Music in Labour and Birth

We all know that music can play an important role in shaping our moods and even our ideas. Have you ever been driving along in your car, or going for a run with your Ipod, only to hear a song that suddenly makes you drive slower, or run faster? Where did that sense of relaxation or burst of energy come from?

Music can profoundly change or help your mental state. And it's not just the beat or the swell of the cello that works its magic. Think about a time when you were hurt by a loved one. You didn't sit and weep with a bucket of Chunky Monkey forever, did you? No way! You threw Alanis Morissette into the CD player and belted out You Oughta Know for the whole world to hear. Those lyrics bolstered your sense of self, and gave you confidence to move on.

In that same way, music can be beneficial in getting you through labour. The rocking, bopping stuff can be great in early labour when you are excited and chatty. You can sing and dance along in between contractions and enjoy the sensations of your body. Later on when contractions are overwhelming or when you're in your labour "zone," calming music can help you fall deep into relaxation and even allow you to doze.

It was around 2:30am during my labour when my doula put a relaxation CD into the player. It's a recording of loons calling, rushing waterfalls and orchestral melodies. At any other time, it might have driven me nuts! But I was very tired at that point, and had gotten into the bath. I put my head down onto the edge of the tub, and my husband and I sat and listened to the haunting music of the loons. Not too much later, I had a spontaneous urge to push, and realized I had made it! Dilation was complete and I was ready to get my baby out!

That moment in the bath is the clearest memory I have of my labour. Other women talk about hearing a song during labour and having flashbacks when hearing it again, long after their baby has been born. It can be a wonderful way to preserve the memories of such an important rite of passage.

So all you hope-to-be and soon-to-be Moms out there, start planning your birth tape now - what song will you want to hear?

And just for fun, grab that bucket of Chunky Monkey out of your freezer, and let's sing together:

I want you to know, that I'm happy for you
I wish nothing but the best for you both
An older version of me
Is she perverted like me
Would she go down on you in a theatre
Does she speak eloquently
And would she have your baby
I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother

'cause the love that you gave that we made wasn't able
To make it enough for you to be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me you'd hold me
Until you died, till you died
But you're still alive

And I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

You seem very well, things look peaceful
I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know
Did you forget about me Mr. Duplicity
I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner
It was a slap in the face how quickly I was replaced
Are you thinking of me when you fuck her?

'cause the love that you gave that we made wasn't able
To make it enough for you to be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me you'd hold me
Until you died, til you died
But you're still alive

And I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

'cause the joke that you laid on the bed that was me
And I'm not gonna fade
As soon as you close your eyes and you know it
And every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back
I hope you feel it...well can you feel it

Well, I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know