Just curious re: labor music

[maisiedotes]

I am normally the type of person who likes peace and quiet unless I am doing chores. I think it partially comes from my being an introvert and working in a restaurant where I am constantly surrounded by incessant chatter, clanging pots and pans, etc. When I get home I want SILENCE. In fact, last night I said to DH "would you please just be quiet for 5 minutes? Just don't talk for a while." : I thought I would want labor music but maybe I am fooling myself. I will bring something mellow and relaxing anyways, but I am wondering- what are you normally like on an everyday basis and did you find that you were the same during childbirth? Like, if you are usually high-energy did you want high-energy birth music? If you are quiet and comtemplative did you want something more meditative?

[adon]

i was just thinking about this last night, whether or not i want music. i'll be at home so i don't have to worry about it too much: but i did the exact same thing to DH the other day. DS has been NON STOP talking and bouncing off walls....so when DH was home this weekend talking, what seemed non stop about silly stuff i asked him to be quiet, and to stop talking and i usually like talking!:

[Curlita]

You know, after we took out birthing class I decided that I should invest the time in putting together labor music. We listened to it at home before we went to the hospital, more as background music than anything else, but by the time we got to the hospital I was not interested. I'm glad I had it prepped, though, in case I decided that I DID want it. There were a lot of prep things I did that I think helped me prepare for labor emotionally, but that didn't get taken advantage of.

[chrysalis]

i don't have any music packed but what usually makes me very happy are up songs, they amp me up and i'm usually not that amped of a person...i like pop/disco/r&b/hip hop kind of stuff......my mom calls it chipmunk music. : it makes me happy... i also like this one cd i used to have and i wish i could remember the group......i think its a woman who basically is improving whatever came out of her and singing it.........it isn't a known language...very middle eastern sounding or hindu, something like that...its beautiful. i better try and figure out who that is. the woman sings and the guy plays the dijideroudu or whatever that is called amongst other neat instruments. hmmmmmm what are they called.

***update: they are called VAS and the cd is called 'saphyrro'. looks like they have other ones too. her name is azam ali i think. she is just beautiful. yeah i'm gonna have to call best buy to see if they have it in stock here.

[Grace24]

I'm a musician by trade, so when I'm home I like SILENCE. But when I do listen to stuff, it's pretty quiet and mellow... slow jazz (not muzak, though sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference

DH has compiled about 4 hours of music consisting of a group called Zero 7, some Enya, and some solo piano stuff like George Winston and whatever. (My mom was a pianist so piano music calms me) I'm not sure if I'll want to hear it or not, I'll have to let you know.

I figure better to be prepared and have stuff ready just in case.

[melissakc]

I really got into this as part of my preparations. I made two playlists on my iPod for labor. One was relaxing and one was energizing. Each was about 12 hours long. I wanted to be able to shut out the hospital world, go inward, inspire some energy, whatever I needed. I do tend to be an introvert and thought that music would help me focus on what I needed to do.

I ended up listening to my music during the first part of my labor, before I got in the tub. I was leaning over the bed looking at everyone's birth quotes and listening to my relaxing playlist and it really helped to calm me down, since I was a little freaked about being in the hospital and not knowing what it would be like. Once I got in the tub and started pushing things got too intense to think about music.

I ended up listening to my music A LOT during my 2 days of recovery in the hospital. I was alone a lot, so it was nice to have music with me, esp. when I was so tired but having trouble falling asleep. I bought one of those iPod speaker things and it was the best thing ever while I was in the hospital. It kept me from having to take my headphones off every time someone walked in the room, which was pretty much constantly....

[joannalovesyou]

i am bringing 10 cds (i chose them a few days ago) but i don't expect to listen to any of them until after the labor is over. i know myself all too well, and when i'm in pain, i want silence and darkness. i'll be in the labor pool with my honey and my midwife nearby and i think i will just want to do some visualizations and go into my own world.

but i'm glad that music will be there just in case!

[Kontessa]

I am a person who does not like silence. I will have the TV or music on just for noise. Even at night I want some kind of noise, often a fan. I had planned on music but when it came down to it, I just wanted silence when I hit transition. I put wireless head phones on and turned them up and listened to birthing afirmations but mostly to drown out all other sounds that would distract me. I love those head phones! Worth every penny for that all important moment.