Music to Birth By

A couple of weeks ago, I took my 6-year-old and 9-year-old to a Weezer concert.  We had so much fun, dancing and singing to the songs we love.  It was my first time seeing Weezer, and for both boys (barring my 9-year-old's Sting concert at 11-months-old) it was their first show.  It is definitely something we want to do again.

I had planned to labor to music during all three of my babies' births, but at the time, it didn't come to pass.  Many women are helped through their labors by the comfort of the music they connect with.  Often couples will pick out a lot of different songs to load up onto their MP3 players or to make a CD.  The key to an effective compilation is to make sure there are varied types of songs included.  Slow songs are helpful when a woman needs to rest or wants to drown out any background noise she may feel surrounded by.  Upbeat songs can be helpful while a woman may be walking, stomping, rocking, or even pushing.  Songs that a woman has a personal connection to also have a place in this repertoire -- take, for example, the first song she and her partner danced to, a song played at their wedding, or a song that reminds a woman of a time, person, or event in her life that brings her strength. 

Although one can spend hours on a good mix of music, flexibility is still the key -- a woman may then decide she doesn't wish to listen to music at all.  That's okay, too.  The time spent creating such a resource won't be wasted as this collection could still be played later, with fond memories of what the intentions were while originally creating it.

In my class, I like to play music in the background.  Of course I choose things I really like, such as Chris Isaak, Beck, Weezer of course, and other artists' songs that are a bit more on the calm side.  I tend to play a bit of classical music as well.  The other day in class we were talking about music and how it can help us cope, give us strength, encourage rest, and generally lift our moods.  "It is important to remember," I shared as we listened to a Puccini CD, "that if you, say, hate classical music, you don't put any on your birth CD."  I gestured to the CD player and the expectant parents laughed. 

What if you aren't sure what to use?  Often, the hospital will have CDs a family can use in a pinch, but then you won't have much choice about it.  Lullabies are often a good choice as well -- they work during labor, and they work afterwards with a new baby.  One of my favorite choices is "Rockabye Baby," a company that takes your favorite artists and changes their music into melodic lullabies appropriate for any nursery.  Chances are, there is something there you will like, from Smashing Pumpkins and Metallica, to No Doubt, U2, and even classic artists like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

I had a doula client once who realized, once her water broke, she suddenly was filled with fear about her baby's birth.  It happened while she did her grocery shopping, and as she started driving towards her home to call her midwife and her husband, a song popped into her head:
"Don't worry
About a thing
'Cause every little thing's gonna be all right."

Later into her labor, we put that CD on and her baby was actually born to Bob Marley.  And every little thing was all right.

More about music and birth:

-Some Science, and Some Songs that Work
-Music to Birth Kids By (funny!)
-Choosing Music to be Born To