Music in labour

[bumperlicious]

I keep reading things about making a CD of music to listen to in labour but I would have no idea what sort of music to take. I know that will totally depend on my taste (not a classical connoisseur though I do like it, more into sing-y, dance-y music, pop, mowtown, carpenters, pretty eclectic really). I just have no idea what to consider that won't just annoy me and make me want to throw the CD player at the hight of a contraction! Should I be thinking about more relaxing music, or music to distract me.

A conversation with DH came up with suggestions such as "The Final Countdown", "Push It" and the Hallelujah Chorus! Any experience/suggestions welcome!

Why not just take a few favourites of different types rather than making one? They won't take up much space in your bag and if you're in there for hours you might get through a few anyway.

i had radio four on the go, but i switched the bloody thing off when money box came on. it was great, dd was born to the sound of the 6pm news headlines.

I took a pile of about 10 cds with different kinds of music. Btw, if you're giving birth in hospital make sure you take batteries for your cd player - they won't let you plug it in to the mains.

I was in hospital for quite a while before an elective c-section and asked dh to bring in cd of the Thrills as thought this would be great in theatre. Anyhow, he turns up on the morning with an empty cd case

I think your dh's suggestions could be fabulous, I made up 3 cd's one boppy to keep my spirits up incase they were flagging, one calming if I needed to relax and one funny one, so now each time I hear don't stop me now by queen I giggle as I clearly remember leaning against the birthing pool having a contraction and the midwife and dh and I laughing at the irony of hearing that whilst having a contraction!

I'm too sexy by right said fred, fat bottom girls by queen and all sorts of silliness, laughter really is a great pain reliever during labour!

2nd time round I danced round to MTV and the pussycat girls "don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me" cause some raised eyebrows! but then really wanted to calm down so once I was in hte birthing pool it was a nora jones fest.

Good luck and hope all goes well

Jen x

Thanks JenT, that's a really good idea actually, I will make a couple of different cd's. You are right, the comedy value of ironic songs may be just what I need to distract me!

I am a massive Manic Street Preachers fan (have been for the past 15 years) my poor 5 shifts of midwives had to listen to their entire back catalogue, demos and b-sides twice while I was in the delivery room!

Ok, I need more inspiration for songs to distract me whilst in labour! Do your worst girls!

I took in our I Pod with some mini speakers that we borrowed off someone. That way I could put on whatever music I fancied at the time. It was really nice to have it on in the back ground whilst in labour!

I was in the delivery room for about 15 hours before needing a c-section - had local radio on all that time as I would have got so fed up listening to the same CD for that length of time (although the adverts did start to irritate me after a while )

not to put a dampner on you, but i had a whole host of CD's lined up and ended up wanting complete silence (apart from my own howls..sorry!) - just thought I would mention this though, in case you feel the same too!

There was a TV in the labour room when my daughter was born. In between contractions the consultant and my husband were both watching "Deal or No Deal"...

I took in a bunch of CDs and ended up listening to Take That - one of their old albumns from when i was a teenager, and then the Miss Saigon soundtrack from start to finish - it was great at passing the time while also on gas and air - have to say until the pushing stage, it was really quite an ok way to spend an afternoon, even with the pain.

DH did comment that Miss Saigon was not the cheeriest musical in the world to ahve on, and the midwife let out a big sigh of relief as she had been thinking the same thing but hadnt wanted to say anything - but it was mosre the familiarty of the music that i liked.