The Songs That Helped Me In Labor

My little boy turns two today. In a blink of an eye, here we are. Yes, it’s true, it really doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that I was at the end of my rope. My eyes twitching from the lack of sleep, my body going through the motion, and becoming more tired with each surge. I intended on having a drug free water birth at home. I thought long and hard about the music I wanted playing. My perfect labor playlist.

I didn’t get my drug free water birth at home. In the end, I transferred to the hospital from sheer exhaustion. The music, however, got me through the hardest parts at home. I never did share my birth story, but after my waters broke in the middle of the night, contractions came on soon and steady. In the morning I spoke to my family, sent an email to my closest friends back in Florida and then pretty much disappeared for 3 days. People were worried. The only clue Randi had, was that my birthing playlist was playing continuously on my Spotify.

I wanted to chill out the birthing experience as much as I could so I picked songs for me that I knew could always calm me down. Songs that would grab ahold of me and keep me focused on the task at hand. I had my birthing mantras set up throughout the living room, we kept the lights dimmed and I honestly really enjoyed the times in the birthing pool the most. I enjoyed them so much so that eventually it slowed down my progression. I knew we were on a time constraint so I had to get out of the pool a lot and try and just focus on the music to get me through it.

I personally didn’t care for my Tens Machine (I know others love it) and even though the gas and air distracted me mentally I opted for a shot of diamorphine in the end. I refused an epidural hoping to hold on to something from my birth plan. Staying adamant that I did not want to give birth lying down and so when the time came to push, I did it standing up!!!

These indie songs are some of my favs.  Did you have a playlist of songs you listened to when you were in labor? I would love to hear about them in the comments.

Paula’s Birthing Playlist

Stream Free On Spotify

• • Portishead – Glory Box

• • Bon Iver – Flume

• • Sharon Van Etten – All I Can

• • Washed Out – Feel It All Around

• • Nick Drake – Pink Moon

• • Florence + The Machine – What The Water Gave Me – MTV Unplugged, 2012

• • Grizzly Bear – Yet Again

• • Bon Iver – Beach Baby

• • Portishead – Wandering Star

• • Radiohead – Let Down

• • The National – Don’t Swallow the Cap

• • Sharon Van Etten – Give Out

• • Bon Iver – re:stacks

• • Iron & Wine – Flightless Bird, American Mouth

• • Elliott Smith – Angeles

• • The Shins – New Slang

• • Regina Spektor – Summer In The City

• • Bowerbirds – In the Yard

• • Fleetwood Mac – Dreams

• • The Velvet Underground – Oh! Sweet Nuthin’

• • Torres – Come to Terms

• • Otis Redding – I’ve Been Loving You Too Long

• • Bowerbirds – Walk the Furrows

• • Angel Olsen – Unfucktheworld

• • Wilco – You And I

• • Torres – Waterfall

• • Angel Olsen – Iota

• • Daughter – Shallows

• • Feist – The Limit To Your Love

• • Laura Marling – The Beast

• • Marissa Nadler – Drive (Fade Into)

• • Angel Olsen – Lights Out

• • Band of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You

• • Laura Veirs – Sun Song

• • Iron & Wine – Waiting For A Superman

• • Otis Redding – These Arms Of Mine

• • Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

• • Sigur Rós – Starálfur

• • Angel Olsen – Windows

• • Feist – How Come You Never Go There

• • Band of Horses – Marry Song

• • José González – Heartbeats

• • Radiohead – No Surprises

• • Sam Cooke – Bring It On Home To Me

• • Karen O – The Moon Song

• • The Walkmen – Canadian Girl

• • Cass McCombs – Morning Star

• • Lenny Kravitz – Heaven Help

• • Al Green – Dream

• • Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains

• • Sufjan Stevens – To Be Alone With You

• • Nina Simone – Feeling Good

• • Ella Fitzgerald;Louis Armstrong – Dream A Little Dream Of Me

• • Pete Yorn – On Your Side

• • Iron & Wine – Such Great Heights

• • Junip – Don’t Let It Pass

• • The Antlers – Hotel

• • The National – Hard To Find

• • Calexico – Fortune Teller

• • Beach House – Myth

• • The Tallest Man On Earth – 1904

• • Elliott Smith – Between The Bars

• • Beck – Lost Cause

• • Phosphorescent – Song For Zula

• • The Swell Season – In These Arms

• • First Aid Kit – In the Hearts of Men

• Otis Redding – That’s How Strong My Love Is