Birth music?

[paintedfire]

What did you listen to during labor? I'm trying to start a preliminary playlist. My music tastes run the gamut, so I'm pretty open. I'm interested in hearing what you ladies liked/found comforting or inspiring during labor.

[Banana731]

OT, but a funny thing, well at least it made me laugh at myself... I saw another post by you and I looked at your siggy, and to me it read " baxter 20 -retired domesticated partner" And I sat there for at least 5 minutes wondering what you meant by that. I was thinking, that you must be polygamist and that Baxter must be the SAH partner. And I was thinking, nice, but was surprised that Baxter would be okay with being called a "domesticated partner" over something like SAHP. Then I looked at your siggy more closely and realized it did not say " baxter 20- retired domesticated partner," it said "retired domesticated panther."

Good times on MDC!

Anyway

Andrew Bird really spoke to me during my last labor. I also really enjoyed Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. So my listening choices were violin heavy!

[AZgirl2207]

I used HypnoBabies with my last birth--I focused on the affirmations and never even got to the 'Birth Day' tracks. Oops. Along with with that, I loved my regular 'go to bed' music-- Relaxation, A Windham Hill Collection

I think the secret to labor music is to have options. Do you need to be motivated, moving around? Or relax and let everything go? I needed to just chill out, let my body work, and keep my brain QUIET. HTH

[fyrwmn]

i found a cd of ocean waves with quiet classical playing in the background. it was perfect! (and i usually can't stand classical). i like the labor/birth atmosphere to be pretty quiet and the lights pretty dimmed though. come to think of it, i don't think i've seen the cd since i unpacked our stuff from ds's birth. guess i'd better start looking so i can buy a new one if need be.

[Galatea]

Music was waaaaaaay too annoying. I didn't try this, but maybe ocean waves would be okay.

[erin23kate]

I absolutely LOVED having music during labor. I also did hypnobabies, but I found that it annoyed me once things really got moving.

My playlist was 5 hours long, and I use it now in my son's room. We have a speaker docking station and it plays in a loop while he's sleeping. I chose music that was special to me, music that I knew would make me smile. I really enjoyed building the playlist.

I will always remember that Michael Buble's "Just Haven't Met You Yet" was playing just as he was born. It was so perfect! And it helped me push past exhaustion and give it just that little extra I needed to bring him into the world. Then, while I was holding him for the first time, "God Bless the Broken Road" was on...amazing!!

[ledzepplon]

For my last birth I had my iPod loaded with all kinds of soothing music but found that the only thing I really wanted to listen to was Neil Young. Go figure.

This time I'm planning on listening to my Hypnobabies tracks, but I'll have the fully loaded iPod with me just in case.

[zjande]

Originally Posted by Banana731

OT, but a funny thing, well at least it made me laugh at myself... I saw another post by you and I looked at your siggy, and to me it read " baxter 20 -retired domesticated partner" And I sat there for at least 5 minutes wondering what you meant by that. I was thinking, that you must be polygamist and that Baxter must be the SAH partner. And I was thinking, nice, but was surprised that Baxter would be okay with being called a "domesticated partner" over something like SAHP. Then I looked at your siggy more closely and realized it did not say " baxter 20- retired domesticated partner," it said "retired domesticated panther."

Good times on MDC!

OMG I did this exact.same.thing just the other day!! I sat there for the longest time trying to figure out why your domestic partner was so young, & what they were retired from...

But on the actual subject of the thread, I can't stand music during labor. So why am I even reading this thread? I have no idea!!

Um, I think I'm getting loopy & should probably go to bed.

[treeoflife3]

I'm not going to be like ANYONE else but the best music for me was All American Rejects - the all american rejects and Flogging Molly - swagger.

I wanted something that was fun and would pump me up. Funnily enough, I didn't choose flogging molly as the music my kid would be born to ahead of time (I asked for it while I was pushing) and was confused at first when people who had never heard of the band suddenly looked really shocked. We knew ahead of time that I was birthing a little girl named molly hehehe so in my slurred speech, all they heard was something about wanting to flog molly!

[paintedfire]

Originally Posted by Banana731

OT, but a funny thing, well at least it made me laugh at myself... I saw another post by you and I looked at your siggy, and to me it read " baxter 20 -retired domesticated partner" And I sat there for at least 5 minutes wondering what you meant by that. I was thinking, that you must be polygamist and that Baxter must be the SAH partner. And I was thinking, nice, but was surprised that Baxter would be okay with being called a "domesticated partner" over something like SAHP. Then I looked at your siggy more closely and realized it did not say " baxter 20- retired domesticated partner," it said "retired domesticated panther."

Good times on MDC!

Anyway

Andrew Bird really spoke to me during my last labor. I also really enjoyed Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. So my listening choices were violin heavy!

After I got the first couple people asking me about my "panther," I briefly considered changing it, but ultimately decided to stick with it. It's an old family joke. He's really just a super spoiled house cat, albeit half bob cat.

This is - by far - the funniest thing I've ever had anyone tell me on here. Thanks for the laugh!

Originally Posted by AZgirl2207

I used HypnoBabies with my last birth--I focused on the affirmations and never even got to the 'Birth Day' tracks. Oops. Along with with that, I loved my regular 'go to bed' music-- Relaxation, A Windham Hill Collection

I think the secret to labor music is to have options. Do you need to be motivated, moving around? Or relax and let everything go? I needed to just chill out, let my body work, and keep my brain QUIET. HTH

Yeah, I was planning on having different playlists with different moods. I guess I just wanted reassurance that was a smart thing to do. Thanks.

