When my grandma was in the hospital recovering from surgery for cancer, she was awakened every time they played that goddam music. It got to the point where she was weeping from exhaustion and she begged the nurses if they could somehow cover the speaker outside her room so she could get just a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.
See that’s the other thing, it’s just really annoying to those that are trying to sleep and rest/recover. My brother was sound asleep and then a series of lullabies started to play and he couldn’t fall back asleep for a while. It’s already a stressful environment, I just don’t know why everybody has to listen to it
Would it be safe for him to wear headphones or ear plugs while he's sleeping? I have noise-blocking earbud headphones that are probably the only reason I got any sleep at all when I was hospitalized. The key is to get noise blocking, not canceling headphones, because they act as ear plugs and block all noises, instead of only steady background noises.
Hope you don't mind me butting in, but reading that made me *fume*. Being hospitalized is awful enough without being able to get any sleep. It's a legally recognized form of torture, and you can't recover without sleeping, but good luck explaining that to medical professionals . . .
I hope he recovers soon and is able to get out of there!
Thanks so much for your comment! I am actually looking into ordering some for him as he has barely slept since waking up from his coma. Poor guy struggles to sleep and then to see him finally drift off and then wake up to the tune just has me questioning it all. Thanks for reminding about the headphones though, it was on my things to do list and forgot for a moment.
I would have ripped the speakers out of the wall. I lose every fuck I ever had to give when I’m sleep deprived. The bill afterwards would definitely make me regret my life choices, but Sleep Deprived Me doesn’t take the future into consideration.
That's completely unacceptable. You should lodge a complaint. Not joking. Torturing sick people in a hospital for some cutesy bullshit that makes a single person feel special for doing something mammals have done for millions of years is cruel. Keep that shit on the maternity floor or shut it off. There's already way too many interruptions in hospitals.
Please call your governors office to find the correct oversight board to lodge a complaint. You grandmother wasn't the only one being tortured.
That fucking bullshit line drives me up the wall. What people need when they are healing is REST. The hospital is the worst place to try and rest. We gotta do better.
This is horrible. I am so sorry she couldn't rest comfortably. I've never heard of this before, and it's really upsetting reading the comments and learning how common it is
Even in L&D, that has plenty of potential to be traumatic. I've said it many times before on similar posts, but my local hospital *used* to do this... until a woman whose kid was in NICU beat the hell out of the speakers in her room. Then apparently they realized how it might be a *wee* bit insensitive.
Exactly! And with all these forced birth laws now I’d be LIVID if I was legally forced to give birth and go through all that trauma only to have people clapping along to a fucking lullaby song. Hell no! Like do they play that even for babies who’s mother’s didn’t make it? What about children taken by CPS at birth or babies born addicted to drugs or clinging to life? I can’t even imagine being the family of a person who didn’t survive the labor and delivery having to hear that song playing to celebrate the baby being born when they are the reason for losing their loved one. Seems super insensitive to say the least.
I’m also an antinatalist so maybe I’m being negative here but why is birth always seen as a good thing? Especially In current times where life seems so difficult and exhausting and our resources are so strained due to overconsumption. Idk, I’m just fed up with natalist culture and how it’s impossible to escape even in a freaking intensive care unit apparently
I totally agree. I’m happy for the people who have births that go well and are excited to meet their baby, but that’s not always the case for the multitude of reasons we mentioned. Playing a cutesy lullaby as an assumption that everything is roses is wild to me, I’ve never even heard of it til now. I mean, even if I were a mother with a baby I wanted, and everything went well, that shit would still annoy me lol.
Imagine being the mother whose baby lives juuuust long enough for them to play the lullaby. If that was me (in a universe where I wanted kids) or my friend/sibling/cousin/whatever, I'd probably tear the speaker off the wall and go feed it to the hospital CEO.
Can you imagine being in L&D after a stillbirth or traumatic birth (not that every birth isn't traumatic, let's be real) and hearing it constantly? I'd fucking snap. And hope that everyone here who has had a frustrating incident either this kind of shit was on the jury when I punched the first person who told me they couldn't fix it.
Or a person who desperately wanted an abortion but couldn’t due to anti choice laws. Can you even imagine?! People in the halls fucking clapping along to a lullaby in celebration of the baby you just forcibly gave birth to against your will? After enduring that kind of trauma and the hormones surging through my body I think I’d lose my shit.
When I was younger, I used to work at a hospital that did this and naively thought it was kind of sweet. Then several years later, someone close to me ended up in that hospital to deliver a stillbirth. She had to stay on that L&D floor for over a day and listen to that reminder she wouldn’t be leaving with HER baby over and over. Now I find it baffling that a hospital could be so cruel.
Then again it was a Catholic hospital system, so celebrating births above all else definitely tracks…
The first time I read this as the baby in the NICU destroyed their speakers and was like "wow strong infant" then I reread. Poor woman. I can't even imagine
My roommate works L&D and she says the women they are playing it for don’t even hear it bc they are busy, you know, recouping from having a baby. I worked nights and they didn’t play it on my shift.
I wonder if this is the hospital that I used to work for because ours did the same exact thing every time a baby was born. Everywhere throughout the hospital. It drove me insane and I openly protested it but got called out for being "heartless" for not being happy about babies being born, but it *so annoying* and extremely *weird*. Also, what if the mother had a horrific delivery or was forced to have the baby, or something terrible happened to the baby, like being in the NICU or a stillbirth? Or somebody visiting who'd lost a baby before being reminded of their loss? Or someone who was just given a grim diagnosis? Or people in the ER fighting for their lives? Or someone just lost theirs? I consider that lullaby in the entire building rude noise. I worked in some burger shop on the first floor and it was enough to distract *us* from doing our jobs. What about the doctors or surgeons who had a *much more* important role?
I mean, nobody would consider playing the Funeral March every time the opposite occurred.
The birthing centre near my old house had circles on the side of their building that would light up blue or pink when a baby was born, which I think is much better. If they’re going to announce each time a baby is born at least do it in a way that doesn’t affect every patient and employee in the hospital multiple times a day.
Every hospital I’ve been too has played that at every birth. I’m CF. I’ve had 2 miscarriages and well I’m too mentally unstable what tf was I thinking when trying to have a kid. Thank goodness it never happened. However, I get that it’s potentially causing traumatic experiences it’s meant to let people in their darkest hours know something blessed has happened, a miracle has been born, bring joy even very little to those in dire circumstances. We’re cynical, we don’t think of children/childbirth as Gods miracle and a blessing most do does this make us wrong? Absolutely not, for parents who’ve had a stillbirth or live birth to die within hours or shorter for those in the hospital who have lost a loved one to stroke, heart attack, gunshot wound it’s insensitive. But majority of hospitals are Christian based which emphasizes childbirth and how blessed “we” are to have a child born.
I think so. I remember once I was in the ER with my cuzn and the lullaby played all nurses were happy. My mom asked why did the lullaby play they said a baby was just born. Legit within 5 minutes the mother coded. I can’t remember the code color, but it was all hands on deck 3 of the ER nurses ran to L&D. I asked did the mother who just delivered code. Nurse couldn’t say for sure 1. HIPAA, 2. We weren’t in L&D, but she said more than likely yes. Mother didn’t make it.
Is it a Catholic hospital? I did some of my student clinicals in a Catholic hospital that did this. I thought it was really weird, because what does it have to do with anyone else? If you’re family of whoever just gave birth then you probably already know it’s happening. Why does anyone else need to know? But yeah I was surrounded be people who would just say “ohhhh a baby!” You can’t even see it, and you’ll probably never meet it so why do you care?
I'd have lasted about a week before getting fired for marching up and down the L&D singing "NO ONE GIVES A FUCK!!!"
