A song I wrote for my friends' new arrival, Rose Victoria. This is an adaptation of the song which simplifies and leaves space - not even as much space as you would leave if you were singing the song on the neonatal unit. There would certainly be more gaps between phrases to assess the state of the baby and to make sure they are settled. Please follow www.oursongsblog.wordpress.com for more ideas and sharing around music in neonatal care.

Rose Victoria

I met a new Mum from the Ukraine last week on my residency at Stoke Royal University Hospital. It was a pleasure to sing for her beautiful boy in an isolation room on the intensive care unit. A very intimate situation requiring some very, very quiet and sensitive singing with lots of gaps to try and leave room for the little one to process new sounds in his room.  I was keeping my eyes on the monitor to check heart rate and oxygen saturation levels and also my eyes on Mum and the nurse so they were completely involved and comfortable with the experience. Mum was interested in finding a Ukranian lullaby and very interested in the Kora and what it is used for in Africa as Dad is from Africa. I found the most beautiful lullaby that night when I went home. The Dream passes by the window, and Sleep by the fence. The Dream asks sleep: 'Where should we rest tonight?'. 'Where the cottage is warm, and the tot is weeny, There we will go, and rock the child to sleep. There we will sleep, and will sing to the child: Sleep, sleep, my little falcon, Sleep, sleep, my little dove. I shared it with her and her beautiful boy and the nurse the next day. It was a privilege to see her reaction to her son hearing a song in his Mum's language and for me to sing in a language I have never spoken before on such a special occasion. The nurse thought the story was lovely too when I showed her the translation. Mum has got the words and notes of the melody - she plays the piano and is looking forward to playing it when she gets home. I told her I would record it for her and her son. I have included the sound of the respiratory pump in intensive care as I was struck by its noise and how impactful it must be on a tiny boy. Here, it seems as a soothing hiss in the background. I only wonder what the sound within the incubator is like? I hope Mum will continue to use her beautiful voice and play piano with her son. Please follow www.oursongsblog.wordpress.com for more ideas and sharing around music in neonatal care.

Oy Khodyt' Son Kolo Vikon

I sang with babies on the neonatal unit when they were alone and awake and this song came out of that experience. You can write simple songs like this using your babies' names and references to their personalities.

Thank You

Lylah, a sibling on the unit, created a sweet song for her baby sister Josie which you will hear over audio clips taken of the mechanical sound world in intensive care.

Lylah's Song (unit sounds remix)

This is a Senegalese lullaby in the Wolof language taught to me by Marianne Clarac from France - one of the most experienced musicians working in neonatology in Europe (www.musique-sante.org/en). "Fly little bird to your grandparents' house". You will hear simple vocal harmonies on this recording which are fun to try. This song is for Romiley's Mum who loves West Africa.

Ayo'o Sama Sope

I sang with a Ukrainian Mum and her baby on the unit in the isolation room on the intensive care unit. Mum wanted to find a Ukrainian lullaby so I learned one for her. "The Dream passes by the window and Sleep by the fence. The Dream asks Sleep: "Where should we rest tonight?". "Where the cottage is warm and the tot is weeny. There we will go and rock the child to sleep. There we will sleep and will sing to the child: Sleep, Sleep, my little falcon, Sleep sleep my little dove". In this recording you will hear sounds from the ICU unit in the background - a familiar sound world for babies on the unit. 

Oy Khodyt'son, Kolo Vikon

An Urdu nursery rhyme I shared with a Mum from Pakistan who then sang it with her baby girl. "The nightingale's baby ate lentils and rice, drank water, sang songs next to my bed. One day she was sitting all alone so I let her fly away." My friend Sonya and her son Bertie are singing on this track and making trumpet sounds with their voices.

Bubul Kabacha

This version is created and performed by siblings on the unit, Bobby and Lylah who sing, strum the kora and play shakers. Thye also came up with songs to sing for babies and you'll hear these along wight he sounds of family voices in the background.

Baa Baa Black Sheep

This is a song that could be used whilst 'burping' babies during  their feeds by gently patting and rubbing their backs. It's an adaptation of 'Heads, shoulders, knees and toes' and you can change the speed so it's the right pace for your baby. Staff will take plenty of time to support you in this activity as it can sometimes be difficult for premature babies to burp due to their size and stage of development. My friend Sonya and her son Bertie join me for parts of this song. 

Pat Your Back

I sang this old time song for a baby on the unit called Daisy and Mum commented on how singing had distracted Daisy from crying. During my residency Daisy had her first bath which I accompanied form a discrete distance. In this recording you will hear the original song sung by my friend Sonya and her son Bertie and then an adaptation of the song for Daisy's bath time!

Daisy Daisy

This very slow lullaby draws on the lyrical and musical content of one Mum's favourite American Rock/Punk Songs. Later in the residency she told me she had been singing with her twins and was really surprised how calming it was for them and for her.

Heartbeats

A song for twin babies adapted from a dad's song choice and featuring some of his own improvised lyrics. Mum was at home with one twin whilst Dad was tenderly stroking the head of the other twin in hospital singing a slowed down version of the original rock song. 

Sweet Little Ones

This is an adaptation of a song a Mum and Dad had as the first dance at their wedding with a verse written for each of their four children and audio clips of the children enjoying themselves during an art & music session in the HDU room. It can be difficult for babies to adjust to the normal sounds of home life after being in the hospital environment and staff commented that it was a positive thing to introduce family voices and sounds like this onto the Unit.

Our Family

Singing can be the most calming form of interaction for babies and their families (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301680.php)

Research tells us that live music helps to

lower premature babies’ heart rate
increase their oxygen saturation
help with feeding and sleep
reduce parental stress
(http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/5/902)

Holly is a professional singer and Kora player (West African Harp used for baby naming celebrations). She works at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for LIME Music for Health and is a registered Music Therapist.

holly1cropped

She will be working in residency at the Neonatal Unit at Royal Stoke University Hospital to support singing, helping parents and siblings to create and use simple songs because their voices are the best music for their baby.

Our Songs (Neonatal Unit)

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