Musical births

Everyone knows of the benefits of music for unborn and newborn babies. But what about for mums in labour? Sam Pope looks into how music can help you during birth.

• The soul sessions
• Let's get this party started!
• Now for the science part
• Music as therapy
• What songs remind you of labour?

Forget childbirth and labour for a moment and think about everyday life. When you're stressed and tense, what do you do? Do you pop on a chill-out CD and let the music lull you into a calmer frame of mind? And what about when you're struggling to keep awake after a late night? Stick on some Robbie Williams Child and bop around the living room?

Music can profoundly change or help your mental state. And it's not just the beat that works its magic. Think about a time when your boyfriend told you they had run off with a circus clown. You didn't sit and weep into an industrial-sized tub of killer chocolate crunch cream forever did you? You turned up Destiny's Child or Alanis Morissette on the CD player. Just hearing their declarations of power in the sisterhood is enough to get your confidence and attitude flying high!

If you have attended childbirth classes or read pregnancy and birth books you will undoubtedly have come across suggestions for making a birthing tape - something to either keep you calm during those intense contractions or perhaps something more upbeat to keep your energy up. I spent the early part of my labour making a mixed tape of Motown, hip hop and rock to keep me energised. While this worked when I had been labouring relatively pain-free for eight hours, I wanted to destroy it as violently as possible when I was exhausted ten hours later! I packed some relaxing piano music into my bag as we headed off to the hospital but ended up just switching the local radio station on instead.

Music can be really beneficial in getting you through labour. Various academic and medical studies have been undertaken into this and the results are very much in favour of music's powerful properties:

'Listening to music in the delivery room can help keep a labouring mother in sync with her contractions. It affects many of the body's systems and can directly influence pulse, pressure, and activity of muscles.'
Ted Gideonse, "Music is Good Medicine" Newsweek. September 21, 1998.

'[Music] does reduce the level of anxiety that many first-time (or second, third, etc.) mothers have of childbirth. The music in this study was multi-purposed. First, it helped focus attention through heightened awareness. Second, it served as a distraction from the pain. Next, it reached the emotional response system of the participants… Music present during childbirth helps breathing patterns and perceived feelings of support.'
M.E. Clark, R.R. McCorkle, S.B. Williams, "Music therapy - assisted labour and delivery." Journal of Music Therapy 1981.

Music as therapy

Studies such as these in the United States demonstrating that music can have such a profound effect on helping labouring mothers, have raised the profile of music to such an extent that a branch of music therapy, called Music Therapy-Assisted Childbirth (MTACB), has been established. Its advocators claim that music therapy encourages women to cope with labour and delivery without drugs, helps them to breathe properly and focus their attention. Using music may actually shorten labour for some women, or at least make them less anxious during it. Even if you do end up having an epidural, music can relax women during the procedure and keep them calm for the following stages of labour. Music therapy can also be helpful for women having caesarean sections by giving them a pleasant distraction during surgery. (As long as they can choose the music!)

Music therapy for birth still seems to be very much an American thing but it's worth contacting the Association of Professional Music Therapists (APMT) to see if there's a therapist in your area and what to expect. If you can't find someone to work with you in such a structured matter, don't worry. Just pop into your local music shop and let the beat guide you!

We asked babyworld members to tell us what songs stuck in their memories during labour. Be prepared for a few surprises!

'For my son Benjamin's birth, in 1994, they were playing "Love is all around" by Wet Wet Wet, which, I believe on the 22nd of May 1994, two days after Ben's birth, went in at number 1 and stayed there for about 10 weeks? I always remember it because Ben was born 7 weeks early and his SCBU nurse was Irish and all she kept doing every time that song came on was do her Irish jig round the ward lol... '
Mel

'I had the local radio station on all night and they kept playing 'If you're not the one' by Daniel Beddingfield. I cannot hear that song now without it bringing back all the memories! The words were rather appropriate too 'I don't want to run away but I can't take it ...' exactly how I felt!!'
Sam

'From about 11pm on the Wednesday night until 10am on the Friday morning (with hospital visits in between!) I listened to ABBA and knelt over my ball. I couldn't handle the TV or anything else, just ABBA.'
Amanda

'For Matthew it was Whitney Houston's "I will always love you". It was on the radio on our way to the hospital and then the theatre staff had it on the next day when I had my section. For Aidan it was "Unchained melody", sadly by Robson and Jerome. The midwife played it about 10 times and I think it went to number 1 the following week. And then for Lydia it was "Breathless" by the Corrs, which DH thinks was hilarious as we had to literally run down the corridor to delivery suite (me in wheelchair, him pushing) as I was in very established labour and Lydia arrived 13 minutes after we arrived at hospital!! So yes, we were all very breathless!!!'
Jane

'That one by REM - "I'm pushing an elephant up the stairs..." Can't remember the title. Also the reggae number that goes "Lie down girl let me push it up push it up..." always makes me think of the cervix examinations (nice).'
Jo P

'During my labour with my second baby, the midwives had a radio on with the local station and I was so thankful for it as I had an epidural and was stuck in bed for hours! It certainly helped pass the time, although I could not tell you one song they played! However, after my DD was born I heard "Yellow" by Coldplay and it still brings all those early times back, I love to hear it! HTH.'
Gillian

'When I was in theatre they had a mixed cd on my husband told me it played the whole time, but the only song I remember hearing was "Leave right now" by Will Young.'
Katrina

'"Bat out of hell" by Meatloaf it was playing when ds was born by c section!'
Karen

Where to next?

• To find out more about Music Therapy Assisted Childbirth, visit this music therapy website.
• Want to have a laugh about your funny birth song experience? Share it with others on Discuss, Debate and Deliberate.
• Find out more about pain relief in labour.
• For more advice on birth issues, visit the Birth channel