{"id":23363,"date":"2020-05-08T15:35:11","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T22:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=23363"},"modified":"2023-06-12T22:33:43","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T05:33:43","slug":"tips-for-drummer-moms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/tips-for-drummer-moms\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Drum While Pregnant? Tips For Drummer Moms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There are two kinds of drummer moms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Moms of drummers (whom we love and are eternally grateful for, especially those who let us play drums under their roof or who have come to our gigs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. And moms who are drummers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While not everyone is endowed with \u2018cool parents\u2019, there are many of them in this world. Whether you\u2019re a drummer mom or you have an awesome one in your life, this article outlines what it\u2019s like to be one and how pregnancy and parenthood has affected their playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(Note: Most of these women interviewed for this article were drummers before they were moms, but there are many out there who picked up the drums later. Both are awesome!)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#can-you-drum-while-pregnant\">Can you drum while pregnant?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-do-doctors-recommend-for-pregnant-drummers\">What do doctors recommend for pregnant drummers?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#when-can-new-moms-get-back-to-drumming\">When can new moms get back to drumming?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-do-moms-find-time-to-play-drums\">How do moms find time to play drums?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"can-you-drum-while-pregnant\"><strong>Can you drum while pregnant?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pregnancy takes a major toll on your body, and while it probably doesn\u2019t stop many musicians from doing their thing, drums are loud and can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/drummers-are-athletes-drummer-lab-year-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">take a lot of energy to play<\/a>. Should drummers take time off when pregnant?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking to a dozen drummer moms, they each took a slightly different approach during those nine months. Some didn\u2019t put down the sticks and only made changes to their playing volume or setup, but others stopped drumming altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ana\u00efs kept it up until her belly got too big, but until then, she put mesh heads and triggers on her kit and used rubber cymbals to keep the volume low. One of her personal concerns was \u201cif they can hear your voice, they can hear a loud snare.&#8221; And as a drummer who uses a double pedal, \u201cit hurt my lower back if I played too long. It never did that before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Serena kept touring and practicing until a day or two before her daughter was born. \u201cMy physician &#8211; and later midwife &#8211; wasn\u2019t concerned with the volume or vibrations. Babe was dancing in there during shows, which could be a little tricky, as was the shift in balance as the tummy grew.\u201d Nicole has been drumming since childhood and had a similar experience with both of her pregnancies, gigging pretty much until the 11th hour. The only real change she made was to stop carrying her 100 lb trap case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/06144622\/mothersday3.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Brooke was the only drummer at her church, so she kept playing every Sunday until she had to be induced. \u201cAs a drummer who was still learning and didn\u2019t play very heavily, the only thing I changed was switching out my stool for a comfy choir chair with a back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And Deb, who was marching tenor drums for a senior drum and bugle corps, found out she was pregnant at the beginning of competitive season, and decided to continue \u201cwithout telling anyone what was going on. Physically, I was worn out more and had troubles with my sciatica, but was still able to perform at a high level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, Chelsea took a hiatus. \u201cI heard it wouldn\u2019t be harmful for hearing, but it was the exercise component that worried me. Plus the environment of our jams &#8211; smoking and drinking &#8211; was difficult for me to face without stressing. I didn\u2019t even practice during pregnancy. I just set my sights on motherhood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Emily\u2019s band didn\u2019t have any upcoming shows, recordings, or tours booked, so she didn\u2019t feel obligated to practice regularly. However, \u201cabout halfway through the pregnancy, I developed something called SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction), which caused a lot of pain in my pelvis, so I put my drumming on hold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"blue-text-block\"><strong>Takeaway for moms:<\/strong> Do what&#8217;s best for you. If drumming makes you uncomfortable or worried, it&#8217;s fine to take the time off. Otherwise, you should be able to keep going &#8211; but you should clear it with your doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-do-doctors-recommend-for-pregnant-drummers\"><strong>What do doctors recommend for pregnant drummers?