Bonding Before Birth

When  I first heard about prenatal stimulation and bonding before birth I thought it was a bit much to be pushing your baby before they are even born. Then I started reading more about prenatal stimulation and I ran across this wonderful little book from Miriam Stoppard, “Bonding Before Birth.” Not only did I find some great ideas about how to connect with my unborn baby, I was pleasantly surprised by how comforting the book is. I was already doing many things right, such as massaging my baby through my belly and talking to her. My husband has been talking to her as well, and Dr. Stoppard recommends that both parents talk to the baby.

Studies show that prenatal stimulation and bonding before birth can help create calmer babies who have an easier time adjusting to “life on the outside!” Babies who have been stimulated before birth also show physical changes such as having a larger head circumference (due to having more brain connections). I am already eating right, taking prenatal vitamins and taking DHA to help her develop right, why not take a little extra time and bond with her while offering her some extra stimulation?

 I was particularly happy to see that Dr. Stoppard recommends using whatever music the parents like to stimulate the baby. Many prenatal stimulation programs I have seen recommend only certain types of classical music. I could not see me listening to hours of Mozart and Vivaldi. However, I do still believe that certain music would be upsetting to an unborn baby. Loud, angry music can’t be good for a baby any more than it is good for the rest of us (certain music has a beat that disrupts normal heart rythms, making people feel angrier).

I was also intrigued to learn that flavors from the foods we eat are present in amniotic fluid. Everything we eat after week 14 and during breastfeeding can influence the flavors baby learns to like. One more reason to eat healthy foods, including vegetables.

However, I am not quite up to springing for a more extensive program such as the Baby Plus Prenatal Education System. Sure, I want my kid to be smart, and maybe I’ll regret it when she can’t get a job to support me in my old age, but I am not sure I want to try this hard to have a smart kid. Maybe the Baby Plus people will send me a review copy so I can test it and see if my baby seems smarter when she is born.