Your baby’s growth and development in the womb is a remarkable experience. At the beginning of your second month of pregnancy, your little one’s eyes, nose, and ears are clearly visible via ultrasound, and by the fifth month, your baby’s hearing has fully developed. His newfound ability to recognize you and other familiar voices in the environment around him is quickly established.
Prenatal stimulation through music heard regularly while in the womb might provide some babies with a sense of confidence and relaxation after they’re born. You and your baby also will quickly discover an excellent way to bond and share in the emotional and potential intellectual development benefits this method may bring.
Prenatal stimulation through music while in the womb might provide some babies with a sense of confidence and relaxation after they’re born.
The ABCs of Prenatal Music Stimulation
Prenatal stimulation is a method that uses stimuli such as sounds (mother’s voice and musical ones), movement, pressure, vibrations and light to communicate with a developing baby prior to birth. While in the womb, Baby learns to recognize and respond to different stimuli, which leads to encouragement of physical, mental and sensory development. Stimulation exercises will allow Baby to communicate with you and your spouse/partner through her movement in the womb, establish a relationship between specific stimuli (such as your voices) and, most importantly, help develop her memory.
Making the Right Music Choices for Baby
Does your baby move rhythmically with the strains of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, or do you find she kicks up a storm whenever a song by Madonna comes on the car radio? With the right mix of sounds and repetition, Baby may enjoy a mixed variety of music. Most pediatric specialists agree that almost any type of music is suitable for you and Baby to enjoy. “Diversity of different kinds of music are essential and can be useful for the baby’s future writing, reading and language skills,” says Dr. Philip A. De Fina, associate professor at the New York University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and chief neuropsychologist and director of neurotherapies at the NYU Brain Research Laboratories.
The Research
Recent scientific research into the effects of prenatal music stimulation varies greatly. Several early childhood researchers believe there is no direct concrete evidence that supports the theory that music stimulation prior to birth means a child has a higher intelligence in her future. Other specialists maintain just the opposite, arguing there are direct studies showing once they are born, babies have the innate ability to recognize their mother’s voices and may be further able to respond to familiar music their family played for them while they were nestled in the womb.
Accurate information has become available to researchers through the use of ultrasound, in utero monitors and fiber optic television, which provide a fascinating look at life developing inside the womb. Studies by two of the leading early childhood researchers, Thomas R. Verny and Rene Van de Carr, have detailed that babies who have been stimulated while in the womb exhibit advanced visual, auditory, language and motor development skills. Verny and Van de Carr maintain these babies sleep better, are more alert to their environment and surroundings and are far more content than infants who did not receive any form of prenatal stimulation.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Just like many things in life, Dr. De Fina believes prenatal music stimulation should be practiced in moderation. “A perfect time to stimulate your baby would be when you decide to take a nap or rest during the day,” she says. Although over-stimulation will not harm your baby physically, it can make Baby feel overwhelmed by the extra attention and she may stop responding to your efforts.
Listen to your moods – if you’re getting tired of hearing the same opera aria, chances are Baby is feeling the same. This should be a special time of enjoyment and bonding shared between you, your spouse/partner and Baby. Remember, it is not about the amount of time, but the quality of the wonderful experience you are sharing together.
Shopping Music Row
There are a wide variety of prenatal music stimulation products on the market to choose from. Here are a few highlights:
The Baby Bee Bright Prenatal Educator is designed by engineers to safely transmit valuable educational information to your baby before birth. The learning system consists of a CD player, headphones and five CD sounds of music, poetry and stories, and each individual disc contains approximately one hour of learning information. The product comes with a mini microphone through which Mom-to-be, Daddy-to-be and other family and friends can talk directly to the baby. It conveniently clips on the front of the support belt. Information can be downloaded from a computer onto a disc, and then played instantly to the baby.
The award-winning Baby Einstein company has created a classical music CD collection, Baby Mozart, Baby Bach, Baby Beethoven, Baby Vivaldi and Lullaby Classics that will help introduce your growing little one to the wonders of these timeless musical treasures. Each individual CD contains approximately 28 minutes of some of the composer’s most recognizable melodies.
Bé bé Sounds Prenatal gift set, which includes the Prenatal Teacher, Prenatal Talker, and Prenatal Heart Listener kits, contains a maternity belt, fetal speakers, a 60-minute Mozart CD or cassette tape and an adapter that converts a single headphone jack into two. This will let you and your baby enjoy the same music together at the same time.