Rock-a-bye Baby, in a tree top....lah lah lah lah...de dah dah dah dah.
You get the gist. Is the song in your head. Can you imagine it playing? Wind up style? If so, then we can move on with this story.
On Thursday, I went to work. Some of you may remember that I work for a Hospital System, and more so that I work for the Emergency Department of that Hospital System doing things like Education and Problem Solving and Cheerleading. On this particular day I was at one of the (much) smaller hospitals within our system doing education for a group of nurses. The classes at this hospital are taught in an 'Education Center', which is an add-on building separate from the rest of the hospital.
After finishing the class, which was fraught with drama over some recent events (because unfortunately everyone tries to re-create their own version of 'ER' somewhere along the way), I stayed late to chat with a friend who came to the class. We discussed the latest hospital gossip, and were in the midst of a very serious discussion regarding a recent patient case, when....
*Cue Music*
A tune began to pipe in from all the overhead speakers. Hum with me..."Rock-a-bye baby in a tree top......lah lah lah lah, dah dah dah dee dah."
I stop speaking mid-sentence. I look at my friend.
"What...is...that?"
She starts laughing. "Oh, they play that every time a baby is born.....that doesn't happen very often here."
For some reason this cracked me up. I mean, seriously...a lullaby for the whole hospital every time a baby is born? You may be thinking, "awww, but it's sweet...", which just goes to show how cynical I am. My response to this (after laughing hysterically)?
"Well that's stupid."
And yes, also, deep down I had the thought...I wonder if I will ever trigger the Rock-a-Bye alarm. But then I knew that I would never allow myself to give birth at that rinky-dink hospital anyway...and that the hospital I would give birth at would never be so rinky-dink that it would do something cheesy like play an overhead lullaby every time a baby was born.
And then I thought...can you imagine how annoying it would be if someone were to deliver high-order multiples in that place?
Rock-a-bye, Baby, in a tree-top;
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall;
And down will come Baby, cradle and all.
And anyways...who wants to play a song about a baby falling out of a tree?
48 conceptions:
My repsonse would have been the same..
Seriously stupid much.
I am torn, maybe 20% nice 80% creepy? All you need now is some scary clown delivering balloons.
That is pretty silly...somehow, I think Happy Birthday would be more upbeat!
I've always wondered about the lyrics to that song.
Maybe the intention with which the nursery rhyme was chosen was benign...but really, this is almost corny.
Nothing of that sort is played in the hospitals here.
Hope they don't decide on Jack and Jill, the time they decide to change it....
*cheesy* sums it!
The hospital where my sister-in-law delivered does that. I thought that was bizarre too, and I'm thankful that the hospital in which I work delivers approx 10,000 babies a year - so no lullaby music for us (can you imagine???)
Perfect!!!!
I actually felt like I was there.
Uuuummm....I got nothing.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
That's just a little bizarre.
gah, what if there is someone in the hospital that just had a loss?? Cute in theory, however...
When I had to go and have my D & C because I was miscarrying, I had a similar experience. As I was being wheeled out in the wheelchair back to my car post-procedure, they started playing Kenny G over the oud speaker. The dumb guy wheeling me out, and knowing full well why I was there, says, "Awww, another baby was born. We play that song every time." Gag me with an effing spoon.
The hospital I delivered my son at did that. I never even heard the music when he was born (I know it was played when I watched a tape of his birth you can hear it in the background) but seriously I dont see the point b/c no one in the room is paying attention, cares, or even hears the music.
I've heard others report of being in hospitals that did that. I can't imagine staying there for long periods of time and having to hear that every few minutes/hours. Ugh!
Just odd.
I've heard of this happening at other hospitals (albeit with less annoying songs like Brahms' Lullaby), and I find it so thoughtless and short-sighted. Good in theory...
What about the staff dealing with IF or loss who have to hear it constantly?
What about those currently in the midst of loss? Do stillbirths get the stupid song played? What about babies who die within a few minutes, a few days?
