W A Y S O F S O N G
Womb Song
Singing & community support through pregnancy, birth and postpartum
Singing has been used for millennia around the world to support life transitions such as birth, and Womb Song passionately carries on this lineage. Womb Song guides pregnant, new parents and interested birth workers through the art, science and magic of singing into parenthood. Our work includes community singing circles, labor and birth support, parent/baby blessings, and education.
What People Are Saying
“Womb Song was the best part of pregnancy”
– Dana
“Your beautiful voice, and your wonderful heart filled our blessingway with such light!”
— Maggie Muir, Lactation Consultant at Sutter Maternity
“Dear Womb Song, I just gave birth to my amazing little boy and I honestly couldn’t have done it without you! There were moments during my 42, yes 42, hour labor that I wasn’t sure how I could keep going on. I had the music of Womb Song with me and I was listening to the recordings during intense moments of my birth. One moment in particular I was feeling that I couldn’t take anymore and my whole body seemed to be coming apart…as I listening to the Hallow Bamboo song and went back to the circle of women in my mind, I found my place of strength again and was able to get through that trying time. Thank you for being there for me!”
-MK
“Gathering with others to lift each other up in song has truly saved my life these last few months and given me permission to feel and share what’s in my heart.”
– DN, on her journey to conceive
“Forget the other stuff, let’s just sing!”
– Carmen, Doula
Frequently Asked Questions
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Prepare for labor and life through vocal toning and breathing exercises.
Strengthen connection to self, baby and community through sound.
Discover a deeper sense of your own voice and power.
Learn beautiful, simple songs and lullabies from around the world.
No previous musical training is required
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Womb Song’s mission is to ease the transition into motherhood and parenthood through song, by building supportive community among people in all stages of the peri-natal journey, including pre-conception, pregnancy, birth and post partum, as well as with birth-workers.
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While singing has been used for millennia around the world to support life transitions such as birth, the origins of modern day prenatal singing circles can be traced back to France in the 1960’s with the French physician Michel Odent. One can now find prenatal singing circles happening in many countries around the world.
The name Womb Song came from Maya Waldman, a community musician and singer in the U.K. Through a grant, she created and led prenatal singing circles at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. We are grateful for her generosity and support in helping bring Womb Song to the U.S.
Womb Song’s co-founders in the United States, Amanda West and Megan Jacobsmeyer, connected through a mutual friend and combined their passions for music, singing, motherhood and birth. They held their first Womb Song circle in Santa Cruz, California in January of 2014.
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Many of our songs can be found on these albums ~
https://amandawest.bandcamp.com/album/womb-song
https://copperwoman.bandcamp.com/album/blessingway-songs
https://www.mothersong.org/media.htm
as well as many others from an assortment of places, including not yet recorded songs.
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DURING PREGNANCY
calms the nervous system, reducing stress
Supports parent-child bonding
Create a mental/emotional refuge
Forges comforting memories
Reduces postpartum stress
Strengthens community connection
IN BIRTH
Increases comfort
Reduces perceived pain
Helps regulate breathing
Relaxes the body, helping open the cervix
Gives the mind a positive place of focus
Connects the birthing person with the birth team
THROUGH POSTPARTUM
Benefits both parent and baby
Strengthens parent-child bond
Keeps parent connected to positive space
Calms the nervous system
Reduces anxiety
Soothes baby (especially if singing has been done prenatally)
Helps provide ritual
Is always accessible
Promotes learning in infants & children
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We are currently working on a training to guide others in bringing this beautiful offering to their own home community. Join the mailing list to stay in the know about when this will be available. And feel free to reach out with specific inquiries.