When labor begins, every sound feels amplified—the steady rhythm of breathing, the beeping of a monitor, the quiet hum of anticipation. Then, somewhere between contractions, a familiar song begins to play. Maybe it’s “Here Comes the Sun,”maybe “Perfect” or “Fix You.” For many parents, that moment becomes more than background noise—it becomes part of their birth story.
And it turns out, they’re far from alone in bringing music into the delivery room. A new analysis by car seat and stroller brand iCandy uncovered 1,800 birth playlists on Spotify, revealing the songs parents most often choose to welcome their babies. The top artists? Coldplay, The Beatles, and Ed Sheeran, with “Here Comes the Sun” appearing on more than 100 playlists.
Beyond music taste, the findings point to something deeper: how sound, rhythm, and emotion help parents anchor themselves during one of life’s most profound transitions. And long after delivery, those songs may still be shaping little ears—research shows babies remember melodies they heard before they were born, responding to them with a sense of calm and recognition.
Related: I grew up in a house filled with music and I want my children to do the same
What parents are playing—and why those choices matter
Birth playlists are rarely random. They’re filled with songs that carry memories: the track played at a wedding, a lullaby once sung by a parent, or a melody that has seen them through hard days. “Here Comes the Sun” appeared on more than 100 playlists, perhaps because it mirrors what so many parents hope to feel in that moment: light, renewal, arrival.
Coldplay’s “Fix You” and “Yellow,” or Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect,” also make frequent appearances. These songs hold emotional weight: they slow the pulse, soften the room, and remind parents of the love that brought them here.
Music during labor is as much emotional as it is physiological. The right rhythm can help parents find calm between contractions, re-center during uncertainty, and create a sense of safety in an unpredictable environment.
The science of sound: What music does during labor
Research consistently shows that music can do more than ease the atmosphere — it can support the body through labor.
A study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that listening to calming music during childbirth lowered maternal anxiety and heart rate, while also helping to regulate breathing patterns. Another review in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that music-assisted childbirth interventions helped shorten labor duration and reduce the need for pain medication.
How music supports your baby’s developing brain
While music calms parents, it may also be shaping babies in profound ways.
Research found that newborns recognize melodies they heard in utero, responding with measurable brain activity when those same songs are played after birth. Another study in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity – Health showed that early musical exposure strengthens neural pathways tied to auditory learning and memory.
The takeaway: familiar melodies can soothe newborns because they remind them of the sensory world they’ve already known: a parent’s voice, the rhythm of a heartbeat, and now, the songs that carried them into life.
Related: 10 ways you can use music to boost your child’s development
How music becomes memory
Long after the monitors go silent, music lingers. Many parents describe “their song” as forever linked to the moment their baby arrived. It becomes a sensory bookmark, something that can bring them back to the intensity and awe of that day with just a few opening notes.
A lullaby played during the first skin-to-skin moments. A favorite wedding song echoing in a quiet hospital room. A playlist that started as a way to stay calm but became the rhythm of a family’s beginning. These sounds weave into the story of birth and, later, into the soundscape of parenting: car rides, bedtime routines, kitchen dance parties.
How to create a birth playlist that feels like you
If you’re thinking about creating a playlist for labor, start early and follow what feels good. There’s no wrong genre or tempo, the goal is connection, not perfection.
Try this:
- Choose songs with meaning. Add tracks tied to special memories or emotions — wedding songs, lullabies, or tunes that remind you of your partner or family.
- Mix tempos. Include calm music for early labor and empowering anthems for transition.
- Think beyond birth. Play your playlist during pregnancy; babies begin recognizing sounds around 25 weeks. Those familiar songs may comfort them after birth.
- Stay flexible. Labor is unpredictable; let your playlist be a comfort, not a plan.
You can even collaborate with your partner to add songs that reflect both of you, creating a shared emotional map for the day you meet your baby.
The first sounds they hear
Music carries memory, emotion, and biology all at once. The songs that fill the delivery room become the soundtrack to one of life’s most sacred beginnings—shaping not only how parents feel, but how babies experience their first moments in the world.
And long after the day has passed, those melodies remain: reminders of strength, surrender, and love. The first sounds our babies hear may fade, but the feeling they leave behind lasts forever.
Sources:
- Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2024. “Effect of music therapy on anxiety in full-term pregnant women”
- The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023. “The Effects of Music-Based Interventions for Pain and Anxiety Management during Vaginal Labour and Caesarean Delivery: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Randomised Controlled Trials”
- The Guardian. 2013. “Babies remember melodies heard in womb, study suggests | Reproduction”
- Brain, Behavior, and Immunity – Health. 2023. “The transformative power of music: Insights into neuroplasticity, health, and disease “