No time to keep mum

Jan 5 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

WOMEN in labour are being asked to bring music with them to help them get through childbirth at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

The idea is to help them relax – although a good loud tune might come in handy to drown out any unearthly shrieks.

It’s an idea that has worked well elsewhere and will no doubt be useful during deliveries in our area as well.

But what to take?

Gender specific titles are obviously out – any little boy popping out to the sound of Isn’t She Lovely could become seriously mixed up.

Sheryl Crow’s The First Cut Is the Deepest might just do for Caesarian sections but probably wouldn’t go down well for other births.

And who would want to hear those dreaded words: “I must warn you it might be a difficult birth. You’d better bring Wagner’s complete Ring cycle.”

Lone women aggrieved that their fella has deserted them could play Where’s Your Papa Gone?

But there will inevitably come a time when the only ones that will do are Salt-N-Pepa’s Push It followed by (if it’s a girl) There She Goes by The La’s.