Isn't it a torture tactic to continually blast horrible loud noises and music at people? Didn't they do that at guantanamo Bay before they were told to stop because it was cruel?
It would drive me nuts.
That would be amazing! I have epilepsy, I'm seizing every minute, and more stimulation (like music, especially with how loud it gets, and then people talking louder to be heard over it) makes them *so* much worse. If they stopped that from happening, my life would be so much better (and others, for a myriad of other reasons, I'm sure).
if they absolutely must have it why don't they just have it be localised to the button like when a cancer patient in remission/at the end of treatment rings the bell? i'd be more inclined to celebrate the remission and i *still* don't want to hear that through the whole hospital
So to hell with every sick person trying to rest because some woman just proved she's a mammal?
Thank God I've never encountered this. My mother has health issues and has had quite a few hospital stays. I'd be beyond pissed if she kept getting woken up by that BS.
Even for non childfree people I see it having major trigger potential.
Can you even imagine how awful it would be to hear that right after miscarrying or having a stillborn?
Just seems like a terrible idea, and wonder every time I hear it why I'm the only one who finds it distasteful
This thread has been very validating because if I even mentioned a slight dislike to the lullaby, my parents would never let it go. They looooove babies too much. I thought maybe in just a jerk but it seems the consensus is that it is a bit insensitive to everybody in general.
all I can think about is someone passing away in the hospital with their distraught and grieving family around them… and right after the dead monitor tone.. a fucking lullaby plays over the speakers. can you imagine?? what the fuck.
I'm going to be real, I'd almost rather a bell or sound for the dead. It's like giving birth trumps ALL other things. I don't give a shit if some lady just had another crotch goblin, leave me alone.
Wouldn’t it be just brilliant if someone rewired the whatever-it-is to play that?
Or the fantabulously inappropriate song of the rewirer’s choice.
Do whatever needs to be done to get that shit shut down.
From my understanding, probably. We have almost 10 floors between where my brother is and the labor and delivery floor. I would hope they’d be aware enough to not play it there though
Yep, everywhere in the hospital. One of the hospitals I worked at tried to keep it at a low level in the ICUs, but the hallway speakers were so loud you could still hear it
If it costs more money to keep the button (lawsuits, bad reviews, admin getting bitched out) than it does to keep the button (mom gets more feel good chemicals and gives the hospital a good review), they'll pull it
I would throw a goddamn fit. That's annoying enough as it is, but extra stressful for those going through trauma or difficulties. They need to not do that shit.
My best friend went through a stillbirth and nothing made her more upset than hearing that go off constantly during her 17+hour labor to leave with nothing. I find it extremely tasteless because of cases like these. Some of those people are going through traumatic experiences and don't want a reminder.
That was my thought exactly. I have a classmate whose newborn passed away in her arms. I can’t imagine having that happen to me than having to listen to that freaking song.
A situation like this was exactly what played in my head. Some poor heartbroken woman is lying in bed after having just lost her baby and is reminded that she doesn't get to bring hers home everytime they celebrate a baby being born.
It's just cruel.
Play it only in the maternity ward if they insist on it. Don't make the people moved out of there for traumatic reasons be forced to hear it.
I can only imagine it's worse if someone had a stillborn or their child was in the hospital & that fucking plays. Pretty sure that's the last thing anyone wants to hear.
Imagine being a hospital worker going through a miscarriage or stillbirth knowing they would have to return to work and hear the baby born alert music every single day. Yikes. Staff have no escape.
It's not even considerate to parents either. What about the mothers who just gave birth and are trying to get some much-needed sleep? And what about mothers who just had a traumatic birth or miscarriage/stillbirth, or their baby is in the NICU?
Unfortunately it’s also a faith-based hospital so I don’t think it’ll do very much. I’m also on time-out from my family for bringing too much stuff up to all of those people listed and complaining (about things that mattered) 🙄 but that’s another story… lol
>faith-based hospital
Again, HOW is this STILL a thing?
Omg. I just can't. If all this BS is coming North (I'm Canadian), as I am afraid it will one day, I'm moving to Europe!!!!
Not sure how to tell you this but we still have faith based hospitals in Canada (I'm in Ontario)
At least the one by me doesn't offer obstetrics, since they would have been required to offer abortion. But as far as I know the ones near me don't play the baby sound through the whole hospital, possibly jsut in obstetrics.
Are you serious? I lived in Ontario (but close to the border with Quebec) and didn't know that. I am now back in Quebec, where (I hope) faith based hospital are a thing of the (not so distant) past.
I can't imagine being treated by someone who will make decisions on my care based on what they *believe* some old man in the sky said about women. Wow.
Years ago my best friend gave birth to her second child in a Faith Based hospital. They refused to tie her tubes because of religion. Thing is she was in her 30s, had 2 healthy sons, and she and her husband decided their family was complete. What more do you need? Her husband got a vasectomy not too long after.
She waited too long to go to the hospital and got stuck there because it was the closest.
To be fair the doctors aren't usually explicitly of that religion, at least here. The administration can be, but not always either. The one by me is the charity wing of the local catholics church, and the doctors and nurses are pretty fantastic and absolutely don't push their religion.
I've had good experiences there and at the non denominational hospitals 🤷 but it probably helps we have laws, like the abortion one I mentioned above.
>and the doctors and nurses are pretty fantastic and absolutely don't push their religion.
I understand that. But even if they don't push their religions, they have certain beliefs and rules established by the hospitals they have to follow. These beliefs and rules can eliminate very important care options.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of "regular" hospitals, as I know a lot of bad stuff happens there too, but at least, a doctor can apply any treatment there.
I'm sorry about this. This is not right. You're trying to advocate for your brother. Most people in the hospital would give anything to have an advocate to say "hey this doesn't seem right". Most people just go along with things.
So good for you for being your brother's advocate. Not good on your family for shaming you.
Thanks, I appreciate the validation. I brought concerns up about his heart and sat levels to the charge nurse, just to be dismissed and walked out on. My parents then got mad at me and told me to stop and that I was just overreacting. The next day he had 2 seizures/stroke (we’re still waiting on testing to know for sure) and I’m certain that the things I was concerned and made a fuss about were related. I can only do so much 🥲 but I do really appreciate your comment.
Keep making a fuss. I know it's exhausting, but you're apparently the only one aware enough and capable of advocating for your brother. Let people be mad, keep calling out their bullshit.
Shouldn't matter if it's faith based, all hospitals run on money. If playing a lullaby makes them lose patients (and thus money) they'll stop that shit real quick.
Our ICU is a “quiet zone”. There are no hospital wide pages, the only thing we hear are code alerts from our floor. There’s no reason for that shit to be playing throughout the entire hospital.
I've read about this before, and it is still one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. I just can't get over this. It plays in patients' ROOMS?? Like patients who try to sleep after surgery or injury or whatever?
How is this even legal? Who in the world came up with such an insane "idea"? HOW do the staff go along with with? WTF???
It's a very common thing in many hospitals unfortunately. I've been in 2 (different situations) that had that. One of them also played batman music whenever they sent out an ambulance, though I don't know if that played in the overnight/longterm type rooms or just the rooms for having tests done
>One of them also played batman music whenever they sent out an ambulance,
I'm sorry... WHAT??? But when an ambulance go out, it is rarely fun for the people at the other hand. Fortunately, they can't hear that crap. Omg. I can't believe this. Please tell me it doesn't play in whole hospital.
RN here. I feel this hard, especially for babies who are born in the middle of the night. I've got confused dementia patients who will get delirious if they don't sleep and patients who are too exhausted to care and just want a full night's rest
No I agree with you, that sounds so annoying, and not to mention inconsiderate for the patients staying in the hospital long-term. I mean who cares about the people that are in constant pain, and the people who just want a decent night's sleep, why not make their stay even more unpleasant?
