Labor Music

Hello from windy, cold Oklahoma! (What???) I'm sitting in our hotel room waiting to be sure the girls are asleep before Bryan and I start watching more of Season 1 of Modern Family on DVD (thanks Meg!!! You were so right!!!) so I thought I'd blog a little...

Three of my friends are having babies (hopefully, probably) this month and one asked for ideas for a labor playlist. My husband being the music lover he is, I had two, and I still have them on my phone. I still use them for relaxing with the bambina (who is totally awesome, btw... More on that later) or training for my September triathlon (More on that later too...) Anyway, I thought my reply to her might be interesting or useful to someone out there in Internetland, so here it is!!

Bryan made me 2 playlists: Labor Pains (chill) and Labor Pains (fight). I wanted relaxing music for most of labor and inspirational music for the big show. :)

Here's what he put on there (a tribute to our very different musical tastes):

I. Labor Pains (chill):
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Sufjan Stevens)
Gleypa Okkur (Olafur Arnalds)
Let My Words Be Few
Talk Show Host (Christopher O'Riley [a guy who plays Radiohead songs on the piano])
Joy (George Winston)
Forever (Ben Harper)
Let it Be Me (Ray LaMontagne [This one puts Leah to sleep now and I love singing it to her!]
In These Arms (The Swell Season)
Glimpses (Peter Vantine)
Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (Spiritualized)
When All Around Has Fallen (?)
I Can Fly (Peter Vantine)
(Nice Dream) (Christopher O'Riley)
The Distance Beyond (Peter Vantine)
Center (HFC Rehersal Disc)
Some music from the "()" album by Sigur Ros
Praise to the Lord
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) (Chris Tomlin)
We Fall Down (Passion)
Motion Picture Sountrack (Christopher O'Riley)
Wild Child (Enya)
Hazy (Rosi Golan feat. William Fitzsimmons)
Haegt, Kemur Ljosio (Olafur Arnalds)
Before the Throne of God Above (HFC Rehearsal Disc)
Tunglio (Olafur Arnalds)
Variations on the Kanon (George Winston)
Pu Ert Jordin [or something like that...] (Olafur Arnalds)
Andvari (Sigur Ros)
Kjurrt (Olafur Arnalds)
Let Down (Christopher O'Riley)
Svefn-g-englar (Sigur Ros)
The Humpty Dumpty Love Song (Travis)
Homecoming (Peter Vantine)
Wonderful Maker
Peace (George Winston)
Undan Hulu (Olafur Arnalds)
Thanksgiving (George Winston)
Holy, Holy, Holy (Sufjan Stevens)
Bulletproof (Christopher O'Riley)
Pu Ert Solin ([again, something like that] (Olafur Arnalds)
The Problem of Pain (William Fitzsimmons)
Exit Music (For a Film) (Christopher O'Riley)
Cuttooth (Christopher O'Riley)
A Day WIthout Rain (Enya)
Everything in its Right Place (Christopher O'Riley)
Loftio Verdur Skyndilega Kalt (Olafur Arnalds)
Pau Hafa Sloppio Undan Punga... (Olafur Arnalds)
No Surprises (the String Quartet tribute to Radiohead) [All of this Radiohead stuff I made him skip as it came on when I was in labor - I'd told him he could put A COUPLE on there. Clearly, he overdid it. :)]
Window (The Album Leaf)
There There (Christopher O'Riley)
Amazing Grace (Sufjan Stevens)
Prayer (Peter Vantine)
[There was also a lot of Mozart on there but I'm not exactly sure what it was so I didn't include it here - there were 66 songs total on this list! It was the major part of the evening of course!]

II. Labor Pains (fight)
You Are My Joy (The Reindeer Section) [LOVE this one for havin' a baby!!]
Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble
Open Your Eyes (Snow Patrol)
I Need Thee Every Hour (Jars of Clay) [My favorite hymn, and OH SO APT for labor]
1901 (Phoenix) [Another band I made him skip every time, mostly because I don't love them and I wanted stuff I LOVED - I had zero patience for being annoyed by music].
O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
I Will Lift My Eyes (Bebo Norman)
Comin' Up From Behind (Marcy Playground) [This is the song I used to listen to before every.single.law school exam. :)]
Saeglopur (Sigur Ros)
All Over the World
Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol)
How We Operate (Gomez)
Salvation is Here (Hillsong)
Indescribable (Chris Tomlin)
Blessed Be Your Name
Marvelous Light
God Will Lift Up Your Head (Jars of Clay) [there's a line - "Through waves and clouds and storms / He gently clears the way / Wait 'cause in His time so shall this night / Soon end in joy" - LOVE it. For me, the visualization of labor was all about a short time of suffering ending in pure love and joy. This part of this song was perfect for that.]
Fitzcarraldo (The Frames)
Jesus Paid it All
Majesty
Winding Road (Bonnie Somerville)
You Are the Best Thing (Ray LaMontagne)
The Highest and the Greatest
Birthday (The Beatles)
Be My Covering (Bebo Norman)
Life on a Chain (Pete Yorn)
Keep on Pushing (the Impressions) [HA.HA.HA...]
O Praise Him
Praise is Rising (Hosanna)