labor playlist ideas

Update: The follow-up to this post, including my list of songs and how it worked for me, can be found here.


I am starting to work on a playlist for during labor. If you have been through labor, whether you had music or not, tell me what worked or didn't work for you, or what you imagine might have been good music to have. If you haven't, I still want to hear your opinions and ideas.

I am looking for music that would be relaxing and uplifting, maybe motivating. I am going through my collection of music, deciding what might be good. But I also may download some new things, so anything is fair game.

Music is, of course, a very personal thing, and your suggestions may or may not inspire me. In fact, if it's too personal for you, feel free to comment anonymously. I'm not going to tell you what I'm thinking about including, because I don't want judgment on it. After I have the baby, I may share my playlist for anyone who might be interested, but definitely not before that.

I'm looking forward to some ideas to help me get this going!

9 comments:

Cass said...

the soundtrack to the brothers bloom is really great--especially penelope's theme. (i use it for writing.)

Katherine said...

I had an entire day and night at home with contractions before the hospital... I watched tv instead of listening to music. Then when we were in the hospital, I also watched bad middle of the night tv and early morning news. Later on, I just listened to the glorious sound of no pain after I got my epidural. Sorry I have no great suggestions! Besides, even if you plan a great playlist, you may decide you don't want to listen, or may forget it in the rush out the door, etc... :) You'll be great!

Anonymous said...

Miles Davis,"Sketches of Spain."

But in all honesty, honey, music is probably going to be the last thing on your mind.

I mean, I definitely wasn't in an all-out panic when in labor, but your thoughts just kind of become instinctual, like "Must get this baby out!"

Amy said...

Just a note: I am well aware that I may not want music, especially late in labor. However, I want to have it ready on my ipod because for me, personally, the right music provides focus for me through pain and with all kinds of things. Everyone is different, and it does help many people. I will find out that day whether it helps me or not.

Thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming!

Anonymous said...

Enya. She got me through without screaming for drugs....

Anonymous said...

Amy,
I suggest instrumental only - listening to lyrics may require more concentration that you have, since you will be directing your energy elsewhere!
ANYTHING by Mozart is restful, serene, ordered and calming. And you really should have the slow movements to the Haydn and Hummel trumpet concertos, which I know you have played beautifully.
Love you, Amy
- your first trumpet teacher

katandkarl said...

zee avi, she&him, erykah badu, maybe a little meiko....

the girly music helped me through!

maresi said...

I've been thinking about this since Friday when you posted! I made 3 mix CDs (because unlike the rest of the developed world I do not have an ipod) which consisted entirely of songs that I loved. Most of them were mid-tempo (nothing too jarringly loud or fast or too slow, either) and it was a big variety. I included artists like downhere, Peter, Paul & Mary, Sting, Shawn Colvin, to name only a few. We did end up putting them all on our home computer in the itunes and had a 3 hour or so playlist. Timon put it on when we came back from the hospital after our first visit and it ended when our doula arrived around 11am. Between contractions I remember making note of what song was on. It was nice to have in the background.

EDH said...

I made two playlists - one was "relaxing" and the other was "energizing." Both were instrumental only - lots of Bach, symphonies, etc.

One memory that comes to mind that may be of interest to you is that I included "Gabriel's Oboe" from the soundtrack to "The Mission." It's a lovely piece, but it is sometimes upsetting to me because the movie makes me sad (and the piece is just haunting for some reason - if you know it, you know what I mean). Anyway, when it came on while I was in labor, I started sobbing and thinking about my brother and needed it OFF right then. So, I am saying this to let you know that if there's any piece that you find wistful or that viscerally reminds you of your brother, you might not want to include it.

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