*<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. James Lilja is a gynecologic oncologist based in the Bay Area, California. Coincidentally, he\u2019s also the drummer of the band Bunko and a founding drummer of The Offspring. Dr. Lilja was asked if drummers should take a break or make any changes to their routine when pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely safe for women to keep drumming during pregnancy. It\u2019s also a great way to get your heart rate up. Like any form of exercise, make sure you don\u2019t have a heart problem before doing it. Talk to your doctor. Your vascular system changes a lot during pregnancy, such as increasing the amount of blood in your system up to 48%. Sometimes health conditions are uncovered during pregnancy. The risk of blood clots is higher as well, so it\u2019s recommended that you keep exercise going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDrumming is a great form of low impact exercise. Depending on your style, you\u2019re likely sitting in a fixed position and moving your arms and legs vigorously. It\u2019s like being on an exercise bike. It\u2019s safe to keep playing &#8211; you aren\u2019t going to be falling off your drums when your center of balance starts to change &#8211; but the range of motion of your legs will be different in your third trimester. Joints can have some problems as a result of pregnancy-related changes, and it\u2019s not uncommon for back pain or knee pain to develop. See what feels comfortable for you, and have someone carry things for you after the second trimester.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Out of the drummers interviewed for this article, one of the most common concerns was if drumming on an acoustic kit at full volume would be harmful for an unborn baby\u2019s ears. Dr. Lilja compares the womb to ten inches of water that absorbs most of the sound from the outside world. \u201cYou could literally immerse your head in a bucket of water and have someone playing drums next to you. Even if you just filled your ears with water, you wouldn\u2019t hear much because your tympanic membrane wouldn\u2019t be vibrating like it normally would. Our eardrums aren\u2019t evolved to vibrate inside water, and lots of sounds bypass the eardrums to go through bone.\u201d Cities themselves can be loud outside, he adds, and there is no difference in the hearing of city kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"blue-text-block\"><strong>Takeaway for moms:<\/strong> Playing drums while pregnant is a great way to exercise and the noise is unlikely to harm the baby&#8217;s ears. Have someone else carry your gear in the third trimester and only do what you&#8217;re comfortable with.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>*This is one expert\u2019s opinion and we recommend you still consult your own physician to determine what\u2019s best for your individual needs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"when-can-new-moms-get-back-to-drumming\"><strong>When can new moms get back to drumming?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Drumming comes with a million advantages, including being good for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/8-health-benefits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mental and physical health<\/a>. But it also takes time and energy, two things that new moms rarely have. How quickly can someone get back to drumming if they want to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moms might want to pick up a set of electronic drums. \u201cThe last thing any new parent wants is to wake your baby up unnecessarily,\u201d says Dr. Lilja. He also suggests sharing a workout schedule with your obstetrician. \u201cSet up a flexible daily goal for exercise, and anticipate interruptions, which is where drumming can come in. If you have an electronic kit set up, you can use that to play a fairly energetic song set for about half an hour and get it in when you put your baby down for a nap. It\u2019s already there, you like playing it, and you can burn about 200-250 kCal if you play hard for that half hour. New moms are pretty fatigued. It takes an enormous amount of emotional and physical energy to grow and deliver a baby, and then you get to go home and not sleep. It would seem that drumming might be an ideal way to do something just for you&#8230;that is, depending on how delivery went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you get home, it may not feel great to drum sitting upright on your throne. Maybe you\u2019ve had some tears or an episiotomy during delivery, or it\u2019s just swollen and uncomfortable to sit. If you are really driven to play, you might consider putting down a foam donut to take pressure off sensitive areas. It may even take several weeks to feel better. If you\u2019ve had a C-section, the usual advice is to not heavy lift for about six weeks. However, unless you&#8217;re playing speed metal and pounding away with both legs and arms, you\u2019re probably not putting enough pressure on the incision to match lifting 20 pounds. You just might be too damn sore to want to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The length of the recovery period seems to vary from person to person. Nicole got back to teaching drums at a school within two weeks, and Sara started drumming again after six weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/06144625\/mothersday2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was almost a year before Emily could get back on the kit due to a long recovery from an unplanned C-section and lingering pain from her SPD. \u201cThe first session back behind a real acoustic kit was something else; the things I expected to struggle with, I didn\u2019t, and the things I expected wouldn\u2019t change became very challenging!