A friend of mine became obsessed with her birth play list during her pregnancy.
She’d regularly test it out on her friends, finessing the perfect labouring tunes.
Would Beyonce be better than Bruno Mars? Should there be a few classic tracks thrown in? What about something relaxing? Something motivating? Something to encourage her to push.
(Like she’d have any choice really?)
There was an iPod bought specially and a variety of playlists loaded each for every scenario.
Her husband tells me that when the big day finally arrived the music was his responsibility. He wanted to make sure he got it right, he carried it with him everywhere in the days leading up to the due date. When they raced to hospital he plugged it in first chance he got.
“Is this the right track honey? Is it helping? Do you want me to skip few songs?” he said he asked her nervously.
Only to be told in a variety of different tones of voice to, “GET THE F**ING MUSIC OFF I’M TRYING TO GIVE BIRTH HERE.”
It never got past the first song.
In the heat of the moment the focus wasn’t really on the accompanying soundtrack in the birthing suite.
Other couples though have successfully put their playlists into action and even timed it so the crowning of the new addition to the family’s head entered the world at the very moment I Want To Break Free was playing.
Can you imagine?
For many couples the birth plan is a big part of preparing for the arrival of their baby, – they focus on how they want their newborn to arrive and how they want to get through the labour – central to that is the background tunes.