Blog Images (4).png

Music, memory and motherhood: what 1,800 Spotify birth playlists tell us

If you’ve ever been to a FIT4BABY class, you know it always ends with a 3-minute wall sit.

If you haven’t: Wall sits are a great isometric move that supports postpartum recovery, but the real reason we do them is to practice getting comfortable with discomfort. That’s the line we repeat every week, usually over a few good-natured groans. Part of easing that discomfort is the song, selected by the mom who is furthest along.

A recent Motherly article highlighted a fascinating deep dive into some 1,800 birth-themed playlists on Spotify, with findings that cast our end of class tradition in a whole new light.

What the research found

  • The most common songs and artists? Big names like Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and The Beatles showed up frequently. For example, Coldplay’s “Fix You”, The Beatles’ songs, and Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” were standout tracks. (Motherly)

  • Why so much emphasis on familiar songs? Because music does more than just fill a room—it can help regulate breathing, lower anxiety, anchor emotion, and help both parent and baby feel more connected. (Motherly)

  • There’s even evidence that babies recognize melodies they heard in utero. That early exposure can support brain pathways tied to memory, auditory learning and comfort. (Motherly)

  • Creating a birth playlist becomes a meaningful ritual—not just picking songs you “like,” but choosing songs that mean something: memories, calm, strength, connection. The article encourages: pick tunes that feel you, mix tempos (calm for early labour, energizing for transition), and treat the playlist as a companion, not a rigid script. (Motherly)

Additional Resources

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 “