Originally Posted by fyrwmn

i found a cd of ocean waves with quiet classical playing in the background. it was perfect! (and i usually can't stand classical). i like the labor/birth atmosphere to be pretty quiet and the lights pretty dimmed though. come to think of it, i don't think i've seen the cd since i unpacked our stuff from ds's birth. guess i'd better start looking so i can buy a new one if need be.

Hmm. I really love music (I wanted to be a musician when I was younger), but I do love the sound of the ocean. I'll try and find that.

Originally Posted by Galatea

Music was waaaaaaay too annoying. I didn't try this, but maybe ocean waves would be okay.

Yet another view.

Originally Posted by erin23kate

I absolutely LOVED having music during labor. I also did hypnobabies, but I found that it annoyed me once things really got moving.

My playlist was 5 hours long, and I use it now in my son's room. We have a speaker docking station and it plays in a loop while he's sleeping. I chose music that was special to me, music that I knew would make me smile. I really enjoyed building the playlist.

I will always remember that Michael Buble's "Just Haven't Met You Yet" was playing just as he was born. It was so perfect! And it helped me push past exhaustion and give it just that little extra I needed to bring him into the world. Then, while I was holding him for the first time, "God Bless the Broken Road" was on...amazing!!

See, that's what I want - pretty much exactly, really (well, except for the Michael Buble part - sorry! ). I mean the iPod docking station to play when the baby is sleeping. It sounds heavenly to me.

Originally Posted by ledzepplon

For my last birth I had my iPod loaded with all kinds of soothing music but found that the only thing I really wanted to listen to was Neil Young. Go figure.

This time I'm planning on listening to my Hypnobabies tracks, but I'll have the fully loaded iPod with me just in case.

First a note: I Neil Young.

Now . . . I'm going to do Hypnobabies, as well, but like I said above music is one of my lifelines. I can't imagine going through labor without it. I have lupus and fibromyalgia (among other things) and music is a focusing point for me when the pain is really bad as it is, so I don't expect birth to be much different there.

Originally Posted by zjande

OMG I did this exact.same.thing just the other day!! I sat there for the longest time trying to figure out why your domestic partner was so young, & what they were retired from...

But on the actual subject of the thread, I can't stand music during labor. So why am I even reading this thread? I have no idea!!

Um, I think I'm getting loopy & should probably go to bed.

So funny, girls. I think I need whatever you guys are eating/taking/doing.

[paintedfire]

Originally Posted by treeoflife3

I'm not going to be like ANYONE else but the best music for me was All American Rejects - the all american rejects and Flogging Molly - swagger.

I wanted something that was fun and would pump me up. Funnily enough, I didn't choose flogging molly as the music my kid would be born to ahead of time (I asked for it while I was pushing) and was confused at first when people who had never heard of the band suddenly looked really shocked. We knew ahead of time that I was birthing a little girl named molly hehehe so in my slurred speech, all they heard was something about wanting to flog molly!

I must say that I didn't expect this thread to be as funny as it's turning out to be.

I know what you mean about unexpected musical choices, though. I get migraines pretty frequently and find that my favorite "soft" music, like Nick Drake or She and Him doesn't help me nearly as much as Cream or The Clash. I think it's because it's easier to focus on, you know?

[jump mama jump!]

I ended up packing an entire bag of cds, mostly death metal, crust punk, grind, and a little goth, but ended up not even listening to ANY of it. It just somehow didn't occur to me to have dh put it on in my sleep deprived drug induced haze.

[MujerMamaMismo]

The perfect playlist was sooooo important to me in the lead up to my son's birth. I even got a new iPod because my old one was increasingly temperamental. I spent days making the perfect playlist. It was 21 hours long. I laboured for 7 hours and had my partner turn that f#cking music off after approximately 6 minutes!

Still, I think Joan as Policewoman and Gillian Welch are perfect labour soundtracks.

[paintedfire]

Originally Posted by MujerMamaMismo

The perfect playlist was sooooo important to me in the lead up to my son's birth. I even got a new iPod because my old one was increasingly temperamental. I spent days making the perfect playlist. It was 21 hours long. I laboured for 7 hours and had my partner turn that f#cking music off after approximately 6 minutes!

Still, I think Joan as Policewoman and Gillian Welch are perfect labour soundtracks.

That sounds like something I'd do.

And I LOVE Gillian Welch.

[Mrs.Music]

I didn't get a chance to make mine up last time... As it is, I prefer complete and total silence anyway... Banishing anyone who dares to whisper in my presence. So not sure why I opened this thread....

I was going to put on some silly things that'd be sure to annoy me, but be funny while making it such as Push it by salt n pepa, ring of fire by johnny cash, sex on fire by the kings of leon... You catch the joke.

If I were being SERIOUS though, definitely make a few different "mood" lists. Something slow. Something maybe harder or more upbeat to lose yourself in... I know some people like something to focus on other than the contractions and the slow relaxing stuff doesn't do it. My instructor (who I managed to see TWICE before giving birth last time ) prefered to listen to ::cringe:: 80s rock.