Labour playlist!

[SmallScrewCap]

While I wait for this baby to deign to appear, I am making myself a mix tape for early labour.

I know that this will probably go out of the window when the time comes (as it did for my friend when I birth partnered for her and she JUST. WANTED. SILENCE!) It's helping me to pass the time, anyway, and I can always enjoy it afterwards.

Please suggest tracks that are cheerful, relaxing and not threatening in any way whatsoever. I seem to be picking quite a few things from my childhood.

So far I've got:

The Tide Is High - Blondie
Stand By Me - Ben E King
I'll Stand By You - The Pretenders
Down To Earth - Peter Gabriel (from Wall E, DD's favourite)
Avalon - Roxy Music
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears
It Must Be Love - Madness
No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley
You're My Best Friend - Queen
We Have All The Time In The World - Louis Armstrong

[NoGoodNicknamesLeft]

snort. really, don't bother. if you ACTUALLY have time or the inclination to listen to music, give iPod to DP to control, put it on shuffle and get him to skip any track that you don't like. a) it'll give him something to do b) you'll probably want metallica or bowie or something completely different to anything you might have put on the playlist.

[NoGoodNicknamesLeft]

er, sorry made an assumption there. DP or birth partner

[BunnyLebowski]

Oh I had the same lovely ideas about listening to nice chilled out music during labour.

A few hours in and I wouldn't have cared if all of Take That (including Robbie) were stood at the edge of my birth pool singing their greatest hits.....naked.

[SmallScrewCap]

Yes, yes, I know, I know! IME music helps in the very early stages to calm me down. I have had a couple of false starts this pregnancy.

It's for other stuff, too - have been on the antenatal ward a fair bit in the last fortnight and wished that I had prepared something like this to listen to (as hearing women crowning down the hall is not the best way to chill out of an evening).

[NotEvenTheTrees]

Bunny, I absolutely would havve cared if all of Take That were butt naked and warbling near me. If they weren't Getting The Damn Baby Out then they would have had a tongue lashing just like everybody else.

I made a CD for labour, no idea what I did with it. Probably used it to kill somebody. Didn't listen to it.

[reikizen]

I love it if couples have music to listen to in labour. In hospital if brings a bit of home to an otherwise fairly unpleasant environment! I think it's a brilliant idea and I prepared one for my labour with dd2 - but didn't listen to more than about 4 tracks as it was a fast labour and I soon got into that 'inside yourself' mode. When I listen to it now though it always makes me smile...

[SmallScrewCap]

Thanks reikizen.

This is not my first ride on the roundabout either, so I'm not naive to the possibility that I won't give a damn when the time comes - but thanks for the repeated warnings anyway...

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

I'm doing the same Smallscrewcap - and for the same reason. To take my mind off the waiting and the vbac/c-section worries. I iamgine I may not listen to it in labour but it's keeping my mind busy. So far I have.. . Queen - don't stop me now, & I was born to love you, Boney M - Rasputin, Bette Midler - Baby Mine, David Gray - Be mine.

I'm kind of choosing songs that mean something to me so I can imagine they will mean nothing to someone else!

[SmallScrewCap]

Heh heh I like the idea of "Rasputin!"

"Oh, those Russians!"

[SunshineDoula]

What about Jack Johnson's stuff? Nice and chilled. Paolo Nutini?

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

I love Jack Johnson - good suggestion. Was thinking perhaps a little Abba? My 'taste' is so varied I never know from one day to the next what I might listen to. Oh, I know - Mika - Big girl you are beautiful - could be fun.

Oh those Russians - [as the head crowns..]

[cyteen]

I Want To Break Free

(sorry)

[SunshineDoula]

Cat Stevens / Michael Buble / Enya

[SmallScrewCap]

I have just added "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross

[cyteen]

Push It?

[MrsHappy]

I reckon I would want something that is gentle but doesn't provoke much in the way of emotional response. Or something that reminds me of holidays. So Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Katie Melua.

Not stuff I would normally listen to much TBH (although maybe that is good in case afterwards I never want to hear it again!). I will also take a fully-loaded ipod in case on the day I decide something more grrrr is needed...

[newspaperdelivery]

Oasis C'mon feel the noise is fab to push along to.

I also had a boogie to Shed7 and a focus and internal time to Elgar

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

Are we human or dancer - killers.
Hey ya - outcast

dh and i having laods of fun on itunes tonight downloading this and that .

this is going to be the weirdest compilation ever..

[SmallScrewCap]

I think my oddest one so far is "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" by Michael Crawford - again because it's on the Wall-E soundtrack...

Oh and "Origin of Love" and "Tear Me Down" from Hedwig and the Angry Inch!

A friend of mine claims that the Rocky Horror soundtrack helped her through 2nd stage last year... mind you she was having a home birth, so didn't have anyone else's ears to consider