The power of music is undisputed. It makes us laugh, cry, sing, shout and move. Whether toe-tapping or heartbreaking, songs can lift our spirits or give us permission to succumb to cathartic sobs. Music sets the mood, sets the tune, brings us back, propels us forward.
You will love the moment your baby first smiles at a pleasant song or dances, clumsily, mere days after learning to walk.
In celebration of dear, sweet music, I present the B, B and B playlist — just a starter pack! I invite you to add your own tracks.
Bump songs
- To Zion by Lauryn Hill: “I touched my belly, overwhelmed by what I had been chosen to perform.”
- Haven’t Met You Yet by Michael Buble: “And I promise you, kid, that I’ll give so much more than I’ll get. I just haven’t met you yet.”
- Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel: “When you’re weary, feeling small. When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all.”
- Ooh Child by The Five Stairsteps: “Someday, we’ll walk in the rays of the beautiful sun. Someday, when the world is much brighter.”
- Danny’s Song by Kenny Loggins: “People smile and tell me I’m the lucky one, and we’ve just begun. Think I’m gonna have a son.”
- Golden Slumbers by The Beatles: “Golden slumbers fill your eyes, smiles await you when you rise.”
- All La Glory by The Band: “I wanna hear pitter patter. Climb up your ladder now. It’s time for you to dream.”
Birth songs
- This Woman’s Work by Kate Bush: “I stand outside this woman’s work, this woman’s world. Oh, it’s hard on the man. Now his part is over.”
- Put Your Records On by Corrine Bailey Rae: “Girl, put your records on. Tell me your favorite song. You go ahead: Let your hair down.”
- Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce: “Smart enough to make those millions, strong enough to bear the children, then get back to business.”
- Push It by Salt n’ Pepa: “Can’t you hear the music’s pumping hard like I wish you would? Now push it. Push it good.”
- Invincible by OK Go: “When they finally come to destroy the earth, they’ll gave to go through your first. I bet they won’t be expecting that.”
- Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder: “Isn’t she precious, less than 1 minute old.”
- Gracie by Ben Folds: “You can’t fool me, I saw you when you came out. You’ve got your mama’s taste, but you’ve got my mouth.”
Baby songs
- Pink and Blue by the Mountain Goats: “What will I do with you? Pink and blue. True gold. Nine days old.”
- This Will Be Our Year by The Zombies: “The warmth of your smile, smile for me little one. This will be our year, took a long time to come.”
- Stay Up Late by The Talking Heads: “Mommy had a little baby. There he is, fast asleep. He’s just a little plaything. Why not wake him up?”
- Lord Protect My Child (video avilable only to Premium members) by Bob Dylan: “For his age he’s wise, he’s got his mother’s eyes. There’s gladness in his heart. He’s young and he’s wild.”
- Songbird by Fleetwood Mac: “For you, there’ll be no more crying. For you, the sun will be shining.”
- Forever Young by Bob Dylan: “May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung. May you stay forever young.”
- (You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin: “Now I’m no longer doubtful of what I’m living for. And if I make you happy, I don’t need to do more.”
And now …
SING to your baby — now, often, always. And skip the headphones-over-the-belly Beethoven; the best way to expose baby to sound and music is through the sound of your voice.
DANCE through labor, whatever your jam. It’s good for you, it’s good for the process, it lightens the mood.
KEEP DANCING after baby arrives, including that sweet, sweet sway by the moonlight, with your eyes so tired, but appreciating the way things look at midnight, and that specific smell of Baby’s hair.
Jen Wittes is a marketing director, writer, certified postpartum doula and mom of two living in St. Paul.
