Music Banned From My Labor Playlist
I remember being in labor for the first time, pushing my baby out, and suddenly the only thing I could hear was Oprah Winfrey. The details elude me, but I remember demanding in a not so nice fashion to turn the *beepin’* TV off. NOW!
With my daughter, MP3 players were just starting to become all the rage, and I of course spent hours creating the perfect playlist. Her delivery didn’t really go as planned, and the iPod dock never made it out of the overnight bag.
With my son, I again painstakingly made a labor playlist. I remember being somewhere in transition (aka worst! pain! ever!) and hearing Hootie and the Blowfish pumping out of the speakers. Pretty sure I again lost my everloving mind demanding the music to be turned off.
Needless to say, I’ve had some bad luck creating playlists. I’ve made some pretty inappropriate listening choices, I’ll admit it.
Currently, I’m almost 37 weeks pregnant, and have found myself again making a new birthing playlist. While I’m not sure what will make the final musical cut, I do know a few specific songs (and artists) that will NOT be on the rotation.
In no particular order, songs and artists not allowed on my labor playlist:
1. Christmas Music
Even if this kid shows up before December 25th, it’s simply not going to be allowed.
2. Hootie and the Blowfish
Due to past circumstances, Hootie might give me a bad case of PTSD.
3. Jimmy Buffet
Pretty sure natural birth is the farthest place from Margaritaville, so keep that kind of music away from me.
4. Push It, by Salt n’ Peppa
Do I even need to explain this one? Any song with the word “push” in it is not allowed in the birthing room.
5. Enya
No real reason, other than she makes me clench up with hate, and that sounds problematic when I’m trying to will my body into dilation.
6. I Wanna be Sedated, by The Ramones
Yes, it will make me go loco.
7. Burning Ring of Fire, by Johnny Cash
If you’ve ever experienced natural labor, you instantly know why this song would never be allowed on my playlist. I need to keep thoughts of “burning rings of fire” as far away as possible.
8. Justin Bieber
I’m not sixteen and pregnant, I’m 33. Anything from The Bieb will not be tolerated. Especially that Baby Baby song…
9. Anything formerly used in a children’s movie soundtrack:
Example: The Circle of Life by Elton John (Lion King)
10. Harry Hood, by Phish
For the most part, I enjoy Phish. But for personal reasons, this song makes me want to claw something.
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There you have it. Songs that will not make the labor and delivery playlist.
How about you? What WILL NOT make your playlist?
Read more from Emily on DesignHER Momma.
Dave Matthews, enya also, Florence and the Machine and Mumford and Sons, two newbies that I can’t stand! And come to think of it, i don’t know what to put ON the playlist…
i’m due in a few weeks and i didn’t make a play list- i started and than i realized that depending on how i was feeling at a particular moment a song i love could be so annoying! i also wouldn’t want to relate any of my favorite music to extreme pain! i’ll bring my ipod and make my sister dj for me and yell at her to change it 100x i’m sure! also- that circle of life song is elton john and while i want nothing to do with that song- i’m sure elton will end up getting played during my birth!
you should give “first day of my life” by Bright Eyes (tears) or “no one sleeps when I’m awake” by the Sounds. Both great labor playlist additions. My son was delivered to “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel, completely by accident. It was what was playing on the 80s Pandora playlist!
What about Me So Horny? No? OK.
We were watching The Cobert Report when I had my daughter…I started laughing mid-push because of something he said
I almost had a playlist for my first. And then she came early.
The one thing I would not tolerate on my playlist is new age anything. I really think I’d rather be angry and excitable in a “get it out already” kind of way. Calm is for after labor. No?
there will be no play list in the ER. And I am ok with that.
Hehe. Jimmy Buffet was the only thing that played during mine. I asked my husband to put it on while we got things ready, then I gave birth to my son in the bathroom, much earlier than I thought he’d come.
“Hurt”, the Nine Inch Nails version or the Johnny Cash remake!!!
who let the dogs out…
No music, just my Hypnobabies tracks, which did WONDERS!
I needed a c-section for medical reasons (we knew this ahead of time), and got the okay from my doctor to have a playlist. I chose a Rat Pack cd which always makes me feel both hip and ironic (ironically hip, perhaps?), and definitely not scared. My son was born during “When You’re Smiling” by Dean Martin and they were sewing me up during “The Lady is a Tramp,” which cracked me up. It was good to have music on that I liked.
Enya is at the top of my Do Not Play-list. Also anything New Agey. I could be totally wrong (this will be my first real labor, and I’m going drug-free), but I imagine labor to be like intense exercise, where you want to be pumped up and ready to work hard. So I’ve got mostly upbeat, fun music on my list, a few albums that bring back really good memories (to get those endorphins going), and some Rob Zombie for the really tough parts. And I have a few relaxing tracks just in case.
I am old! When I had my children the last thing I wanted or would have even been able to listen to was music. My last birth was 25 years ago and well they didn’t even give you the option of having gas…… I think you get my point. Times have changes I guess. I think that the music would be great afterwards when you are holding your baby and snuggling. I can almost hear your playlist now. Best of luck with the new addition. You are so lucky.
My Doula had told me that she wanted to send a letter to Jack Johnson and let him know how perfect his music was for laboring Mommas! I created a playlist with a bunch of his music and still love it today.
My last birth was the only one where I used music. I just picked a Wilco album I knew backwards and forwards and listened to it over and over. It was very relaxing to me to have background noise that was both familiar and steady during my long drawn out final stage. I couldn’t have handled anything I didn’t know and love.