Choosing the songs on your birth playlist is no easy task – you want to get the right mix of chilled, upbeat and an occasional club banger to get your head in the game for some serious pushing.
A new analysis of 1,000 Spotify playlists suggests there are some classics that parents turn to again and again in the delivery room – and, perhaps surprisingly, Only Love by Ben Howard was revealed as the most popular song of choice, undoubtedly thanks to its relaxing acoustic style.
Ed Sheeran provided two of the top 20 songs to give birth to, with ‘Perfect’ and ‘Thinking Out Loud’, while The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Coldplay were also popular artists on labour playlists.
According to life insurance broker Reassured, which conducted the analysis, searches for “giving birth songs” have increased by 23% over the past 12 months, as more parents opt to create a more calming labour experience.
A spokesperson said: “Music is one of the best things we can use to stay calm when things are getting on top of us. More relaxing music calms the mind and helps you mentally prepare yourself for what comes next, something that’s very important during childbirth.”
Here are the most popular songs that crop up on birthing playlists, according to Reassured.
1. Only Love, Ben Howard
2. Better Together, Jack Johnson
3. Here Comes The Sun, The Beatles
4. Sunrise, Nora Jones
5. Follow The Sun, Xavier Rudd
6. Perfect, Ed Sheeran
7. Landslide, Fleetwood Mac
8. All Of Me, John Legend
9. Ocean Eyes, Billie Eilish
10. Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran
11. Your Song, Elton John
12. Dreams, Fleetwood Mac
13. Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
14. Push It, Salt-N-Pepa
15. The Scientist, Coldplay
16. Blackbird, The Beatles
17. Yellow, Coldplay
18. I Won’t Give Up, Jason Mraz
19. Shallow, Lady Gaga
20. Heartbeats, José González