[Lacrymosa]

Can you wear headphones while giving birth? I know you need to hear what your doctor/mw is saying but I still think I would be way more calm if I had music to listen to, at least over one ear. Maybe this is an absurd idea, I'm not sure.

And on a sillier note, if you all could listen to headphones, what would you listen to? Top 3 favorite bands? I'm curious what music all you mama's listen to!

 

[pinksprklybarefoot]

I don't see why you couldn't wear headphones. They probably would have annoyed me, but I bet it would work well for a lot of women who want something to focus on other than their uterus.

 

[amydidit]

Headphones annoy me like crazy normally so I wouldn't personally want them, but I don't see why you couldn't use them. Personally my midwives didn't say anything to me I felt like I NEEDED to hear. If there was a huge life threatening emergency I'm sure they would have made themselves heard, you know?

 

[j_p_i]

I don't see why they wouldn't let you wear them either, but I can't say for sure as I'm a first-timer as well

To be honest, I have no IDEA what I'd listen to. I have a pretty wide-ranging taste in music, and often my mood dictates what I listen too. I can't say what my mood will be like when the time comes... though I have a funny picture in my mind of listening to my "get pumped up" running music while giving birth! Surely not what I'll actually need at the time!

 

[Lacrymosa]

lol!

 

[surprisedmama]

As a total side note. Be careful not to love the music you pick or have a large selection to choose from. I had classical chinese music with my first birth which played for 23 hrs (then we went to the hospital) After that I haven't enjoy listening to it again. I am not saying it brings back bad memories it is just not good relaxing background music anymore. So when you pick your music be prepared not to like the music again.

 

[Lacrymosa]

Good points, all...

 

[jennert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by surprisedmama As a total side note. Be careful not to love the music you pick or have a large selection to choose from. I had classical chinese music with my first birth which played for 23 hrs (then we went to the hospital) After that I haven't enjoy listening to it again. I am not saying it brings back bad memories it is just not good relaxing background music anymore. So when you pick your music be prepared not to like the music again.

my mother listened to a Henry Mancini album while in labor with me. when i was in college, my dad found the LP and put it on. mom rushed out of the kitchen yelling at my dad to turn it off--she'd started having contraction-like cramps!

 

[Raene]

Most definitely you can...and why do you need to listen to doctor/midwife? Listen to YOUR body...
I'm a HypnoBirthing practitioner and many moms listen to the relaxation CDs that bring them deeper into relaxation and the earphones keep them in the mode. They're great!

 

[Haselnuss]

I only had music for my last birth (a week ago), and it was a mix of Bjork, Portishead and Mogwai. Ever since I've had those songs stuck in my head, and listened to them over and over. I think it helped me process the very fast, intense birth experience, and when I found myself humming a Bjork song that *wasn't* on that playlist this morning, I took it as a sort of milestone meaning I was "getting back to normal".

 

[Lacrymosa]

Thx.. <3 Bjork.

I'm still not sure what I would listen to, but I'm definitely going to need music. Especially after reading the 'What did non-first time moms learn about giving birth' thread. Terrifying stuff!

 

[dearmama22]

Of course you can, absolutely!

You can do anything you want, don't let the doctors tell you otherwise. Do whatever you need to have the birth experience that you want !

 

[boscopup]

You can also bring a portable CD player and just play it out loud. A doula friend of mine brought hers with some relaxing music (a lot of new agey stuff that I had no idea what it was, but it did relax me!), and I had that playing during my labor. Head phones would annoy me, personally, but it's perfectly ok to have music playing at your birth, and I'm sure headphones would be fine. If there were an emergency where the doctor needed you to hear what he said, I think they'd just take the headphones off at that point.

 

[eewieew]

hmm...mogwai would be good to labor to. i've recently been trying to decide what to put on my playlist. not sure what direction to go in though..