Babies get musical welcome at RW&CH

ALEXANDRIA, La., June 4, 2009 – Listen for the lullaby. Because at Rapides Women’s and Children’s Hospital, every time you hear Brahm’s Lullaby played overhead, you’ll know – we’ve just welcomed a brand new baby!

“It’s a sound that brings out a smile in all of us,” said Joyce Lansdale, RNC, director of Women’s and Children’s Services, Rapides Women’s and Children’s Hospital. “We just started offering our families the chance to play the lullaby when their new baby arrives. Sometimes, it’s Mom and Dad who press the button. Sometimes, it’s the grandparents or the brand-new big sister or big brother.

“Either way, it’s a family event – and a memory we hope they’ll be able to share years from now.”

The button is located in the hallway of the hospital’s Labor and Delivery area. RW&CH began offering this service in May.

“As the family moves from their delivery suite and the baby is being weighed and measured, they press the ‘Special Delivery’ button,” Lansdale said. “The music plays throughout RW&CH and other RRMC patient areas.”

Sometimes, the lullaby plays every hour. Sometimes, it’s humming through the intercom every five or 10 minutes.

“The whole process is uplifting for staff and visitors alike,” Lansdale said. “If the lullaby plays more than once, everyone knows we’ve welcomed twins.

“It has become a source of encouragement for many units in the hospital that are filled with very sick patients, without a lot of good news. It just brightens their day a little bit.”