Hi Hallie! What a fun topic!

I have listened to the soundtrack to The Prince of Egypt (“There can be miracles, if you believe . . .”) for each of my births. My husband puts it on the laptop and just has it repeat for hours. It is my labor soundtrack now!

I’m getting my mp3 player ready for the upcoming birth of our second child as well.  Last weekend I spent some time at Target listening to samples from the various relaxation cds that they had.  I settled on one that had the sound of waves in it since this goes along with some of the other relaxation techniques that we use as a part of the Bradley method (i.e. this sound helps me to visualize relaxing places to me like vacations, etc. where we like to camp near lake Michigan and fall asleep listening to the waves…)

We’ve been listening to it during our relaxation practice in the evenings (I want to make sure it relaxes me instead of making me go to the bathroom! ) but it definitely seems to help me focus on my relaxation I would recommend checking out the various relaxation cds out there because you may find that you would rather not have something without lyrics at times too.

Just a thought.
Good Bless!

How funny- I JUST wrote a blog post about this topic on Wednesday! I am looking forward to seeing what people suggest!

What a fun topic! One of my favorite memories from my daughter’s birth was singing along (or gasping along) to Fernando Ortega. When my fourth son was born I played a CD made by a choir I had been in, so that my friends who were praying for me were singing to me as well. Have you seen this video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3WA9iHz5ww Grab a tissue!

When my second son was born I made a birth tape that included Bach’s first cello suite. Bad idea! The bowing sounded to me like sawing once I was into active labor, and I was too far gone to say “Turn that OFF!”

Let us know what you pick.

What a PERFECT subject! I am due on August 31st with my first child, and I am exactly on the same page as you - wondering whether I’ll prefer upbeat or calming music. Since I’ve never been through labor before, I have NO IDEA what to expect.

I’m planning on bringing lots and lots of music so I can choose on a whim!

I’m awaiting the birth of our 6th in a couple months and I plan on having the lovely sound of…silence! With my first, I made a couple of nice mixed tapes; one of motivational music and one of relaxing music. I tried both and used neither. Once the significant pain started, I found that adding music was sensory overload (kind of like when your mother’s whispering annoyed you) and just irritated me. I like to labor in water with the lights nice and low. My husband often prays Hail Mary’s out loud (but quietly) through the contractions. We know things are progressing when I no longer join him:)

I honestly can’t remember what music I picked out to listen to during the birth of my first child but I think it was John Michael Talbot’s Come to the Quiet.  She ended up as a c-section and so the other two were also and I had no choice of song selection.  But, what was really funny at that first attempt, I asked my husband to put my music in the CD player in the hospital room.  He turned it on and I guess someone had left their CD in there from a previous birth and it started playing.  The song that was on…Ebony and Ivory.  Too funny!  Gave us a good laugh!

I made a whole play list of classical songs for baby #1, but never listened to it since the labor went so fast. With baby #2, I didn’t even bother and my labor was only 45 mins long. I am expecting #3 and might create another play list just in case this labor goes longer.

My husband and I had picked out a series of relaxing songs on our iTunes, and several Pandora stations to play during my labor…but wouldn’t you know the computer audio wasn’t working at all when we tried turning it on for labor.  Hadn’t happened before; hasn’t happened since! 

I liked the Enya suggestion above, as well as the musical Divine Mercy Chaplet and Litany of the Saints. Think I’ll try those with this upcoming second birth.

oh, and: EML - What is your secret for a 45 min. labor?!?! 

I would recommend Celtic Woman, especially anything sung by Lisa Kelly.  Also, Hayley Westenra (a former Celtic Woman) sings traditional uplifting songs, many Christian.  One of her best is Shenandoah.  And you can’t go wrong with Bach, who might have had one of the most seraphic souls of any human being to have composed music like Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring and Wachet Auf (Sleepers Awake).

While I didn’t labor per se (medically necessary c-sections for both of my babies), my husband would play Gregorian chants for me while I was recovering in the hospital. We’d listen to the same music in the weeks leading up to the births and also at night once we got home. Super relaxing.

Good luck on your search!

John Michael Talbot’s Meditations in the Spirit got me through my 5th child’s difficult 46 hour labor.  In the end, we were blessed with our 1st son.  I still love this soothing music.

I used Enya while I labored in the tub this last time.  It was my first time out of 4 to try it.  My one recommendation is that you spend time listening to whatever you choose every night before sleeping.  I think it triggers your body to relax if you teach your body how to use the music and what it’s for.  Kinda like pavlov’s dog, you know? 
Oh, one more thing…I found it helpful to use songs I already knew by heart.  I tried listening to a more recent Enya album once, but it really threw me off b/c i was listening for the changes in the music instead of focusing on staying relaxed.

Oh my gosh! These suggestions are awesome! Thank you all so much!

I just gave birth to my first (well, 3 months ago, but it feels like yesterday sometimes!)- and what got me through was Dan Gibson.  He takes songs (sometimes well known, sometimes of his own composition I think) and puts nature sounds to them.  Now, before I gave birth I thought this was super-cheesy, and asked my hubby to put together a nice playlist of piano sonatas that I like.  However, I was all about the Dan Gibson during birth- it worked for me!  Even the nurse commented on the soothing music.  We just used Pandora internet radio (via a cell phone) and set the station to Dan Gibson. 

At some point I remember the music annoying me- but I had to ask my hubby to turn it back up loud when I was 10cm and had to wait for the lady next door to deliver before I could- it was driving me NUTS listening to her pushing when I couldn’t! 

I like quiet. I had music prepared for my first birth but didn’t like it. In fact when I was pushing I told everyone to be quiet. For some reason there were all of a sudden lots of people in the room just chatting. no thanks!

I like quiet. I had music prepared for my first birth but didn’t like it. In fact when I was pushing I told everyone to be quiet. For some reason there were all of a sudden lots of people in the room just chatting. no thanks!

With my first home birth I chose Johnny Cash.  I needed his low voice to help me stay loose, open, and relaxed.  When the disc ended and went to a female singer it was too high and I felt my body tighten and close up.  Johnny had to come back.

But for my second birth I just wanted silence.

I like Jimmy Buffett or the Kenny Loggins disc that has “Return to Pooh Corner”.  The whole album is lullabies.

I’m scheduled to deliver #6 on Sept 3rd . . . hopefully in a quiet room.  I really can’t stand having too much noise . . . I wonder if it is a life style thing—I could never have music on when I was concentrating—it just became background noise (instead of music) and was annoying!  As a doc who delivers baby’s I have noticed many women come in prepared to listen to music (one hospital didn’t have a sound system so they would show up with boom box’s etc—dating myself here) but I also noticed that by the time labor got tough very few wanted music on!  It would be interesting to do a post-delivery survey to see 1. who wanted it before labor 2. who used it and 3. who liked it!

normally, i don’t bother with music during labor but one of my children was born during the season of advent and i had received a CD with gregorian chants so we played it during labor and birth (he came out quickly!).  this is not my typical choice of music but what i found interesting is that as a newborn, whenever i played the CD he would calm down and even sleep!

I’m not a mother so I can’t say!! But I know that my sister listened to instrumental inspirational songs when she was going into labour Yknow, like movie music? It helped her calm down some… (not enough though hahaha) thanks for the post