Don't they know that women who have just given birth would probably prefer to just get some sleep and not be woken up by music?
Why the double standard for births? Why not play music for every event? Now that would be awesome! Deaths ("Don't Fear the Reaper"), comas ("Girlfriend in a Coma"), heart surgery ("Don't Go Breaking My Heart"), fractures ("Broken Wings"), sex changes ("Lola")...
The hospital I work at also plays Brahm's lullaby every time a baby is born. When I first started working at the hospital, I seriously thought it was someone's cell phone ringing! I was so annoyed because I was in the middle of dictating and the lullaby was so loud!!!
A couple of weeks later, someone mentioned how "cute" it is that they play the lullaby everytime a baby is born. Umm, oh I thought the same cell phone offender was stalking me in the halls!!!
So, now every time I am over at the hospital I hear the damn chime on the overhead and try to refrain from being bitter! I feel as though it is mocking me. You can ever hear it in the hallways of the OR!
I decided that if we ever get PG and I am delivering at that hospital, I am not going to ring that chime(it is a doorbell) in honor of other people walking around that hospital feeling sad when they hear the lullaby!!!
I've never heard of such a thing. Of course, I live in cynical NYC. The Boy & I are visiting my family in Arizona right now and engaged in ongoing discussions about whose hometown is the best. I will not tell him about this post, since I rather suspect that it's the sort of sentimental thing that Arizona hospitals would be all over.
And then I would lose the discussion.
Because really? (And understanding that I coo over babies at least as much as the next gal) That's just lame.
Why not some celebratory Ring Around the Rosie while they're at it? Kooky.
That's odd. I don't really know what to think about it, but I wonder if boughs breaking and babies falling is of any concern to the staff... Oh, and when someone dies, don't they need a little jingle as well? Hit the Road Jack, perhaps?
Yeah, I'm not a fan. While I can understand the thought and sentiment, it seems insensitive to me.
The hospital I was at - had this. Luckily it didn't play through the whole hospital, just the L&D/Recovery floors. Also, they have that "HUGS" security system - the alarm sounded the a submarine alarm. So, 25+ times a day you'd hear the song and that lovely loud "Ah-RUGGGGG-GA!"
Ohh the ridculousness!
Gag me.
I would die from the over-cutesyness, too. How awful for those moms who won't be taking their babies home anytime soon, or ever. Seriously. I'm grateful that our hospital campus is not where the maternity unit is located. I'd probably rip the damned speakers out of the ceiling.
I'm sorry you had to deal with yet another friggin' infertility bitchslap. Damn.
On the plus side, there's always
Cassandra's idea-- "Don't Fear the Reaper", etc. Made me laugh like a loon!
For what it's worth, my son HATED his crib mobile. He had colic, and the only thing that helped was swaddling, bouncing,and turning Daddy's AC/DC discs up to 8. I'll save "Back in Black" for you..if your kiddo turns out as weird as mine, you'll need it!
I so would of had the same reaction. I think that would drive me nuts. Maybe it doesn't since it does not happen very much there but still. LOL
That is odd -
and true, so would they play it like 4x for quads?
You happened to comment on my SIL's blog so I browsed this first post here, and I was going to tell you, when I sing that to my kids, I change the last phrase to 'And mommy will catch you, cradle and all'. So while the song still talks about a baby falling out of a tree, at least I catch them in the end ;)
that sounds like a teeny tiny hospital if they are doing something so corny....it would make me laugh too. good thing there are only a few birhts cause that song would make you crazy....like the icecream truck :)
I have always hated that song!! It's the first thing that I start to hum sometimes though.. don't know why. Oh, and I'm the SIL... :)
That is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. It makes me want to throw up. I hate that song too.
There are just too many things wrong with that. Yes, stupid song choice (I've never gotten singing a song about a baby falling out of a tree as means of inducing a baby to sleep), stupid tradition, and stupidly unthoughtful. I'm aware that there are millions of women in the world capable of giving birth and some of them are probably doing it right now, but there is no frigging need for a reminder of it throughout an entire hospital every time one of them manages to do it.
