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Music to a mother's ears: Hospital provides high-risk mothers with songs matched to baby's heartbeat

By Sarahbeth Ackerman
By Sarahbeth Ackerman

ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s music to a high-risk mother’s ears. Her baby’s heartbeat.

And recently, music therapists at Advent Health have found a way to make that sound even more special.

The therapists record the baby’s heartbeat and then incorporate its rhythm into the parents’ favorite song. They then take the song and rewrite its melodies to match the baby’s heartbeat.

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The hospital said it provides the service for mothers with high-risk pregnancies, especially for those moms whose babies face an uncertain future.

New mother Ashley Preston was approached while she was in the high-risk unit before she gave birth to her son, Carter. She arrived at the hospital when she was 23 weeks pregnant after experiencing some contractions.

“To have that captured and put into a song that was something really special for us because it was the thing that we were listening for,” Preston said.  “And it was thing that told us if he was OK while we were in the hospital.”

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Preston then spent five weeks in the hospital before Carter was born at just 28 weeks.

Preston said having the special song created captured how the new parents feel about their son.

“Somebody so small has captured such a big part of our hearts,” she said.

Baby Carter is considered a micro preemie. When he was born, he was 1 lb 5oz. Carter is currently still in the NICU at Advent Health, and will likely be there for another few months.

But there is talk of giving him musical therapy in about a week.

“There is so much power in music that I feel this will be really good for him,” Preston said.

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Cox Media Group

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