Will you be using music during your labour/birth?

[Nectar]

Hi ladies,

I'm just trying to work out what music I'd want to listen to during labour/birth. I did the Calmbirth course so was thinking of just taking relaxation music but maybe I'd want something a little more upbeat/interesting too?

What are your thoughts on music during labour?

Thanks!

 

[Storked]

I figure that I will listen to Jack Johnson during labor

 

[Kage76]

personally if i don't listen to it outside the delivery room- no way would i listen to it during childbirth. I had a couple of choices at the hospital- all rainforesty pan pipes and whale song. Tried to listen to it- wanted to kill someone- so i went for the radio station i normally listened to. If i had my time again(or i had more time the first time i would listen to my favorite playlist on my ipod- it would have made the situation more 'homey" if that makes sense?

 

[cupcaker]

I was all set with an mp3 player and some labour/birth music I had downloaded for if it was a long and drawn out labour. Things didn't quite go that way, I ended up going from 0-60 very quickly as we had a few problems and they gave me a drip to speed up the labour. So didn't have chance to think even. But I would have used it if it had been dragging on to keep me calm etc.

 

[Nariah01]

Well my labor is going to be way in the future...well November so not way in the future but a long while so I may change my mind. But I totally plan to have music during labor. I am all for trying this without pain meds. we will see if I have the will or not to last. But music is always my go too for calming me down or getting me in the zone so I figure its a good choice.

now don't laugh cause I have a very eclectic music playlist but I figure it will consist of some of my favs like older daft punk, and then some Florence and the machines and some Ellie goulding, and few random songs that I love. I am so tempted to put some old school rock like Rush and such but I don't know how that will go over, might be too much.

 

[Nectar]

Thanks for your thoughts girls. I enjoy music but I don't play much in day to day life. I think it's true that if you don't listen to something in normal life you might not listen to it during labour! I guess I'll make a couple of play lists and see how I feel....?

 

[alicecooper]

I've never listened to music during labour before. I might do, I guess I'll see. I'm not sure the midwives would approve though, I'd be sticking on all rock and metal lol. Anything else would just annoy me - whale songs and so on.

 

[Anthrogirl]

I'll have my ipod on shuffle, but that's par for the course in my house. I have a home office and I generally have my ipod or itunes (with my complete collection, about 5 days of music) on a random shuffle from morning till night. There are a few selections that I have taken off of my ipod, mostly heavy metal that I don't think will be all that useful for labor. My second I listened to tibetan monks (chants and drums) and my first I had Queen's box set on repeat. Depends on what gets you grooving, the best thought out musical plan might never come to fruition if you want quiet.

 

[Nectar]

Thanks Alicecooper and Anthrogirl - great perspectives!

 

[Kellen]

I am a Broadway showtune junkie and had a random playlist of tunes playing during labor... all 28 hours. Pretty sure my DH was tired of listening to the Color Purple, Once Upon a Mattress, and Secret Garden by the time we were done.

 

[Nectar]

I am a Broadway showtune junkie and had a random playlist of tunes playing during labor... all 28 hours. Pretty sure my DH was tired of listening to the Color Purple, Once Upon a Mattress, and Secret Garden by the time we were done.

I bet those songs never sound the same now!

 

[Kellen]

I am a Broadway showtune junkie and had a random playlist of tunes playing during labor... all 28 hours. Pretty sure my DH was tired of listening to the Color Purple, Once Upon a Mattress, and Secret Garden by the time we were done.

I bet those songs never sound the same now!

I was in transition for a good portion of it so I honestly don't really remember. I do vividly recall loving the song "Hell No!" from the Color Purple. Apparently I really got in to it when a contraction would hit. I also remember throwing up violently during "Sensitivity" from Once Upon a Mattress.

 

[Nectar]

Haha, what a soundtrack!

 

[Anthrogirl]

Update on my musical labor from last saturday! I had itunes on my laptop on 'just plain shuffle' (yes, including my showtunes!!) going through the whole repertoire from 5 am till about 2:30 pm when I had to start to really concentrate through contractions. At this point my Bob Marley collection came out. It's about 6-7 disks and they shuffled until about 7 then my Celtic collection (lots of Chieftans, Loreena McKennitt, Ashly MacIsaac, etc), then when things got really/I] serious, the blues playlist came on at about 9 till birth at 1:34. At a couple of points I swapped the music onto other playlists but they were nonstarters...Bob Marley and Ella Fitzgerald, Muddy Waters, BB King had me grooving!

 

[Nectar]

Update on my musical labor from last saturday! I had itunes on my laptop on 'just plain shuffle' (yes, including my showtunes!!) going through the whole repertoire from 5 am till about 2:30 pm when I had to start to really concentrate through contractions. At this point my Bob Marley collection came out. It's about 6-7 disks and they shuffled until about 7 then my Celtic collection (lots of Chieftans, Loreena McKennitt, Ashly MacIsaac, etc), then when things got really/I] serious, the blues playlist came on at about 9 till birth at 1:34. At a couple of points I swapped the music onto other playlists but they were nonstarters...Bob Marley and Ella Fitzgerald, Muddy Waters, BB King had me grooving!

Oh wow! Congratulations! Did you have a boy or a girl? That sounds like quite a labour soundtrack Hope all is well!

 

[Dream.dream]

With my first I thought I wanted music until I was actually in labour , I had them shut it off because I found to distracting me from my breathing.

 

[d_b]

I had a playlist for #1 but was concentrating on my breathing so much I didn't want to hear it. I actually wanted total silence and even told the nurses to stop talking. I don't normally listen to much music aside from the radio while I drive.

 

[Nectar]

I guess it's hard to know til you're in the situation!

 

[MamaTex]

I plan to. I ordered an album that I feel will help me concentrate. It is soothing, progressive electronic dance music (the album is titled Sirens of the Sea and is by Oceanlab) that I feel will allow me to concentrate while giving me something to bob my head to. I think I can also use it to visualize!!

 

[Amy89]

I plan to use the same playlist as when I'm working out - stuff I can really get my aggression out to! Plus, I like to sing really loudly and badly, but if I've got some sort of heavy rock/metal on I can never manage anything to screamy...this won't be a problem in labour hahaha