Music and meditation increased maternal lactation and infant weights

A systematic review and meta-analysis by British scientists found that relaxation interventions (music, meditation, mindfulness) and guided relaxation in the mother are associated with increased breast milk, with small reductions in stress and anxiety. Also, these practices are associated with increased infant weight gain. As reported in JAMA Pediatrics, the final analysis included 1,871 women.

Many women face various psychological and mental health issues and stress after having a baby, which can lead to decreased lactation. There are significant restrictions on taking medications for depression and anxiety for women who are breastfeeding. Therefore, there is a need to develop effective non-medication approaches to treat these conditions in breastfeeding women.

Relaxation therapy, which has been used for many conditions, may be such an approach. It includes progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, mindfulness practices, guided visualization, and breathing exercises; sometimes it includes listening to music. The overall goal of relaxation therapy is to induce relaxation, characterized by a decrease in heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure, and a sense of calm and well-being. The Cochrane Review identified relaxation therapy as a promising method for improving lactation.

A research team led by Mary Fewtrell of University College London conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies examining the association of relaxation techniques with lactation and well-being. A total of 1871 women were included in the study. Nine of the 16 studies had a high risk of bias, while five studies reported at least one outcome with a low risk of bias.

The meta-analysis showed that, with moderate certainty, relaxation therapy was associated with increased milk production (p < 0.001). This result was obtained from ten randomized trials that used relaxation techniques such as listening to music, guided relaxation, breathing exercises, and mindfulness practices. Further analysis showed that there were no significant differences in protein and carbohydrate content between the relaxation therapy and non-relaxation therapy groups. There was moderately significant evidence of an increase in infant body weight with breastfeeding (p < 0.001). Infant body length was not affected by relaxation therapy.

Also, the analysis showed that relaxation therapy effectively (though slightly) reduced maternal anxiety with moderate reliability (p < 0.001) and maternal stress (p < 0.001). It also reduced maternal blood pressure and heart rate (p = 0.001).

The researchers conclude that relaxation therapy can be considered a moderately effective method of simultaneously increasing lactation and reducing maternal anxiety. They expect this approach to be included in recommendations for breastfeeding infants in the first year of life.