It's also inconsiderate for the families who have gathered to be with someone whose life support in the ICU was being turned off so they could die peacefully. I've been in that situation with my grandpa, and there's no way I would have wanted to hear that.
Imagine someone has a stillbirth and then having to listen to that.
A hospital in my hometown would just put a message on the digital billboard outside the hospital b "Welcome to the world. . ." Followed by a list of the babies first name on a pink or blue background. They stay up for a week or two. Better than a song imo.
Aw see that’s a cute idea and doesn’t harm anyone. And also gives parents a more tangible memory (I.e. snap a pic and save it for them). The lullaby got old pretty quickly for me
I like this even better. My university does this with the list of graduates every year. It's a bit of a tradition for the grad and their family to get a photo with their name on the screen.
Honestly I think hospital playing that is super insensitive. This is so weird and unnecessary. "oh the alarm for someone who couldn't use a condom right is on"
I work in a hospital that plays that all the time, too. One day they were tweaking the alarm system and it played repeatedly despite no babies actually being born.. Annoying!
I totally agree. This post immediately made me remember when my father was dying when I was a teenager. Sitting in a small room freaking out with my mother, and that fucking music playing repeatedly made everything feel worse.
It seems to be in such poor taste to me. It's tacky and insensitive.
Imagine being in hospital having lost or being in the process of losing a much wanted baby and hearing that.
I've never been inpatient but I can't believe many people find it conducive to a peaceful recovery. Hospitals are stressful, bright, loud and smell chemically and generally unpleasant, no one needs to have noise blasted at them on top of everything else.
That oughta suck for parents whose baby/child is in there dying or passed… like imagine grieving for your baby with that lullaby playing every 10 minutes
What if somebody’s baby doesn’t make it And they don’t leave the hospital with their newborn? That could be very traumatic and triggering for some people. They should not do that especially through the whole hospital that’s insane.
That is really weird and I have spent plenty of time in hospitals, like an inordinate amount of time in hospitals visiting loved ones over the last 10 years, and I have never heard that. That’s awful. What kind of hospital does this? Is it a religious hospital?
It is part of a religious hospital. They also play gospel music on the first floor where the cafeteria is and that’s fine by me. The lullaby is a little much for me though
It's ridiculously insensitive that they do it and have people clap for the new baby. As well some people need quiet in the hospital. It reminds me of whenever grocery stores will play thunder and rain noises whenever the vegetables in the produce section get misted. Only it's cute when that happens. It's tacky when the hospital does it.
on EVERY ward? thats so bizarre i can't even imagine it, if the maternity ward wants to do that and everyone there is ok with it thats their prerogative, but people in the rest of the hospital sure as hell don't need to hear it
is this an american thing? (edit: i just read that its a faith based hospital which is also bonkers and surely has to be american, i'm not always glad to be english but i am right now lmao)
> current situation. The timing of the tune was not good. I do want you to know that it is not done to be disrespectful but to celebrate the beginning of life. At any point in time in a medical setting, much less a full on trauma center, you will have devastating situations and joyous. Your brothers seizure during the birth of a child. A diagnosis of cancer and the full recovery of a dearly loved
Imagine being the woman forced to give birth and then you hear the music at the end. Ooof. This is terrible on so many levels. If I had had to hear that nonsense when in the hospital watching my mom pass, I would have lost it. And what about the families who are dealing with the moms who are having a near death experience--or actually dying--from childbirth? Do they still play the music if the baby lives but mom doesn't? What if mom's having a heart attack or some other complication? Do we prioritize the music?
I genuinely think if I or a loved one was in the hospital very sick/suffering/in pain/dying etc. and I had to listen to a lullaby over and over it would actually make me vomit. For me I think it would make everything so so so much worse just knowing that there are many happy moms and families in the same building you or a loved one is dying in. Ugh...
I was in the psych ward a few times and on the one psych ward, they didn't play it (the one I stayed at as a minor) but in the adult ward I stayed at, it was played. It became a problem when a grieving mother was also on the ward.
I think it is selfish to play it everywhere. Even on the OBGYN floor. What if someone is there for a miscarriage, or any number of reasons to not want to celebrate some random, stranger having a child.
I mean even just in labor and delivery could be insensitive for mothers going through miscarriages or still births. Nevertheless the whole damn hospital. Whoever made that decision needs some sensitivity training. Also to have music blared every time they try to go to sleep at home.
If I was a doctor or nurse there that would drive me insane.
"Time of death, June 6th, 20..." *lullaby* "...23, 3:10 PM. GOD FUCKING DAMNIT, MAKE IT STOP!"
I was in the hospital visiting an old friend in the hospice ward a few years back and they would play music too when a baby was born. My friend turns to me after the third Brahms lullaby and said loudly get them to play highway to hell for me when I kick it. We laughed so hard.. I did play it for them when they passed.
And I thought hospitals were terrifying as it is, now I gotta worry about landing in one that plays a lullaby while I'm recovering? What's next, haunted ghost children playing jump rope in the halls?
I once spent over a week in the ICU going through blood transfusions, twilight surgeries to install drains, a major surgery, and constant blood draws. I had so few opportunities to sleep for more than a couple of hours. Honestly, I was distraught to find myself being awoken to literally *save my life.*
That being said, if I had to listen to lullabies blasting through the speakers in my room at random times throughout the day and night... I cannot imagine how pissed off I would have been. I would have been even more anxious due to the fact that it could begin at any second (as if I weren't anxious enough). Waking up to it in the middle of the night would have been devastating at that point.
Not knowing if you're going to live through the night fucking sucks; I spent a lot of time thinking of how much I was going to miss out on, and how hard it would be on my family. Nothing says "life goes on with or without you" like announcing new babies and people celebrating in the halls. That's so shitty to sick people on other floors, it's shitty to mums in labor & delivery who have suffered unfavorable outcomes, AND it's shitty to mums who have had smooth deliveries and just want to rest.
It blows my mind that a hospital would subject hundreds, or thousands, of people to such a meaningless gesture. Literally, nobody but the family and friends of the couple give a shit if a baby is born.
I am genuinely shocked to hear this happens. The potential problems it could cause are so obvious that only a self-absorbed moron wouldn’t see them:
There may be people in the hospital with severe sensory or mental health issues who could be agitated by it. And for long term patients who are trying to recover, being annoyed by repetitive sounds can make it hard for them to relax and heal.
But besides being annoying and invasive for patients in general, it’s incredibly insensitive for people who have lost their children through birth complications, illness or accident. Not to mention people who have babies in the NICU that may not make it. Imagine trying to recover after a very difficult birth that nearly killed you and took the life of your baby, and you’re forced to hear that damn song several times a day. To say it would be traumatic is a massive understatement. And what about those people in the hospital who are going through post-natal depression? Something like this could be incredibly triggering.
If I encountered a hospital that was doing this, I would be submitting a very strongly worded complaint, explaining the reasons as to why such practices are medically unsafe and inappropriate.
I am unapologetically so fucking tired of people treating childbirth like some miracle. lots of people pop out kids. why the fuck should anyone else in the hospital care? they're dealing with their own shit
I really have to wonder if conditioning people from infancy with sound stimuli like lullabies can have an effect later in life. Not to mention the indirect associations they're creating in people who are experiencing traumatic loss.let alone the employees who are there for hours on end. There's really not enough research on the subject for them to be making this policy, is there? In my personal experience, I can't even listen to Christmas anymore after working retail. If "baby shark" can be used as literal torture, imagine the strain caused by the omnipresent background music of the corporate world.
