Brahms’ Lullaby Heralds the Birth of Babies at South Nassau

Tears of joy, cooing and crying, diapers, strollers, basinets, cribs, breastfeeding and babysitters are just some of the poignant hallmarks of the birth of babies.

Then there is the cradle song that you most likely heard many, many times, especially when you were a baby: Brahms’ Lullaby.

Today, the birth of a baby in South Nassau Communities Hospital’s Center for New Beginnings prompts the playing of the classic notes of Brahms’ Lullaby over the hospital’s public address system, heralding the birth.

This simple, yet joy-inspiring gesture adds to the bliss of the mothers and fathers and their families and friends, while delivering good cheer to patients, visitors and hospital staff members as they delight in the good news of the newborn child. Funding to install the system was provided by a donor who prefers to remain anonymous.

“Every action we take here at South Nassau is designed to inspire a spirit of hope, optimism, encouragement and wellness for our patients, their family members and friends as well as our staff,” said Sue Penque, PhD, RN, CNP, chief nursing officer and senior vice president of Patient Care Services at South Nassau. “While this simple touch complements the expert care we provide for mothers and their babies, it also invites all patients and staff members to join in the celebration of the birth of the baby.”

Named to the Becker's Hospital Review list of "100 Hospitals with Great Women's Health Programs" in the United States, last year South Nassau’s team of compassionate, experienced maternity nurses, obstetricians and high-risk pregnancy specialists delivered 1,958 babies. In addition to advanced maternal-fetal medical technologies, the Center features 26 private family/newborn rooms with first-class hotel like accommodations, spacious labor and delivery rooms, and a 6-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Premature deliveries and newborns with developmental complications or conditions receive the specialized care they need in the neonatal intensive care unit. Staffed by board-certified neonatologists, the unit is equipped with dedicated medical technologies for premature newborns and newborns with special needs. For mothers needing a C-section delivery, the Center has a dedicated state-of-the-art surgical suite to ensure that they experience a model of family-centered care.

The center has been designed specifically for the family. Parents experience the entire birth process in the comfort of the unit’s private labor and delivery suites and continue to learn about and bond with their precious newborns in their spacious and private postpartum rooms. Central to our Family-Centered philosophy is our 24-hour visitation policy, allowing members of the family to celebrate and participate in this special event.

The accommodations and compassionate care are complemented by breakfasts, lunches and dinners prepared by an award-winning culinary services department and a comprehensive parent-child education program, which helps parents prepare for pregnancy, childbirth and beyond.

The Lactation Resource Center, staffed with a team of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants to assist and support the breastfeeding family, is an integral component of our comprehensive program which also includes:

• Maternity Orientation and Tour
• Prepared Childbirth Class
• Preparation for Breastfeeding Class
• Breastfeeding and Working Class
• Baby Care Class
• Breastfeeding Support Group
• Prenatal Yoga
• Mommy-Baby Yoga
• Infant/Child CPR
• Sibling Class
• Teddy Bear Clinic
• Safe Sitter® Class

For more information about our Center for New Beginnings, call the Department of Parent-Child Education at (516) 377-5310.

South Nassau is a recipient of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Target: Stroke Honor Roll-Elite Quality Achievement Award as well as the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure Silver-Plus Quality Achievement Award.

Designated a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), South Nassau® Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 455 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,000 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services.

In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty, and is the only hospital on Long Island with the Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® radiosurgery technologies. South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons and is an accredited center of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Association and Quality Improvement Program. In addition, the hospital has been awarded the Joint Commission’s gold seal of approval as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care; and disease-specific care for hip and joint replacement, wound care and end-stage renal disease. For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.