\u201d For other moms who\u2019d had emergency C-sections, one was back to practicing two weeks later, while another took two months off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Making the transition from solo drummer to \u2018drumming for two\u2019 isn\u2019t easy, especially for those dealing with postpartum depression. \u201cI received some therapy while struggling with PPD and anxiety, and they really encouraged me to get back to my passion,\u201d says Chelsea. \u201cSo around four months postpartum, I began practicing occasionally in a rehearsal studio and on my practice pad during naps. I think drum practice helped me to reprioritize my life for the better, and helped me regain confidence lost while adjusting to my new responsibilities. Getting back in the groove of drumming and learning new things helped me move forward instead of reflecting on my old life or the idea that my goals were left unattained. About six months after that, my friends asked me to join their band.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"blue-text-block\"><strong>Takeaway for moms:<\/strong> It could be weeks or months postpartum before you&#8217;re ready to get back on the kit, but everyone is different. Drumming is great for physical and mental health, so if you can make time to keep it up, the benefits will be worth it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-do-moms-find-time-to-play-drums\"><strong>How do moms find time to play drums?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For moms who took up drumming when their kids were older, this probably isn\u2019t as much of an issue. But for new moms, or parents of young children, balancing your own practice or gig routine with raising a family isn\u2019t easy. Cordelia took two years off work and didn\u2019t play her drums for almost seven years. \u201cBut I\u2019m back on them now at the age of 46 and gigging again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Emily\u2019s story might be familiar to anyone who\u2019s tried to maintain a hobby or passion with a baby at home. She lives in a rural area and jams in a detached garage, so during naps \u201cI can wail away without it being a disturbance. I\u2019m sure any parent reading this will agree that even a squeaky floorboard can wake up some kids, so the thought of having a kit in the house &#8211; even an electric one &#8211; was not a long-term plan for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBalancing anything in conjunction with a new baby is challenging, but they do generally have routines so that is helpful. Though it\u2019s always on the days you\u2019re planning a major session that they decide they aren\u2019t taking a nap!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of scraping together any free time she has, Emily finds it challenging to have enough energy sometimes. \u201cThere is an immense physical demand that comes with playing drums, and after sleeping for four hours a night three nights in a row, it can be tough to find the energy to lift those sticks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll great things take time and energy, children and drumming alike. I\u2019ve learned to become \u2018flexibly inflexible\u2019. By that, I mean that you may plan to practice, or record, or hit your weekly goal, but kids aren\u2019t robots and certainly don\u2019t adhere to your plans, so you have to get used to winging it and putting in the time when you have it. Just go one day at a time; it puts less pressure on meeting expectations that may now be unrealistic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Emily has experienced the challenges of playing drums with a newborn, Juliana took up drumming when her son was almost two years old. He was already walking and would watch his mom practice. He then started playing the drums as well. She had a studio at the time and gave him headphones to use. \u201cI wasn\u2019t working, so I had all the energy I needed to learn. If you have other people around you who can help you take care of your child, or if you can wait until you have time, that makes it easier. Maybe you can learn together!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B_Sor9JDEfz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"589\" height=\"595\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/29105351\/Screenshot-2021-10-29-135248.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31797\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/29105351\/Screenshot-2021-10-29-135248.jpg 589w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/29105351\/Screenshot-2021-10-29-135248-297x300.jpg 297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 589px) 100vw, 589px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p>Whether it\u2019s noise concerns, the inability to lift heavy items, or the reality of not having enough time or energy, there are a million things that can make being a drummer mom even more difficult than the act of learning the drums itself. But these moms have persevered and found ways to make it work. And for this, we salute you!<\/p>\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is it safe to drum while pregnant? Can you play drums with a baby at home? Check out this special Mother&#8217;s Day article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":23435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4019,4040,4018],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drummers","category-health","category-technique"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23363"}],"version-history":[{"count":65,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46508,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23363\/revisions\/46508"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}