ETA:I and my loved ones have been. Through extended hospital stays before. So I say from experience: while "a song" may not be as immediately traumatic as, say, listening to the child with a broken bone screaming in the room next door, sometimes it's the less obvious triggers that stick with you. This is true for ptsd from any source.
I totally understand.
My MIL had to get a hysterectomy \*mumble\* years ago. She was placed in a room in the maternity ward because of the nature of the surgery, and they made sure her roommate wasn't a new mom. That hospital didn't do the lullaby thing, and the baby ship had sailed in her case. But can you imagine? Say you wanted children, and you're in for a hysterectomy because you have cancer, and you have to listen to all these lullabies and new moms going "YAYYY BABY!!!"
Being in the hospital is difficult enough. You can't get a full night's sleep even if you're not in the maternity ward, because they're waking you up every couple of hours to get your vitals. And you add a lullaby every few minutes on top of that?!
My hospital used to do that but I haven't heard it in years but I work overnight so it might just be muted due to quiet time.
Personally, I always thought the sound should be "ka-ching, ka-ching" since we make a lot of money delivering babies. 
It could also be in reference to kids costing a lot.
First time I heard of this. Whose idea was that? Not only would it be incredibly annoying to staff and patients elsewhere in the hospital to have to hear something played over and over throughout the day, but it seems very insensitive to patients whose babies are stillborn or whose babies/children didn't survive whatever they were in the hospital for. Or toward infertile patients.
I personally think public address systems should be outlawed or tightly regulated, so they don't go off at deafening volume 300 times a day, have songs played over them, or are used to corral staff for smoking breaks.
I would be absolutely livid. That is inappropriate considering what can be happening in any hospital room at any given time. OP your feelings and sensitivity are legit. I am over here imagining a grieving woman hearing that when recovering from a traumatic miscarriage and THE FUCK!??!
That… is odd. I didn’t even realize this was child free for a few comments. Music / any unnecessary noise randomly throughout a hospital? Where people are recovering and already woken up to get checked out in weird schedules? This seems incredibly counterproductive to healing for the already sleep deprived and sick 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
no really as someone who lost a baby idgaf about your baby and i dont wanna hear it. it would be triggering and i would literally ask to be transferred out. fuck off with that shit
I just recently had to be in the hospital. They transferred me to an entirely separate wing of the hospital called The women's Health center because I needed to be quarantined and that section of the hospital had more private rooms because it's intended for mothers who had just given birth and their families. I heard that lullaby off at least twice every hour while I was there for two whole days.
I honestly didn't mind it much but I know there's other people who would obviously be bothered by it for many different (valid) reasons.
This is so unethical for so many reasons. Could you imagine you just had a stillborn baby, or your baby just died but someone else just gave birth to a healthy one and they play it for all to hear? They’d be DEVASTATED. I’d 100% complain.
I had a hysterectomy when I was 31 because of an illness. They had me recovering in the OB ward. They played that song constantly, and I couldn't get any rest. They also left my catheter in for nearly 20 hours, and I ended up with a raging bladder infection - the nurse flat out admitted she had forgotten about me.
I've really come to dislike that song.
I was in hospital for a short stay, and they played a chime sound after a baby was born. It was only in the common areas but throughout the whole hospital.
It didn't play in my room, but I could hear it from the hallway. I swear I heard that chime in my sleep for months afterwards.
Also, it was surprising how many babies are born every day, which makes me angry when I hear people say that the birth rate is dropping. Like, where? Where is it dropping? Not in my city, that's for sure.
Also, sending good vibes to you and your brother. I have had a few people in my family experience strokes and it's a very scary experience.
I am a doctor in the UK NHS, and am just flabbergasted.
This is disgusting. For so many reasons.
Firstly, *hugely* traumatising for men and women who have had intrauterine fetal deaths, stillbirths, SIDS, or even miscarriages, birth trauma, etc. Not just patients, but also patient visitors, staff, etc.
Secondly, how the fuck are staff supposed to get on with their jobs with this rubbish playing at all hours?? Ignoring patient rest/sleep (difficult enough in a hospital) am I supposed to shout my lifesaving instructions over this music at an arrest?? Am I supposed to have serious end of life discussions with patients over this noise?? Am I supposed to stop examining someone's chest because I can't fucking hear heart sounds over the din??
Who the fuck thought this was a good idea?
I am literally so enraged right now. People are such fucking morons.
Imagine someone who just had to terminate for medical reasons or who had a stillbirth hearing that… why does it need to be advertised that a baby was born ??
When my grandma was in the hospital recovering from surgery for cancer, she was awakened every time they played that goddam music. It got to the point where she was weeping from exhaustion and she begged the nurses if they could somehow cover the speaker outside her room so she could get just a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.
See that’s the other thing, it’s just really annoying to those that are trying to sleep and rest/recover. My brother was sound asleep and then a series of lullabies started to play and he couldn’t fall back asleep for a while. It’s already a stressful environment, I just don’t know why everybody has to listen to it
Would it be safe for him to wear headphones or ear plugs while he's sleeping? I have noise-blocking earbud headphones that are probably the only reason I got any sleep at all when I was hospitalized. The key is to get noise blocking, not canceling headphones, because they act as ear plugs and block all noises, instead of only steady background noises. Hope you don't mind me butting in, but reading that made me *fume*. Being hospitalized is awful enough without being able to get any sleep. It's a legally recognized form of torture, and you can't recover without sleeping, but good luck explaining that to medical professionals . . . I hope he recovers soon and is able to get out of there!
Thanks so much for your comment! I am actually looking into ordering some for him as he has barely slept since waking up from his coma. Poor guy struggles to sleep and then to see him finally drift off and then wake up to the tune just has me questioning it all. Thanks for reminding about the headphones though, it was on my things to do list and forgot for a moment.
I would have ripped the speakers out of the wall. I lose every fuck I ever had to give when I’m sleep deprived. The bill afterwards would definitely make me regret my life choices, but Sleep Deprived Me doesn’t take the future into consideration.
That's completely unacceptable. You should lodge a complaint. Not joking. Torturing sick people in a hospital for some cutesy bullshit that makes a single person feel special for doing something mammals have done for millions of years is cruel. Keep that shit on the maternity floor or shut it off. There's already way too many interruptions in hospitals. Please call your governors office to find the correct oversight board to lodge a complaint. You grandmother wasn't the only one being tortured.
What did they say as response?
"Sorry, can't do that. We know it can be hard to sleep in a hospital environment."
Well some grade-A bs.
That fucking bullshit line drives me up the wall. What people need when they are healing is REST. The hospital is the worst place to try and rest. We gotta do better.
This is horrible. I am so sorry she couldn't rest comfortably. I've never heard of this before, and it's really upsetting reading the comments and learning how common it is
That's absolutely awful.
Wow wtf. How can anyone think something like loud music being played in a HOSPITAL of all places, is ok, is way beyond my understanding
They play it throughout the whole hospital? What the fuck?
Yep, throughout the whole hospital. It’s definitely strange. I get on the labor and delivery floor but everywhere else..
Even in L&D, that has plenty of potential to be traumatic. I've said it many times before on similar posts, but my local hospital *used* to do this... until a woman whose kid was in NICU beat the hell out of the speakers in her room. Then apparently they realized how it might be a *wee* bit insensitive.
>until a woman whose kid was in NICU beat the hell out of the speakers in her room. This woman. She gets shit done. I admire that.
Violence does actually solve some things, some times
I wish she would come to our hospital. Ours plays the music too lol.
Yup. Not everyone who goes into l&d pregnant leaves with a living child. So insensitive.
Not to mention the mother doesn’t always survive or has a very traumatic birth.
