Apollo Soundtracks - has to be.

through liquid (and presumably flesh) so something with a good bottom end would be recommended. Some nice dub reggae? Or how about Leonard Cohen? That deep deep voice should penetrate well into the amniotic fluid.

And through the pregnancy he responded well to reggae. But when it came to the birth itself you need to be prepared for some things.

1. The labour could go on for a while. The more relaxed the musical background the better I would reckon from my own experience. What does your better half like? That would be perfect choice. It becomes something of a political decision you see.

2. The labour could go on for a while. You won't care what the music is at that point.

3. The labour could go on for a while. Your better half may be close to throttling you if you don't put down that iPod and hold her hand and tell her how well she is doing.

4. You are about to become a father. Concentrate!! Blink and you miss so much of it. I had a playlist all sorted for the birth of mine. After labour going on and off for about a week I was too knackered to think about music anyway and the iPod played shuffle on a selection of Eva Cassidy for the 24 hours we were in the delivery room.

5. Sing to the little one yourself. The first time I held my son I sang some random dum de dums to him in a sort of crooned lullaby and was rewarded by seeing him open his eyes for the first time and look at me.

Won't matter then what the tune was. Trust me. :)

Slightly off topic as well I'm afraid.

My wife compiled a playlist for labour: various songs she loved to bring about a relaxed state of mind. She swears she can never listen to Bon Iver again; all she can think of is the pain...

Back on topic:

I thought it would be good to play the bump soothing bedtime songs so that we could use them as a cue for sleepiness in the 'real' world. The Gurrumul track off a previous Now Hear This kind of works for this (if Starkley Jr is in the mood...).

When push comes to shove you'll need something quite direct. Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim were used both times out. And Apollo for keeping things calm earlier on. Top tip - take a ghettoblaster. No-one wants to be fiddling around with headphones.

I'm learning to tune out most people's advice (and blimey, is there a lot of it) but I know I'll get sound good sense here - the Word Guide to Babies is a wonderful thing.
The reggae suggestions sound good - Alpha Blondy's Jerusalem is on of my favourite albums, so maybe something from that. Then again Starkley's chilled out theory sounds sensible...

- I'm sure you are going to, but please make sure you accompany your wife to all scans.
I nearly missed one last December due to a work cock-up - that was the one we were told there was a serious - probably fatal -problem which led to the worst two weeks imaginable (the amniotic fluid had all dried up).
Thankfully everything turned out ok and the little pup is in perfect health, but I can't imagine how we'd have coped if we hadn't been together when the awful news was broken to us.
I hope this isn't seen as negativity - it isn't meant to be - you are in the most amazing times. As for music - I've no suggestions at all, sorry - but all the very best to all three of you :-)

Loved jazz rock when in the womb - especially the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Al Di Meola too - "Elegant Gypsy" a favourite. Used to really boogie about to those polyrhythms according to Mrs.T!

Apparently triggers pre-natal mental synapses in better ways than other music.

Seemed to work on me anyway.

Something like the Mass In C Minor or the Magic Flute would be appealing - lighthearted or sombre but with enough depth of bass to penetrate the womb.

I would think that something relaxing in a post-rock vein would also be worth investigating. Some Mogwai, Seaworthy, Mar, Sigur Ros or Stafraenn Hakon would sooth the baby and Mrs Cooper as well.

When our boy was born 2 years ago, we didn't think far ahead enough to consider the music to be played. Upon arriving at the delivery suite, the theatre staff had Tinpot Local Commercial FM on – something we would never listen to – but at the key moment, 'Mother & Child Reunion' by Paul Simon was playing. Precise lyrical analysis and possible chicken omlette theories nothwithstanding, I was actually quite chuffed!

had a lot of Sigur Ros, some Ron Sexsmith and some of the more chilled Ryan Adams as these are all favourites of Mrs R. Generally, I think the music should be aimed at helping the mother relax or take her mind of the uncomfortable nature of pregnancy (which will of course, vary from mother to mother).

Also, the best laid plans and all that. We discussed what music to have playing during the birth a great deal but when the fateful moment arrived 10 weeks early via an emergency caesarian in Ealing Hospital, we listened to Magic FM as that was what was on in the theatre. Hence the two songs that remind me of that moment are Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol and Rule The World by Take That. Both songs can cause a little something in the eye moment still. I'm glad it wasn't Keep Bleeding by Leona Lewis as well.

gives a gift to everyone, he knows, who has a baby. The gift, a copy of the Velvet Underground album, so the baby can say that this was the first record he/she had.

Journey to Placenta of the Earth

'See my baby jive'!