MuM-Community programme, which aligns with our commitment to supporting families from the earliest stages. Early intervention is key to building resilience and wellbeing, and this initiative offers expectant mothers a meaningful way to connect with themselves and their babies through music. 

By bringing this programme into the heart of our community, we hope to empower women with tools that support their mental health and strengthen their journey into parenthood.”

The programme will take place at the Northside Family Resource Centre in Ballynanty, Limerick on Thursdays from 10am to 11am, beginning on 9 October.

For further information on the MuM-Community programme, contact Dr Tríona McCaffrey on �հ�í�DzԲ�.�ѳ��䲹�ڴڰ���Ⱚ�ܱ�.����.