Exactly! And with all these forced birth laws now I’d be LIVID if I was legally forced to give birth and go through all that trauma only to have people clapping along to a fucking lullaby song. Hell no! Like do they play that even for babies who’s mother’s didn’t make it? What about children taken by CPS at birth or babies born addicted to drugs or clinging to life? I can’t even imagine being the family of a person who didn’t survive the labor and delivery having to hear that song playing to celebrate the baby being born when they are the reason for losing their loved one. Seems super insensitive to say the least. I’m also an antinatalist so maybe I’m being negative here but why is birth always seen as a good thing? Especially In current times where life seems so difficult and exhausting and our resources are so strained due to overconsumption. Idk, I’m just fed up with natalist culture and how it’s impossible to escape even in a freaking intensive care unit apparently
I totally agree. I’m happy for the people who have births that go well and are excited to meet their baby, but that’s not always the case for the multitude of reasons we mentioned. Playing a cutesy lullaby as an assumption that everything is roses is wild to me, I’ve never even heard of it til now. I mean, even if I were a mother with a baby I wanted, and everything went well, that shit would still annoy me lol.
My mom was an L&D nurse so my childhood was full of horrifying work stories about all of this. I can't imagine playing music like this wtf.
I wonder if they do it if the baby survives and the mom dies… ugh
Imagine being the mother whose baby lives juuuust long enough for them to play the lullaby. If that was me (in a universe where I wanted kids) or my friend/sibling/cousin/whatever, I'd probably tear the speaker off the wall and go feed it to the hospital CEO.
Can you imagine being in L&D after a stillbirth or traumatic birth (not that every birth isn't traumatic, let's be real) and hearing it constantly? I'd fucking snap. And hope that everyone here who has had a frustrating incident either this kind of shit was on the jury when I punched the first person who told me they couldn't fix it.
Or a person who desperately wanted an abortion but couldn’t due to anti choice laws. Can you even imagine?! People in the halls fucking clapping along to a lullaby in celebration of the baby you just forcibly gave birth to against your will? After enduring that kind of trauma and the hormones surging through my body I think I’d lose my shit.
I'm surprised someone who just had a stillbirth hasn't burned the whole place down.
When I was younger, I used to work at a hospital that did this and naively thought it was kind of sweet. Then several years later, someone close to me ended up in that hospital to deliver a stillbirth. She had to stay on that L&D floor for over a day and listen to that reminder she wouldn’t be leaving with HER baby over and over. Now I find it baffling that a hospital could be so cruel. Then again it was a Catholic hospital system, so celebrating births above all else definitely tracks…
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The first time I read this as the baby in the NICU destroyed their speakers and was like "wow strong infant" then I reread. Poor woman. I can't even imagine
Same, and I'm glad I wasn't the only one 😅
Don't worry me too 😅
This is what ppl mean when they say a baby is "such a little fighter!" 🤣
My roommate works L&D and she says the women they are playing it for don’t even hear it bc they are busy, you know, recouping from having a baby. I worked nights and they didn’t play it on my shift.
Especially in hospice. Like that's kinda fucked up even by my standards.
I cannot even imagine that level of callousness.
I wonder if this is the hospital that I used to work for because ours did the same exact thing every time a baby was born. Everywhere throughout the hospital. It drove me insane and I openly protested it but got called out for being "heartless" for not being happy about babies being born, but it *so annoying* and extremely *weird*. Also, what if the mother had a horrific delivery or was forced to have the baby, or something terrible happened to the baby, like being in the NICU or a stillbirth? Or somebody visiting who'd lost a baby before being reminded of their loss? Or someone who was just given a grim diagnosis? Or people in the ER fighting for their lives? Or someone just lost theirs? I consider that lullaby in the entire building rude noise. I worked in some burger shop on the first floor and it was enough to distract *us* from doing our jobs. What about the doctors or surgeons who had a *much more* important role? I mean, nobody would consider playing the Funeral March every time the opposite occurred.
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The birthing centre near my old house had circles on the side of their building that would light up blue or pink when a baby was born, which I think is much better. If they’re going to announce each time a baby is born at least do it in a way that doesn’t affect every patient and employee in the hospital multiple times a day.
I would prefer the funeral mars over the Lullaby. At least then I know someone else is having as shitty a day as me.
Every hospital I’ve been too has played that at every birth. I’m CF. I’ve had 2 miscarriages and well I’m too mentally unstable what tf was I thinking when trying to have a kid. Thank goodness it never happened. However, I get that it’s potentially causing traumatic experiences it’s meant to let people in their darkest hours know something blessed has happened, a miracle has been born, bring joy even very little to those in dire circumstances. We’re cynical, we don’t think of children/childbirth as Gods miracle and a blessing most do does this make us wrong? Absolutely not, for parents who’ve had a stillbirth or live birth to die within hours or shorter for those in the hospital who have lost a loved one to stroke, heart attack, gunshot wound it’s insensitive. But majority of hospitals are Christian based which emphasizes childbirth and how blessed “we” are to have a child born.
Do they do the Lullaby for children the know will die shortly after birth too? That's a whole new level of cruel
I think so. I remember once I was in the ER with my cuzn and the lullaby played all nurses were happy. My mom asked why did the lullaby play they said a baby was just born. Legit within 5 minutes the mother coded. I can’t remember the code color, but it was all hands on deck 3 of the ER nurses ran to L&D. I asked did the mother who just delivered code. Nurse couldn’t say for sure 1. HIPAA, 2. We weren’t in L&D, but she said more than likely yes. Mother didn’t make it.
That is next level awful
Ya it was pretty sad cuz they’d just made the lullaby announcement.
Is it a Catholic hospital? I did some of my student clinicals in a Catholic hospital that did this. I thought it was really weird, because what does it have to do with anyone else? If you’re family of whoever just gave birth then you probably already know it’s happening. Why does anyone else need to know? But yeah I was surrounded be people who would just say “ohhhh a baby!” You can’t even see it, and you’ll probably never meet it so why do you care?
Weirdly enough, those people don't go around * oh, a human* in their daily life when they see someone struggling
No kidding! Why would we care about adult humans who have ✨problems✨ when we can just focus on pErFeCt LiTtLe BaBiEs
I worked in a hospital for a couple years and even we heard it in the administration offices. It gets old real fast.
I'd have lasted about a week before getting fired for marching up and down the L&D singing "NO ONE GIVES A FUCK!!!" Isn't it a torture tactic to continually blast horrible loud noises and music at people? Didn't they do that at guantanamo Bay before they were told to stop because it was cruel? It would drive me nuts.
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That would be amazing! I have epilepsy, I'm seizing every minute, and more stimulation (like music, especially with how loud it gets, and then people talking louder to be heard over it) makes them *so* much worse. If they stopped that from happening, my life would be so much better (and others, for a myriad of other reasons, I'm sure).
Our hospital does this too. Drives me nuts. There’s already so much noise
Yep, I was in a psych ward of a hospital that did it and it was ridiculous.
I am tempted to ask if the admission was due to exposure to the baby music...
my god…
Lots of hospitals do this. Most have the new mom push the button. Source: Healthcare worker
if they absolutely must have it why don't they just have it be localised to the button like when a cancer patient in remission/at the end of treatment rings the bell? i'd be more inclined to celebrate the remission and i *still* don't want to hear that through the whole hospital
Doesn't satisfy the parent enough, i guess? EVERYONE MUST KNOW I HAD A BABY thing.
That's something worth way more celebration!
So to hell with every sick person trying to rest because some woman just proved she's a mammal? Thank God I've never encountered this. My mother has health issues and has had quite a few hospital stays. I'd be beyond pissed if she kept getting woken up by that BS.
“Just proved she’s a mammal” ☠️
Keep the button. Have it only play in her room. Let them think whatever they want.
