Music To Announce Births?

HazeK · Nov 28, 2002

"When we have an IUFD mom, we try to keep her on the L&D unit (the walls are soundproofed) in a quiet room and let her go home the same day she delivers if she chooses and is healthy. When we wheel her out we take special care not to wheel her by the NBN."

likewise here.

put her in a big room, as far away from desk, and 'new baby commotion"....

also, her room has a special door card w/ a photo of a leaf, on purple paper...the hospital staff all know this means she has lost a baby..

really helps folks keep their feet out of their mouths!!!

fergus51 · Nov 28, 2002

I have never heard of this before. I think it would be annoying, even if you weren't an IUFD mom. Do they do this in the middle of the night when people are trying to sleep?

Stargazer · Nov 28, 2002

I've always wondered this too, shay. They do, or at least did, this at an area hospital where my nephew was born. We were just getting in the elevator from the lobby when we heard it.

In theory, and because we were there for a happy occasion, it seemed charming--but as an ICU nurse, I wondered, too, whether it was played in all areas of the hospital--and also wondered whether it wasn't a bit cruel for any family with a stillborn or with a baby in the NICU fighting for its life. I'd be interested to hear other people's response to this.

baseline · Nov 29, 2002

Our hospital does this also, and there is generally very good response. On one occasion, I was with a family who had just lost a loved one, and the lullaby came on..... this family found it comforting in a way...... One of the daughters said..."OH! One soul leaves and another arrives!". It made them feel comforted.

OBNURSEHEATHER · Nov 29, 2002

Our hospital doesn't do it. Just too many deliveries I think. But I've always wondered how they handle it if the outcome isn't as good.

Our "sister hospital" does it, and I know from a friend that delivered there that they don't play the song the exact moment that the baby is born. She was a section, and the NICU team had already checked out the baby, APGARS and all official stuff had been done, and the baby handed back to mom to hold. Then the nurse called the operator, who keyed the song up a few minutes later. :confused:

Heather

OBNurseShelley · Nov 29, 2002

We had it at a hospital i used to work at and it was played in the halls, we called the operator and asked her to play it, it was very soft, so if you were in a room with the door shut you couldn't hear it, never heard anyone complain, our iufd's delivered on the same floor but down another hallway, and it wasn't played in the nicu, but just in the halls througout the hospital, i think it's fine either way.

Lausana · Nov 29, 2002

Where my son was born they play a chime, guess it might have been a lullaby, throughout the hospital-but we got to press the button ourselves-different for a boy or girl. A parent gets to go and press it following birth, but we forgot & got to at discharge for "ceremonial" purposes

It was very soft, and I don't remember ever hearing it in my room-just in the hallways.

SmilingBluEyes · Nov 29, 2002

It is played in our hospital too but not piped into the L and D patient rooms and they can only hear it if the door is open. Generally, we wait til mom is cleaned up and settled down and then play the music with her door open so she and the family can hear it. I hear this practice is VERY well-received on other floors, esp. where elderly sick folks are.....it is life-affirming, they say. I personally get just a bit choked up each time I hear it.....yea I know, I have seen many babies born..but somehow welcoming to the world this way is so precious to me. We have a physician that sings happy birthday to the babies. Fortunately, he can carry a tune and the patients love it. Call me a sucker. I go for this stuff.

Anyhow, if the individual patient's door is shut, the people in the room CANNOT hear the music, so I believe this resolves the issue for those experience fetal losses. (and yes, generally, the doors of rooms where pts experiencing loss are shut, for privacy and out of courtesy). anyhow, Good question!

vashka25 · Nov 29, 2002

At our hospital...the lullaby is played throughout the hospital...(not in the pt rooms) after the babe is born we call down to front desk....and they only play them between 7am-9pm.

we try to keep grieving families at a secluded end of the hallway away from all noise, speakers, etc... and in the event of a newborn death/stillborn a silk rose is placed on the pt's door, as well as instructions for all visitors to report to nursing station before entering room. Our hospital also does a package for the grieving family that includes the babe's footprint, handprint, lock of hair, and in some cases (at mothers request a photo)....((I personally don't know how I'd feel about receiving that following the death of my newborn, but most grieving parents are quite grateful))

I can understand how some might take issue with the playing of the lullaby, but like many thing there are always two sides to the fence. Some may find it offensive, while others may find some solace/comfort in it.

shay · Nov 29, 2002

her room has a special door card w/ a photo of a leaf, on purple paper

and in the event of a newborn death/stillborn a silk rose is placed on the pt's door

We do both of those things, plus the whole memory box w/hand & footprints, pictures, gown, lock of hair, blanket, and certificate to commemorate the birth.

I was always just curious how hospitals that have this practice got around the whole IUFD thing. Hmm. Okay. Well, thanks. Question answered. :)

anitame · Nov 29, 2002

We do the lullabye played in the halls. It's difficult but not impossible to hear with the door shut. We had an IUFD last week who came in an hour or so before my patient delivered. I just didn't mention the lullabye to my patient when she delivered. I also asked other staff NOT to push the button. It just seemed like a courtesy to the grieving woman. We only do around 500 births a year, maybe 10 IUFD's a year so it's not all that common that we would have the situation present itself.