Harmonizing health care

Caring support can make all the difference during the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of pregnancy, especially in complex situations such as long-term antepartum hospitalizations. “There is tremendous need to improve the well-being of patients experiencing pregnancy-related complications,” says Deborah Berman (M.D. 1999, Residency 2003, Fellowship 2010), professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the division of maternal fetal medicine (MFM), who leads the Perinatal Wellbeing Program at Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital. The program is the first of its kind in the nation to offer evidence-based music therapy in addition to other services tailored to the needs of pregnant people.

Launched through the vision and generosity of donors Kristie and Mike Martin, the program started as a pilot program. “And it hit big,” says Berman. She notes that third-year MFM fellow Ashley Hesson, M.D., Ph.D. (Residency 2020) has been an incredible partner inbuilding the program. Once the pilot was complete, Erica Ginepro (pictured above), a board-certified music therapist, joined the team and now provides a range of music therapy services to patients.

“Music therapy is an allied health profession that uses music to achieve non-musical goals,” says Ginepro. “Every intervention we apply meets individual needs and is evidence-based, so this can look different for every patient.” For pregnant and postpartum people, these goals often relate to stress and pain reduction, relaxation, support during lengthy hospitalizations, and bonding with their fetus and then newborn.

Ginepro begins sessions by explaining music therapy options and getting to know the patient. “This could involve decreasing heart and respiratory rates through live music or creating playlists to reduce anxiety, pain, or fear,” she says. Womb songs, an intervention in which the music therapist assists the patient in choosing a preferred song or writing an original composition, uses are cording of the maternal heartbeat as the percussion to help memorialize the pregnancy and soothe postpartum newborns. Music therapy can also promote mental health through learning new instruments or analyzing meaningful song lyrics.

Von Voigtlander serves pregnant people who may be admitted long before delivery and often experience chronic anxiety. Research suggests that chronic anxiety can contribute to negative outcomes, including preterm birth, attachment problems, and mood disorders. As an evidence-based practice that can reduce anxiety and stress, music therapy can improve outcomes for people facing pregnancy complications.

Heartbeat pillows are one example of the many interventions Ginepro offers to people experiencing complex pregnancies, including those facing loss. Ginepro records the fetal heartbeat and incorporates it into a pillow as an audible keepsake.

“These reproductive journeys will always be part of a patient’s story,” says Berman. “We want to be able to support our patients, meeting them where they are. Improving patient well-being will hopefully make a difference —possibly decreasing morbidity in pregnancy. I am proud to be here, working with this spectacular team, doing this important work.”