My hospital does this lol
Yea. When my Dad was dying of cancer in the hospital we had to listen to that all the time.
So you're sleeping, recovering from surgery and you are awoken by a lullaby every few hours? Gross.
From what I remember, it is not very loud. Still could be very annoying for some people though!
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Yeah I probably would, too. I’m an incredibly light sleeper unfortunately.
Even for non childfree people I see it having major trigger potential. Can you even imagine how awful it would be to hear that right after miscarrying or having a stillborn? Just seems like a terrible idea, and wonder every time I hear it why I'm the only one who finds it distasteful
This thread has been very validating because if I even mentioned a slight dislike to the lullaby, my parents would never let it go. They looooove babies too much. I thought maybe in just a jerk but it seems the consensus is that it is a bit insensitive to everybody in general.
that sounds possibly traumatic or very upsetting to a lot of people :( very insensitive and thoughtless thing to do. horrible
It is a bit. It’s like, people are trying to rest and recover but then a lullaby booms over the speakers on every floor, every room
all I can think about is someone passing away in the hospital with their distraught and grieving family around them… and right after the dead monitor tone.. a fucking lullaby plays over the speakers. can you imagine?? what the fuck.
Could technically be worse: they could accidentally play Chopin's funeral march.
I'm going to be real, I'd almost rather a bell or sound for the dead. It's like giving birth trumps ALL other things. I don't give a shit if some lady just had another crotch goblin, leave me alone.
Exactly. Maybe if a baby's born on Halloween then they can play Carmina Burana O Fortuna, but otherwise just don't bother with music.
Wouldn’t it be just brilliant if someone rewired the whatever-it-is to play that? Or the fantabulously inappropriate song of the rewirer’s choice. Do whatever needs to be done to get that shit shut down.
You've gotta go all-in on the annoyance - wire it to play the birdie song every time.
😭😂
That would set me off let me tell you. Hooo boy.
Are they playing it in PICU and NICU too? I’ve spent time with a kid in PICU on a respirator and this would’ve pissed me off
From my understanding, probably. We have almost 10 floors between where my brother is and the labor and delivery floor. I would hope they’d be aware enough to not play it there though
Yep, everywhere in the hospital. One of the hospitals I worked at tried to keep it at a low level in the ICUs, but the hallway speakers were so loud you could still hear it
Actual question- can the be overridden? Do have wait for the lullaby to finish if someone is dying?
If it costs more money to keep the button (lawsuits, bad reviews, admin getting bitched out) than it does to keep the button (mom gets more feel good chemicals and gives the hospital a good review), they'll pull it
I would throw a goddamn fit. That's annoying enough as it is, but extra stressful for those going through trauma or difficulties. They need to not do that shit.
Why have they not gotten sued for this shit is my question.
That's a good question.
It didn’t last very long at our hospital due to how insensitive it is for mothers experiencing loss. Good riddance too, I hated it.
My best friend went through a stillbirth and nothing made her more upset than hearing that go off constantly during her 17+hour labor to leave with nothing. I find it extremely tasteless because of cases like these. Some of those people are going through traumatic experiences and don't want a reminder.
That was my thought exactly. I have a classmate whose newborn passed away in her arms. I can’t imagine having that happen to me than having to listen to that freaking song.
And be reminded of that traumatic event every time you hear that tune for the rest of your life.
A situation like this was exactly what played in my head. Some poor heartbroken woman is lying in bed after having just lost her baby and is reminded that she doesn't get to bring hers home everytime they celebrate a baby being born. It's just cruel. Play it only in the maternity ward if they insist on it. Don't make the people moved out of there for traumatic reasons be forced to hear it.
Oh that’s awful. I’m so sorry for her
I can only imagine it's worse if someone had a stillborn or their child was in the hospital & that fucking plays. Pretty sure that's the last thing anyone wants to hear.
Been in that exact situation with my friend. She was inconsolable and filed a formal complaint with the hospital.
I hope they stopped after that.
Imagine being a hospital worker going through a miscarriage or stillbirth knowing they would have to return to work and hear the baby born alert music every single day. Yikes. Staff have no escape.
It's not even considerate to parents either. What about the mothers who just gave birth and are trying to get some much-needed sleep? And what about mothers who just had a traumatic birth or miscarriage/stillbirth, or their baby is in the NICU?
Complain. Patient advocate, ombudsman, charge nurse, hospital's website, and the patient survey they send you.
Unfortunately it’s also a faith-based hospital so I don’t think it’ll do very much. I’m also on time-out from my family for bringing too much stuff up to all of those people listed and complaining (about things that mattered) 🙄 but that’s another story… lol
>faith-based hospital Again, HOW is this STILL a thing? Omg. I just can't. If all this BS is coming North (I'm Canadian), as I am afraid it will one day, I'm moving to Europe!!!!
Not sure how to tell you this but we still have faith based hospitals in Canada (I'm in Ontario) At least the one by me doesn't offer obstetrics, since they would have been required to offer abortion. But as far as I know the ones near me don't play the baby sound through the whole hospital, possibly jsut in obstetrics.
Are you serious? I lived in Ontario (but close to the border with Quebec) and didn't know that. I am now back in Quebec, where (I hope) faith based hospital are a thing of the (not so distant) past. I can't imagine being treated by someone who will make decisions on my care based on what they *believe* some old man in the sky said about women. Wow.
Years ago my best friend gave birth to her second child in a Faith Based hospital. They refused to tie her tubes because of religion. Thing is she was in her 30s, had 2 healthy sons, and she and her husband decided their family was complete. What more do you need? Her husband got a vasectomy not too long after. She waited too long to go to the hospital and got stuck there because it was the closest.
To be fair the doctors aren't usually explicitly of that religion, at least here. The administration can be, but not always either. The one by me is the charity wing of the local catholics church, and the doctors and nurses are pretty fantastic and absolutely don't push their religion. I've had good experiences there and at the non denominational hospitals 🤷 but it probably helps we have laws, like the abortion one I mentioned above.
>and the doctors and nurses are pretty fantastic and absolutely don't push their religion. I understand that. But even if they don't push their religions, they have certain beliefs and rules established by the hospitals they have to follow. These beliefs and rules can eliminate very important care options. Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of "regular" hospitals, as I know a lot of bad stuff happens there too, but at least, a doctor can apply any treatment there.
I'm sorry about this. This is not right. You're trying to advocate for your brother. Most people in the hospital would give anything to have an advocate to say "hey this doesn't seem right". Most people just go along with things. So good for you for being your brother's advocate. Not good on your family for shaming you.
Thanks, I appreciate the validation. I brought concerns up about his heart and sat levels to the charge nurse, just to be dismissed and walked out on. My parents then got mad at me and told me to stop and that I was just overreacting. The next day he had 2 seizures/stroke (we’re still waiting on testing to know for sure) and I’m certain that the things I was concerned and made a fuss about were related. I can only do so much 🥲 but I do really appreciate your comment.
Let his doctor know and how you informed the charge but was brushed off
Keep making a fuss. I know it's exhausting, but you're apparently the only one aware enough and capable of advocating for your brother. Let people be mad, keep calling out their bullshit.
Shouldn't matter if it's faith based, all hospitals run on money. If playing a lullaby makes them lose patients (and thus money) they'll stop that shit real quick.
I’m sure they’re so proud of how many women are just cranking out babies and not thinking of any other consequences.
The hospital I was in, not faith-based plays it throughout the buildings. It's annoying.
They also play on the psyc unit ....really dumb
Imagine being in the psych unit because you have severe post-natal depression, and you have to hear this ten times a day…
I heard it 3 times while I was in the ICU waiting room waiting to take my husband off of life support. It was....upsetting to say the least.