Sorry, that triggered a little bit of a reaction!
Also, I don't know how the link works from Blogger to Wordpress, so if you do want to look at mine (since I have already seen yours, and it's pretty!) I'm Minta at http://lifefamilysanity.wordpress.com.
I think I'd go insane if I worked at that hospital!
That is an odd one... I'm glad it isn't somewhere you need to be on a daily basis!
That is odd - is that something that happens in ALL hospitals?
That is the stupidest thing ever.
I wonder if they play it for the people who have stillborn children too. Or people who have a living child, but the child isn't able to come home, for one reason or another. I mean, not all situations does a mother or father want to hear that lullaby.
And seriously, the lullaby is twisted anyway.
Ick.
So odd.
That reminds me...
When I first started as a resident in the hospital I know work at they used to announce over the speakers "blue 100 room x ward Y" whenever there was a resus call as a sort of a code. One day I was was walking behind 2 old ladies when a call when out and one turned to the other and asked "I wonder what that means", the other said "i think it must be a lottery result."
Yes kind of!
That's too creepy for words. And let's be honest bloody irritating!
Thanks SO much for your comment.
I am so paranoid that it will hurt like anything.
thankfully I have a high pain threshold and I dont cry like a little bitch.
I'll be sitting there, thinking "suck it up princess"
X
i bet they play Beethoven's Fifth everytime someone goes into cardiac arrest...
The hospital where I see my Dr. at...is the Women's Hospital. And yes, they play the little song too. It used to only be over the delivery part of the hospital (I believe), but now, it's over the ENTIRE place. Just the other day...I was at my RE's office and it played. You would think they would be considerate for those who are going through Infertility to at least block it from those offices. It makes me kind of irritated.
Um, it'd be cute in the maternity ward like 5 times. Then, I'd want to stick a speculum in my brain and swirl it around to get away from it.
Maybe they should put money into actual care for the child rather than the lullaby?? Odd to say the very least ;)
xxx
Wow, I really don't like that! Super cheesy, of course... but what about stillbirths and other sad situations? No music, I assume. Too sad.
I guess I just have a chip on my shoulder these days.
My daughter changed the words to this song:
Rock-a-bye baby, up in a tree
That's not a good place for a baby to be.
Unfortunately, the rest of her version had something to do with putting the baby in a trash can...
Our local hospitals do the same thing. I always wondered if the people who work at the hospital grow to hate that sound.
I used to work for a hospital that did that. Fortunatly, I worked the night shift and they only played the music until 10pm. I guess the other babies were SOL.
Nursery rhymes, Mother Goose stories, even Bugs Bunny. The older I get, the more I realize how inappropriate they are for kids.
I used to work for said hospital system. They all do it. It's annoying as hell, and most of the nurses try to avoid it, but there is always some doctor who wants to trigger it.....
LOL!! I did my nursing school rotation at a little hospital like that- one of the girls in group was all excited our first day b/c she thought it was an ICECREAM TRUCK!! LOL!!!
It got on my nerves after about 15 a day.
www.ttc-wildride.blogspot.com
I've thought a lot about the macabre this was spoon fed to us as "nursery rhymes" or "sing songs" when we were young.
Cutting off tails with carving knives? If I die before I wake?? Eggs with traumatic brain injury?!
It would only be slightly more traumatic if we were singing Dr. Dre or Snoop Doggy Dogg songs to our kids :) :)
- J
AzooWho? - Adventures in Male Infertility
They do that in one of the local hospitals here as well. A friend of mine had to deliver her stillborn baby there and had to listen to that throughout their stay. Very heartbreaking. When they came back a couple years later to deliver their live on earth baby, she asked it not be played in case there was anyone there going through a difficult pregnancy or delivery.
That's a new one...kinda creepy to me, too.
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