Irritable b*s, did music in labour really annoy you or was it nice/helpful?

[CharCharGabor]

No offence meant, I am the most irritable bastard there is I'm planning a homebirth and looking at websites and things a lot of them talk about soothing music. I thought, hmm that could be nice, but in reality will I be screeching 'turn that fucking thing off!' whilst lobbing it out of the nearest window? Because I could do without wasting a cd player if so

Midwife left Radio 2 on during my induction with DD - fucking Pink fucking Floyd. I retuned it to the shipping forecast when she wasn't looking!

Forget it. You'll be too busy swearing for anyone to hear anything anyway

Thanks wmmc, thought mn had imploded then, no irritable bastards but me! Not that I'm implying anything though Pink Floyd doesn't exactly sound relaxing, I have to admit! I think I will forget it, I'm more of the swearing type anyway. Maybe I could refine the screeching from last time into a tuneful aria

Dh put on lots of soothing music apparently - or so he tells me the next morning.

I hadn't a clue what was going on, and I certainly didn't notice the music - or the candles - or anything else really. Was way too far gone.

Another miserable bugger here. There was some kind of 'relaxation' tape playing when I went in with d2. I lasted one contraction before screeching 'Turn that shit OFF' in a very loud voice to dh . Thankfully the midwife wasn't in the room at the time.

And I definitely qualify as an irritable bastard by anyone's definition

Enya - played on a tape over and over and over again!! I haven't been able to listen to it since....

Really annoyed me. From first contraction until the birth of DD 36 hours later I couldn't stand food, any drink other than water, TV, music, baths, conversation, snoring (thanks DH), or being touched.

I was obviously a delight to all around me

Glad I'm not alone. Think I will forget about the music then for sure, can't see me relaxing to it. I get irritated quickly enough when a big round head isn't trying to squirm its way out of my pelvis! Thanks guys

I'd taken a nice new CD that DH and I wanted to listen to and had saved. But I wouldn't let him put it on till I'd had my epidural (after about 10 hours!!). Then it was nice, but anything would have been at that point!

I can't stand the radio at the best of times so there won't be any background music playing here ! Unless they want serious rage if they put Coldplay on...
Apparently Crowborough (where I'm booked) have a DVD player in their birth rooms so might take some of hubs & my fave films - loving the idea of watching Top Gun/SWAT while contracting away...

I also found music really annoying - and (bless DP) he had made 17 hours worth of playlists! I think the thing is that I don't listen to that much music normally, and so it didn't make sense to me (as much as anything does during labour) that I would have found it helpful then. I much preferred watching the Gavin and Stacy boxed set during most of my labour!

I'd have taken music if I'd had time to think about it. But would have been irritated by it tbh, and was paying no attention to anything during labour. I wanted lights off, no talking, and the only touch to rub my back very hard with a hot cloth.

I was booked at Crowborough, and it's lovely. Just wish DS had waited long enough to be born there rather than PRH

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed I get to go there - so many people are booked but don't go, I really hope I'm not one of them !