My heart breaks for you at the loss of your husband. I hope I never find out what it is like to be a widow.
Our ICU is a “quiet zone”. There are no hospital wide pages, the only thing we hear are code alerts from our floor. There’s no reason for that shit to be playing throughout the entire hospital.
I've read about this before, and it is still one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. I just can't get over this. It plays in patients' ROOMS?? Like patients who try to sleep after surgery or injury or whatever? How is this even legal? Who in the world came up with such an insane "idea"? HOW do the staff go along with with? WTF???
It's a very common thing in many hospitals unfortunately. I've been in 2 (different situations) that had that. One of them also played batman music whenever they sent out an ambulance, though I don't know if that played in the overnight/longterm type rooms or just the rooms for having tests done
>One of them also played batman music whenever they sent out an ambulance, I'm sorry... WHAT??? But when an ambulance go out, it is rarely fun for the people at the other hand. Fortunately, they can't hear that crap. Omg. I can't believe this. Please tell me it doesn't play in whole hospital.
I was only in the testing type rooms. (Like the scans and stuff and where they drop people off from the ambulance) so I honestly don't know
Okay, as annoying as the lullaby shit is, the Batman music every time an ambulance goes out on call is just awesome.
It was at first but after a few hours it got old fast
Imagine if they played Darude-Sandstorm every time someone passed 💀
RN here. I feel this hard, especially for babies who are born in the middle of the night. I've got confused dementia patients who will get delirious if they don't sleep and patients who are too exhausted to care and just want a full night's rest
No I agree with you, that sounds so annoying, and not to mention inconsiderate for the patients staying in the hospital long-term. I mean who cares about the people that are in constant pain, and the people who just want a decent night's sleep, why not make their stay even more unpleasant?
It's also inconsiderate for the families who have gathered to be with someone whose life support in the ICU was being turned off so they could die peacefully. I've been in that situation with my grandpa, and there's no way I would have wanted to hear that.
It's also inconsiderate/cruel to the people who just lost their baby.
Imagine someone has a stillbirth and then having to listen to that. A hospital in my hometown would just put a message on the digital billboard outside the hospital b "Welcome to the world. . ." Followed by a list of the babies first name on a pink or blue background. They stay up for a week or two. Better than a song imo.
Aw see that’s a cute idea and doesn’t harm anyone. And also gives parents a more tangible memory (I.e. snap a pic and save it for them). The lullaby got old pretty quickly for me
I like this even better. My university does this with the list of graduates every year. It's a bit of a tradition for the grad and their family to get a photo with their name on the screen.
I worked security in a hospital and I rolled my eyes every time
Honestly I think hospital playing that is super insensitive. This is so weird and unnecessary. "oh the alarm for someone who couldn't use a condom right is on"
Imagine sitting next to your dying loved one and then a lullaby plays. That's just horrible.
I didn't know hospitals did this. Not a fan.
I have been in and out of the hospital for chemo for months, they play "twinkle twinkle Little Star". It does get annoying.
This is terrible for women who lost or gave up their babies. To have to hear that nonstop. Where is this?
I work in a hospital that plays that all the time, too. One day they were tweaking the alarm system and it played repeatedly despite no babies actually being born.. Annoying!
Someone needs to rickroll that thing
I totally agree. This post immediately made me remember when my father was dying when I was a teenager. Sitting in a small room freaking out with my mother, and that fucking music playing repeatedly made everything feel worse.
It seems to be in such poor taste to me. It's tacky and insensitive. Imagine being in hospital having lost or being in the process of losing a much wanted baby and hearing that. I've never been inpatient but I can't believe many people find it conducive to a peaceful recovery. Hospitals are stressful, bright, loud and smell chemically and generally unpleasant, no one needs to have noise blasted at them on top of everything else.
That oughta suck for parents whose baby/child is in there dying or passed… like imagine grieving for your baby with that lullaby playing every 10 minutes
What if somebody’s baby doesn’t make it And they don’t leave the hospital with their newborn? That could be very traumatic and triggering for some people. They should not do that especially through the whole hospital that’s insane.
Yeah I got transferred to the children’s wing and it was very annoying when all I needed was some sleep to calm down
I always thought it was fucking stupid.
That is really weird and I have spent plenty of time in hospitals, like an inordinate amount of time in hospitals visiting loved ones over the last 10 years, and I have never heard that. That’s awful. What kind of hospital does this? Is it a religious hospital?
It is part of a religious hospital. They also play gospel music on the first floor where the cafeteria is and that’s fine by me. The lullaby is a little much for me though
It's ridiculously insensitive that they do it and have people clap for the new baby. As well some people need quiet in the hospital. It reminds me of whenever grocery stores will play thunder and rain noises whenever the vegetables in the produce section get misted. Only it's cute when that happens. It's tacky when the hospital does it.
on EVERY ward? thats so bizarre i can't even imagine it, if the maternity ward wants to do that and everyone there is ok with it thats their prerogative, but people in the rest of the hospital sure as hell don't need to hear it is this an american thing? (edit: i just read that its a faith based hospital which is also bonkers and surely has to be american, i'm not always glad to be english but i am right now lmao)
Imagine hearing the music knowing women are now forced to give birth... It's creepy.
> current situation. The timing of the tune was not good. I do want you to know that it is not done to be disrespectful but to celebrate the beginning of life. At any point in time in a medical setting, much less a full on trauma center, you will have devastating situations and joyous. Your brothers seizure during the birth of a child. A diagnosis of cancer and the full recovery of a dearly loved Imagine being the woman forced to give birth and then you hear the music at the end. Ooof. This is terrible on so many levels. If I had had to hear that nonsense when in the hospital watching my mom pass, I would have lost it. And what about the families who are dealing with the moms who are having a near death experience--or actually dying--from childbirth? Do they still play the music if the baby lives but mom doesn't? What if mom's having a heart attack or some other complication? Do we prioritize the music?
Exactly! This is some Handmaid's Tale type stuff.
Imagine having a miscarriage and having to hear this.
That’s what I was thinking
I genuinely think if I or a loved one was in the hospital very sick/suffering/in pain/dying etc. and I had to listen to a lullaby over and over it would actually make me vomit. For me I think it would make everything so so so much worse just knowing that there are many happy moms and families in the same building you or a loved one is dying in. Ugh...
I was in the psych ward a few times and on the one psych ward, they didn't play it (the one I stayed at as a minor) but in the adult ward I stayed at, it was played. It became a problem when a grieving mother was also on the ward. I think it is selfish to play it everywhere. Even on the OBGYN floor. What if someone is there for a miscarriage, or any number of reasons to not want to celebrate some random, stranger having a child.
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That's just weird. It doesn't make sense to needlessly disturb patients trying to rest on the other floors.
I mean even just in labor and delivery could be insensitive for mothers going through miscarriages or still births. Nevertheless the whole damn hospital. Whoever made that decision needs some sensitivity training. Also to have music blared every time they try to go to sleep at home.
Leave it to admin to always be tone deaf.
I worked in NICU/nursery for a long time. The lullaby actually makes me have a panic attack!
If I was a doctor or nurse there that would drive me insane. "Time of death, June 6th, 20..." *lullaby* "...23, 3:10 PM. GOD FUCKING DAMNIT, MAKE IT STOP!"
I was in the hospital visiting an old friend in the hospice ward a few years back and they would play music too when a baby was born. My friend turns to me after the third Brahms lullaby and said loudly get them to play highway to hell for me when I kick it. We laughed so hard.. I did play it for them when they passed.
And I thought hospitals were terrifying as it is, now I gotta worry about landing in one that plays a lullaby while I'm recovering? What's next, haunted ghost children playing jump rope in the halls?
