How to Teach Baby in Womb During Pregnancy?

Your womb is a sensory playfield for your baby. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that your child starts learning while it’s inside the womb. You’ll be surprised to know that your baby’s preferences for food and music start while they’re still inside your womb.

Wondering how to go about teaching a baby in the womb? The best way to teach your baby is to interact with it. Whenever your baby kicks, encourage your little one by saying, “kick, baby, kick” and touch a spot on your bump to direct its kicks there and teach it how to respond. Reading stories and even talking allows your baby to experience a simplified source of learning from inside the womb.

Can a Baby Learn in the Womb?

Yes, your baby’s learning begins inside the womb. Every sensation you pass on or even light touches on your bump serve as stimuli for interaction with your little one. From the food you eat to the emotions you experience, every single experience you go through is a shared one with your little one when it is inside your womb.

What Can Your Unborn Learn?

It is found that babies remember sounds and tastes that they have heard and experienced in the womb. Essentially, if you had an affinity to a particular song or program during pregnancy, your baby is very likely to recognise the sound of it after birth. This may also make your baby feel relaxed due to the familiarity. Apart from sounds, your baby will also get accustomed to tastes and learn to like them. If you eat a particular food while pregnant, your baby will also develop a taste for it and prefer it after birth.

How Does Your Baby Learn?

Your baby learns inside your womb in different ways. A few are listed below:

• By Playing Music:- If you’re playing music, play light and not offbeat loud music since extreme songs or genres may stress out your baby. Set your expectations a little low and focus on enriching the prenatal environment for your little one. Mozart and classical music are considered ideal for stimulating infant brain development, and to be honest, any prenatal music tracks will do.
• Vocal interactions and Emotions:- Your foetus will recognise your voice, first and foremost, since you’re the one spending the most amount of time with it. Every word you speak travels through your abdominal passages and reverberates through your amniotic fluids, thus reaching your little one. This comforts the baby, and you must sound sweet, gentle, caring and kind so that it has a fond yet distinctive memory of your voice. Even the emotions you feel are shared with your foetus. When you cry, laugh or feel happy, your baby is introduced to those emotions and how they feel. This translates to the reactions they carry on their faces after childbirth.
• Tastes and Smells:- Sounds and light touches aren’t the only things accompanying foetal learning. There are tastes and smells, too. Your little one’s sensory buds are fully developed around seven months of gestation, with fully functional olfactory receptors. The pregnant mom’s food passes into the amniotic fluid, which is, in turn, taken in by the foetus. This accustoms them to the flavours and smells of the foods you eat, thus hardwiring dietary preferences early on before birth.

Tips for Teaching Your Baby While It’s in the Womb

Here are a couple of tips for accelerating your baby’s learning and sensory development in your womb:

1. Storytime Habits

We recommend you read ‘Cat in The Hat’ by Dr Seuss to your little one. Researchers found that regular reading triggered a preference for hearing stories out loud after birth which was demonstrated by babies increasing their sucking speed once they were born.

2. Exercise

Love the rush of endorphins during exercise? Well, so does your little one and the effects last up to 8 hours in the womb. Staying active improves blood circulation around your body and in the womb, thus increasing neuron cell growth in your baby’s hippocampus. This triggers learning and memory development and increases it by 40%.

3. Vitamin D

Go outside and get some sunshine! And oh, don’t forget those Vitamin-D-rich foods in your diet. Autism and weak bones have been linked to Vitamin D deficiency. If you want your little ones to have strong bones and a healthy heart, then soak up in the sun for 20 minutes a day, at the bare minimum.

4. Massaging Your Bump

At around 20 weeks, your baby will be able to feel the sensations of touch and caress on your bump. Stroking your bump gently sends calming signals to your baby’s nervous system, and this is a good time to take advantage of that and help her/him feel loved. Fun fact: Babies can distinguish between their mom’s and dad’s touch!

5. Talk to Your Baby

This is the simplest way of teaching a baby in the womb. From storytime sessions to narrating calming experiences and fun events, your little one pays attention to every word you send to your womb, especially from the 27th week since their ear-brain connections come in place. Babies even respond to languages and accents in the womb which makes this the perfect time to keep chatting!

6. Eat Right

Your baby’s taste buds develop from around 12 weeks, and culinary preferences by around the 25th week. Whatever morsels you put in your mouth flavours the amniotic fluids in the womb, thus passing it to them as food. For example, babies of moms who drink carrot juice during their pregnancy show a preference for carrot-based dishes once they’re weaned after birth.

