Participants:
Series Code: MMP
Program Code: MMP000022A
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00:05 Singing to your newborn or even your unborn baby
00:08 is such a natural thing to do. 00:10 Since the beginning of time, mothers have sung 00:12 to their babies, to soothe them, to calm them, 00:15 to comfort them. 00:16 You don't have to know the words to any specific lullaby to 00:19 sing to your child or your grandchild or any child 00:22 for that matter effectively. 00:23 The gentleness and sweetness found in the human voice 00:26 when lulling a child is a precious thing to do. 00:29 Did you know, it can be life-saving as well. 00:32 When a baby comes early, often this premature infant 00:36 has a dangerously low birthweight. 00:37 This alone causes all kinds of problems with maintaining 00:41 body temperature, stabilizing blood pressure, and body weight. 00:45 Music therapy researchers have done numerous studies on 00:49 the benefits of a mother singing to her newborn or preemie. 00:52 Research strongly suggests that if a mother has sung 00:56 to her baby before birth, singing to this preemie now, 00:59 comforts them and helps them to gain weight faster 01:02 because they are calmer and they'll eat better 01:04 and for longer stretches. 01:06 Since the mother's voice is the one thing the baby has heard 01:09 for at least 5 months in utero, that is the one thing the baby 01:13 is most attached to and familiar with. 01:16 For a newborn or an unborn baby, the mother's voice is 01:21 absolutely the one thing they most need to hear 01:24 and the one that will be the most healing, comforting, 01:27 soothing to that baby. 01:29 When you were pregnant, one very important thing you can do 01:32 for your soon to be born baby is to choose six or eight 01:36 calm and soothing songs that you know well and enjoy singing. 01:40 Gently sing or hum those songs several times a day 01:44 to your baby. 01:45 Research at UCLA showed that when these same songs 01:48 or lullaby's are sung after the baby is born, 01:51 they will calm and comfort the baby almost immediately 01:55 because the baby heard them in utero. 01:57 When the baby hears that familiar voice and that 02:00 familiar melody, they feel safe and instinctively move towards 02:05 staying alive, nursing and being closer to mom. 02:08 So, sing a lullaby and you might just be saving 02:12 a little one's life. |
Revised 2020-03-04