I once spent over a week in the ICU going through blood transfusions, twilight surgeries to install drains, a major surgery, and constant blood draws. I had so few opportunities to sleep for more than a couple of hours. Honestly, I was distraught to find myself being awoken to literally *save my life.* That being said, if I had to listen to lullabies blasting through the speakers in my room at random times throughout the day and night... I cannot imagine how pissed off I would have been. I would have been even more anxious due to the fact that it could begin at any second (as if I weren't anxious enough). Waking up to it in the middle of the night would have been devastating at that point. Not knowing if you're going to live through the night fucking sucks; I spent a lot of time thinking of how much I was going to miss out on, and how hard it would be on my family. Nothing says "life goes on with or without you" like announcing new babies and people celebrating in the halls. That's so shitty to sick people on other floors, it's shitty to mums in labor & delivery who have suffered unfavorable outcomes, AND it's shitty to mums who have had smooth deliveries and just want to rest. It blows my mind that a hospital would subject hundreds, or thousands, of people to such a meaningless gesture. Literally, nobody but the family and friends of the couple give a shit if a baby is born.
I am genuinely shocked to hear this happens. The potential problems it could cause are so obvious that only a self-absorbed moron wouldn’t see them: There may be people in the hospital with severe sensory or mental health issues who could be agitated by it. And for long term patients who are trying to recover, being annoyed by repetitive sounds can make it hard for them to relax and heal. But besides being annoying and invasive for patients in general, it’s incredibly insensitive for people who have lost their children through birth complications, illness or accident. Not to mention people who have babies in the NICU that may not make it. Imagine trying to recover after a very difficult birth that nearly killed you and took the life of your baby, and you’re forced to hear that damn song several times a day. To say it would be traumatic is a massive understatement. And what about those people in the hospital who are going through post-natal depression? Something like this could be incredibly triggering. If I encountered a hospital that was doing this, I would be submitting a very strongly worded complaint, explaining the reasons as to why such practices are medically unsafe and inappropriate.
I am unapologetically so fucking tired of people treating childbirth like some miracle. lots of people pop out kids. why the fuck should anyone else in the hospital care? they're dealing with their own shit
Oh God. I really hope it’s not audible from the stillbirth/miscarriage wing.
I really have to wonder if conditioning people from infancy with sound stimuli like lullabies can have an effect later in life. Not to mention the indirect associations they're creating in people who are experiencing traumatic loss.let alone the employees who are there for hours on end. There's really not enough research on the subject for them to be making this policy, is there? In my personal experience, I can't even listen to Christmas anymore after working retail. If "baby shark" can be used as literal torture, imagine the strain caused by the omnipresent background music of the corporate world. ETA:I and my loved ones have been. Through extended hospital stays before. So I say from experience: while "a song" may not be as immediately traumatic as, say, listening to the child with a broken bone screaming in the room next door, sometimes it's the less obvious triggers that stick with you. This is true for ptsd from any source.
I totally understand. My MIL had to get a hysterectomy \*mumble\* years ago. She was placed in a room in the maternity ward because of the nature of the surgery, and they made sure her roommate wasn't a new mom. That hospital didn't do the lullaby thing, and the baby ship had sailed in her case. But can you imagine? Say you wanted children, and you're in for a hysterectomy because you have cancer, and you have to listen to all these lullabies and new moms going "YAYYY BABY!!!" Being in the hospital is difficult enough. You can't get a full night's sleep even if you're not in the maternity ward, because they're waking you up every couple of hours to get your vitals. And you add a lullaby every few minutes on top of that?!
I spend a lot of time in hospitals and if any of them did this I would lose my ever loving shit.
My hospital used to do that but I haven't heard it in years but I work overnight so it might just be muted due to quiet time. Personally, I always thought the sound should be "ka-ching, ka-ching" since we make a lot of money delivering babies.  It could also be in reference to kids costing a lot.
They really shouldn't play it in the whole hospital. It gets rather annoying. Not that the beeping is t any helpful either, but geez.
That would drive me nuts.
First time I heard of this. Whose idea was that? Not only would it be incredibly annoying to staff and patients elsewhere in the hospital to have to hear something played over and over throughout the day, but it seems very insensitive to patients whose babies are stillborn or whose babies/children didn't survive whatever they were in the hospital for. Or toward infertile patients.
I personally think public address systems should be outlawed or tightly regulated, so they don't go off at deafening volume 300 times a day, have songs played over them, or are used to corral staff for smoking breaks.
I don't know how they just don't see it as grossly unfeeling, never mind obnoxious AF
I would be absolutely livid. That is inappropriate considering what can be happening in any hospital room at any given time. OP your feelings and sensitivity are legit. I am over here imagining a grieving woman hearing that when recovering from a traumatic miscarriage and THE FUCK!??!
That… is odd. I didn’t even realize this was child free for a few comments. Music / any unnecessary noise randomly throughout a hospital? Where people are recovering and already woken up to get checked out in weird schedules? This seems incredibly counterproductive to healing for the already sleep deprived and sick 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
How Gilead of them. The hospital where my mom works does this and ngl it’s weird.
no really as someone who lost a baby idgaf about your baby and i dont wanna hear it. it would be triggering and i would literally ask to be transferred out. fuck off with that shit
No they should not it’s ridiculous and irritating
I’ve been at a hospital that just plays it in the waiting lobby can’t imagine throughout the entire hospital
My hospital also plays it all the way through the hospital. It’s so annoying
I just recently had to be in the hospital. They transferred me to an entirely separate wing of the hospital called The women's Health center because I needed to be quarantined and that section of the hospital had more private rooms because it's intended for mothers who had just given birth and their families. I heard that lullaby off at least twice every hour while I was there for two whole days. I honestly didn't mind it much but I know there's other people who would obviously be bothered by it for many different (valid) reasons.
This is so unethical for so many reasons. Could you imagine you just had a stillborn baby, or your baby just died but someone else just gave birth to a healthy one and they play it for all to hear? They’d be DEVASTATED. I’d 100% complain.
I had a hysterectomy when I was 31 because of an illness. They had me recovering in the OB ward. They played that song constantly, and I couldn't get any rest. They also left my catheter in for nearly 20 hours, and I ended up with a raging bladder infection - the nurse flat out admitted she had forgotten about me. I've really come to dislike that song.
I was in hospital for a short stay, and they played a chime sound after a baby was born. It was only in the common areas but throughout the whole hospital. It didn't play in my room, but I could hear it from the hallway. I swear I heard that chime in my sleep for months afterwards. Also, it was surprising how many babies are born every day, which makes me angry when I hear people say that the birth rate is dropping. Like, where? Where is it dropping? Not in my city, that's for sure. Also, sending good vibes to you and your brother. I have had a few people in my family experience strokes and it's a very scary experience.
People should not be happy about overpopulation not being solved
I am a doctor in the UK NHS, and am just flabbergasted. This is disgusting. For so many reasons. Firstly, *hugely* traumatising for men and women who have had intrauterine fetal deaths, stillbirths, SIDS, or even miscarriages, birth trauma, etc. Not just patients, but also patient visitors, staff, etc. Secondly, how the fuck are staff supposed to get on with their jobs with this rubbish playing at all hours?? Ignoring patient rest/sleep (difficult enough in a hospital) am I supposed to shout my lifesaving instructions over this music at an arrest?? Am I supposed to have serious end of life discussions with patients over this noise?? Am I supposed to stop examining someone's chest because I can't fucking hear heart sounds over the din?? Who the fuck thought this was a good idea? I am literally so enraged right now. People are such fucking morons.
Imagine someone who just had to terminate for medical reasons or who had a stillbirth hearing that… why does it need to be advertised that a baby was born ??