How to Communicate With Baby in the Womb

Mums-to-be need not wait until after birth to bond with their baby. In later trimesters, babies in the womb can sense and respond to stimuli from the outside world. This means that you can, in fact, communicate with your baby in the womb. It’s a chance for them to get to know you, and it can jumpstart their cognitive development too.

Here’s how to communicate with your baby in the womb, using simple pastimes and activities that both mum and baby can enjoy:

Talk and sing to your baby

Babies at 6–7 months in the womb begin to hear and recognize speech1. Talking to them makes your voice, your intonation, and your patterns of speech familiar to them. The sound of your voice can be a source of comfort to your baby too.

It’s best to sit and relax in a cozy, quiet area of your home when you want to communicate with your baby in the womb, making sure that they can hone in on the sound of your voice. You can read them nursery rhymes, sing to them, or just tell them about your day. It’s a great way to strengthen your emotional bond with your baby-to-be.

Play music to your baby

Playing music for your baby in the womb can stimulate their auditory processes.

According to one study, babies who were played “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” extensively in late pregnancy showed signs that they recognized and remembered the lullaby even months after their birth2.

Researchers have also shown that when babies hear music in the womb, their heart rate and brain activity may change in response, suggesting that music can influence how they’re feeling. Some babies may even move in response to the music3.

With this in mind, you can try to inspire positive effects and responses by playing music to your baby during pregnancy.

Use music to stimulate or soothe your baby in the womb, as needed. You can play upbeat nursery rhymes to inspire joy. Or you can opt for calming, instrumental music, like classical or jazz, when you want your baby to feel more relaxed.

Playing music to your baby in the womb may also be a boost to your mood and your wellbeing. If anything, it’s a chance for you to kick back, unwind, and listen to good tunes.

Interact with your baby through touch

It’s important to respond to your baby when you feel them moving around. It’s a way to tell them, “mummy’s here,” to bring them comfort, and to make them feel loved and protected.

When you feel baby movement in the womb, press your hand against the spot where you felt the baby kick or push against your belly. Proceed to rub the area and eventually the whole belly to soothe them and calm them down. You may feel them move again in response.

Babies in the womb begin to feel your touch at 26 weeks4. Touch stimulation at this stage can greatly encourage their sensory perception and it can deepen your bond.

Relax and read to your baby

Reading to your baby in the womb will introduce them to the speech patterns and intonations of your native tongue. You can read to them in more than one language, if you’re bilingual or multilingual. Even though your baby won’t understand what you’re saying, the sound of your voice and your speech will stimulate your baby’s brain activity in the womb.

Research has shown that reading them the same books, or the same nursery rhymes, over and over, can lend a hand to their cognitive development in the womb. It can also help your baby learn the languages in their environment after they’re born4.

Reading is also relaxing. It can be a fun pastime for mum that allows her a chance to unwind, and at the same time, bond with her baby-to-be.

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REFERENCES:
1. When can my unborn baby hear me? I'd love to be able to read and sing to them. - Healthychildren.org,
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/ask-the-pediatrician/Pages/I%E2%80%99m-pregnant-and-would-like-to-sing-to-my-unborn-baby.aspx
Accessed October 28, 2021
2. Prenatal Music Exposure Induces Long-Term Neural Effects - National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI),
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3813619
Accessed October 28, 2021
3. How do babies respond to music in the womb? - Parenting Science,
https://parentingscience.com/how-do-babies-respond-to-music-in-the-womb
Accessed October 28, 2021