7. Play Music

Playing soothing music can be beneficial for your baby’s development. Studies show that babies in the womb respond to music by moving around more. Classical music or lullabies are excellent choices, as they can promote relaxation and potentially enhance cognitive development.

8. Practice Relaxation Techniques

Stress management is crucial during pregnancy. Meditation, deep breathing, and prenatal yoga can help keep stress levels low. A calm and relaxed environment benefits your baby’s emotional and neurological development.

9. Engage in Light Conversation

Regularly talking to your baby isn’t just about forming a bond; it can also stimulate their auditory development. Babies start to hear sounds around 18 weeks, and by 25-26 weeks, they respond to voices and noises from the outside world. Frequent, calm conversation helps in familiarizing your baby with your voice.

10. Respond to Baby’s Movements

Engage with your baby by gently pressing on your belly when they kick or move. This interactive play helps establish a connection and can stimulate their developing senses. Over time, they might even start responding to your touch, fostering early communication.

11. Visual Stimulation

Although your baby’s eyes are closed for most of the pregnancy, by around 28 weeks, they begin to open and respond to light. You can shine a soft light on your belly, and the baby may move towards it, which can help stimulate their visual senses.

12. Singing to Your Baby

Much like talking, singing to your baby can be a soothing and bonding experience. Your baby will start to recognize your voice and may find comfort in the songs you sing. This can also be a beautiful way to introduce them to music and rhythm.

FAQs

1. Can my baby recognize different voices while in the womb?

Yes, babies can start recognizing different voices while in the womb, especially from around the 27th week when their ear-brain connections are more developed. Regularly talking and singing to your baby can help them become familiar with your voice and even the voices of close family members.

2. Is it safe to use headphones on my belly to play music for my baby?

Using headphones on your belly to play music for your baby is generally safe if done in moderation and at a reasonable volume. However, it’s important to avoid high volumes to protect your baby’s developing ears. Opt for soft, soothing music and limit the duration to avoid overstimulation.

3. Can stress during pregnancy affect my baby’s learning abilities?

Yes, high levels of stress during pregnancy can potentially impact your baby’s development. Chronic stress can lead to increased levels of cortisol, which may affect the baby’s brain development and overall health. Practising stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing, and prenatal yoga can help mitigate these effects.

We hope we’ve answered your question – what to teach a baby in the womb? Whether you’re planning to get pregnant or if you’re pregnant already either way, the best way to enhance your baby’s growth and development is to nurture it from inside the womb. Don’t put pressure; take it one step at a time and go gentle.

References/Resources:

1. Bonding with your baby during pregnancy; Pregnancy, birth & baby; https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/bonding-with-your-baby-during-pregnancy

2. Monk. C, Fifer. W, Myers. M, Sloan. R, et. al.; Maternal stress responses and anxiety during pregnancy: effects on fetal heart rate (Developmental Psychobiology); National Library of Medicine; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10607362/; January 2000

3. Moon. C, Lagercrantz. H, Kuhl. P; Language experienced in utero affects vowel perception after birth: a two-country study (Acta Paediatrica); National Library of Medicine; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3543479/; February 2013

4. 16 Ways to Bond With Your Baby While Pregnant; American Pregnancy Association; https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/while-pregnant/16-ways-to-bond-with-your-baby-while-pregnant/

5. Chang. S, Park. S, Chung. C; Effect of Taegyo-focused prenatal education on maternal-fetal attachment and self-efficacy related to childbirth (Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi); National Library of Medicine; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15687782/; December 2004

6. James. D, Spencer. C, Stepsis. B; Fetal learning: a prospective randomized controlled study (Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology); https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1469-0705.2002.00845.x

7. Decasper. A, Fifer. W; Of human bonding: newborns prefer their mothers’ voice; ResearchGate; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/15823029_DeCaspar_AJ_Fifer_WP_Of_human_bonding_newborns_prefer_their_mothers’_voice_Science_208_1174-1176; July 1980

Also Read: 

Talking to Baby in the Womb
Do Babies Sleep in the Womb?
Baby Kicking during Pregnancy
Signs of a Healthy and Unhealthy Baby in the Womb
Can You Feel Your Baby’s Heartbeat in Your Stomach during Pregnancy?