Healing Music Enterprises Blog » The Lullaby Effect

Great-Grandma sings “Hey Daddy” to stop crying baby (priceless)

Dr. Alice Cash — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 03:34:23 +0000

Pictures from Sprint View MessageRecently, my daughter and new granddaughter visited my 85- y.o. mother in SC. On the last day, Baby Layla was getting tired and beginning to fuss and fret. My mother said “hand her to me” and so we did! She immediately started singing this jazzy song from the 40′s and Layla was immediately mesmerized! She stopped crying and just loooked at my mother like this was the most amazing thing she had ever heard or been a part of! Music: the perfect solution for fussy, crying babies!

Healing Music 101 studies music with preemies

Dr. Alice Cash — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 03:30:46 +0000

Every Sunday afternoon our Healing Music 101 class looks at a different aspect of healing with music. Today we talked about the tremendous benefits of music with preemies. These babies are so tiny that they actually can’t be touched very much. The harp music provides a sensory experience for the preemies and their caregivers that is gentle and nurturing and helps to stabilize their blood pressure and heart rate.

Beginning after Christmas, Healing Music Enterprises will begin a class for expectant mothers and other family members who want to learn more about music during pregnancy and the many benefit that are there for mother and unborn baby. If you’re interested in this class for yourself or a family member contact me ASAP as the list is already forming. Time will be decided once we have at least 6 people signed up!

The Power of Singing to the Unborn Child (a must-see!)

Dr. Alice Cash — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:36:54 +0000

When I go out to speak at conferences and associations and universities, I often tell this story of “The Miracle of a Brother’s Song.” It is such a powerful story and brings home all of the healing you can have just “for a song!” Don’t miss it!

My “Lullaby” CD has created quite a stir and is now being used literally around the world. If you’d like to know more or purchase it, go to http://www.healingmusicenterprises.com/products/lullabies/lullabies.html. You’ll also receive the lyrics to all 22 lullabies!

Lullabies for Mothers and Others

Dr. Alice Cash — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:56:05 +0000

Pregnant women are concerned about lots of thing; some they can do something about and some they can’t. Often, the more psychologically aware women are worried about bonding with their baby, especially if it’s their first child. One of easiest and most enjoyable things you can do is to begin listening to some lullabies yourself. Mothers have lulled their babies to sleep since the beginning to time. It’s the most natural thing in the world for a mother to hold her baby close and hum, croon, or sing to that precious child.

New mothers worry if they’ll be able to soothe and comfort their infants when they begin to cry. Knowing 5 or 6 different lullabies is a good way to feel a little more prepared and even reading the words can be very calming for the mother-to-be or new mother.

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of lullabies from around the world and from ancient times until the present. Many of my adult clients and patients who suffer from insomnia and they listen to lullabies themselves to get to sleep each night. Sometimes they listen to music on a CD player or perhaps an MP3 player. Whatever is most convenient and comfortable for mother and child is best.

Once the baby is born, singing to your child is the very best way to calm him or her. If your baby heard these same lullabies in utero they will calm down even quicker because they sound familiar to baby and bring back memories of security, warmth and comfort.

Below is a quaint poem called “My Mother”. It was written by Ann Taylor (1783 –1866). She’s the sister of Jane Taylor, the author of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Ann and Jane published books of rhymes and poems together.

The illustrations below were done by Walter Crane. Here’s what Crane wrote about it in 1910:

“My Mother” is mid-Victorian-just after crinolines had gone out-but mothers are always in fashion, bless them…

My Mother

Who fed me from her gentle breast,

And hush’d me in her arms to rest,

And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?

My Mother.

When sleep forsook my open eye,

Who was it sung sweet hushaby,

And rock’d me that I should not cry?

My Mother.

Who sat and watched my infant head,

When sleeping in my cradle bed,

And tears of sweet affection shed?

My Mother.

If you are pregnant now, or the mother of a newborn, do begin listening to and singing lullabies! Your child will thank you and will benefit greatly!

Mozart and Lullabies

Dr. Alice Cash — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:41:46 +0000

Why Mozart with babies?

This past week I was speaking at a hospital in New York and the subject was “The Importance ofMusic with Pregnancy, Preemies, and Newborns.” The topic arose as to whether playing Mozart was better for unborn children than singing lullabies. My opinion, based on all the research I have read is that the mother singing lullabies or any soft, sweet songs is always the best. Every baby loves his own mother’s voice the best because that is the voice that has been with him from the moment of conception. That voice is asociated with safety, security, and nurturing. Please pass this information on to someone you love!

Click Here!

Man sings to baby girl during her open-heart surgery!

Dr. Alice Cash — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:57:11 +0000

Man sings to infant daughter during surgery

Just moments ago I read about a man who sang a love song to his six-month-old daughter during her open-heart surgery. The original citation of this can be found at http://teamtsunamiblog.blogspot.com/. What a beautiful thing! I would love to know more about this story but it definitely seems like a good idea! What do you think? Just click on “comment” and share your reaction to this. You don’t have to sign up for a Blogger account but you’d probably enjoy that!

Music, toning, chanting, breathing? What helps insomnia?

Dr. Alice Cash — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:14:47 +0000

I’m frequently asked about musical tools for coping with insomnia. There must be a lot of sleep-deprived individuals walking around these days. Oftentimes the solution is completely individual, i.e. what works for one won’t work for another. My lullaby CD has helped a lot of people. Even though it was created for mother-baby bonding, the very nature of it is to calm, soothe and comfort a human being.

There are also many breathing and meditative techniques that work amazingly well to relax the mind and body. As you may know, sometimes the body is exhasuted but the mind is working overtime. Slow, deep breathing brings air to the lowest part of your lungs and exercises your diaphragm. Deep breathing relaxes your mind and body, massages your
internal organs, calms emotions and promotes restful sleep.
I’d be interested to know what has worked for you!

The Lullaby Effect

Dr. Alice Cash — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:29:05 +0000

One of the most gratifying things that a pregnant woman or new mother can do is sing lullabies to her unborn or newborn infant. Mothers have been doing this for millions of years and not only is it calming and soothing to the infant, but it’s also calming and soothing to the mother, the father, and anyone who is within earshot. As a mother of three daughters, I know that singing or humming softly to them made such a difference in all our lives. Even today, my youngest daughter, now in her 20′s will sometimes ask me to sing her a lullaby!
You may also know that lullabies have been shown to help preemies in a hospital NICU to gain weight faster, stabilize biorhythms faster and get released from the hospital faster. At a cost of $15,000 per day in the NICU, this is a fantastic benefit.
Today I got a new batch of lullaby CD’s to take with me on my next speaking tour. If you hurry, you can get one for your new baby, friend’s baby, or grandbaby! You’ll need to order NOW because I only ordered 50!! These won’t last the weekend if people find out. Click here to order!

To see the lullaby blog, go to http://pregnancyandpreemies.blogspot.com/