Language And Music For Baby In The Womb As Part Of Pregnancy Care

Pregnancy and childbirth are life-changing experiences that require proper attention and care from both expectant mother and father. The roughly 40-week journey can prove physically and emotionally taxing for both parents-to-be. Before such changes cause more harm than good to the baby, proper prenatal education is needed.

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In an article about prenatal care written for FitPregnancy.com, contributor Jeanne Faulkner, R.N. provides simple yet crucial tips on how to surmount challenges related to childbirth. The article focuses on natural birth, which according to Faulkner, offers more benefits, particularly by eliminating the potential negative effects of pain management on babies. Here’s an excerpt advising expectant mothers to get properly educated about their pregnancy.

GET A SOLID PRENATAL EDUCATION
SEEK OUT CLASSES THAT INCLUDE HOW LABOR AND BIRTH WORK AND NATURAL LABOR PAIN MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS BREATHING, SELF-HYPNOSIS, RELAXATION AND OTHER COPING MECHANISMS. YOUR HOSPITAL PROBABLY OFFERS AN EVENING OR WEEKEND COURSE, BUT THAT MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE A HIGH EPIDURAL OR C-SECTION RATE. INSTEAD, RESEARCH INDEPENDENT EDUCATORS. TRY A FEW DIFFERENT CLASSES OR STYLES UNTIL YOU FIND ONE THAT FEELS LIKE A GOOD FIT.”

In addition to having a safe and healthy natural childbirth, the goal of proper prenatal care is to ensure that the baby will have mental, emotional, and physical wellness throughout his life. During the prenatal period, the baby’s development and future are being shaped. The most effective prenatal care systems include well-defined auditory exercises, which involve letting the child listen to a series of music for baby in the womb. As is widely known, the right kind of music can help soothe and relax not just the unborn baby but the mother as well.

The relationship between music and the speaking voice is a very close one. Both share many of the same elements, such as rhythm, pitch, and timbre. Music can then be a pre-cursor to language training. However, the mentioned elements of language are best captured in a series of tones that have been especially created to conform to the prenatal baby’s developing auditory skills.

In addition to soothing womb music, mothers can also expose their babies to a series of tones developed to help along a baby’s cognitive development. A prenatal education system, like that formulated by BabyPlus.com, has been found in various research to effectively teach the baby to distinguish among various tones, as his abilities progress in the womb. A program such as this ensures that the sounds the baby hears have been carefully arranged into a curriculum that provides optimum cognitive learning effects.

(Source: 7 Tips for Having A Natural Childbirth, FitPregnancy.com)

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Correct Prenatal Care: Does Music For Baby In The Womb Make Sense?

The prenatal period is among the most important stages in the human lifecycle. This is where a person’s behavior, physical characteristics, and health conditions are profoundly defined. Expectant mothers are advised to get prenatal education to be able to meet the ideal requirement for having a mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy baby. One popular notion is using music for baby in the womb.

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Many experts believe that music can effectively stimulate the baby’s brain and emotions. In the excerpt below from an article for LiveStrong.com, writer Bridget Coila explores findings from various studies to discuss the link between music and a baby’s development.

MUSIC AND DEVELOPMENT
ACCORDING TO BABY CENTER, THE TRUE EFFECT OF MUSIC ON PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT REMAINS UNKNOWN. A LOOSELY-CONTROLLED PRELIMINARY STUDY IN THE “MUSIC EDUCATORS JOURNAL” IN 1985 FOUND THAT BABIES EXPOSED TO MUSIC BEFORE BIRTH HAD LONGER ATTENTION SPANS THAN EXPECTED FOR THEIR AGE AND IMITATED ADULT SOUNDS BETTER. ANOTHER SMALL STUDY IN 1997 IN “PRE- & PERI-NATAL PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL” LOOKED AT BABIES ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM CALLED FIRSTSTART, WHICH EXPOSED UNBORN BABIES TO MUSICAL STIMULATION. THESE BABIES SHOWED BETTER MOTOR SKILLS, LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND COGNITIVE SKILLS FROM BIRTH TO SIX MONTHS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP OF BABIES. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THESE STUDIES WERE SMALL AND HAVE NOT BEEN REPEATED, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER AND HOW MUCH MUSIC AFFECTS UNBORN BABIES REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.”

While the idea that music is good for babies in their prenatal stage is supported by many testimonies, this isn’t something that expectant parents must apply without care. In fact, they should not try it without recommendations from health practitioners who have experience and training in providing auditory exercises for fetuses.

What is well known, however, is that soft music produces “white noise”, which, along with everyday sounds surrounding the mother, can help soothe and relax the baby. How much the right music for babies in the womb can stimulate cognitive learning, if at all, is still subject for debate.

Meantime, various research studies have shown that a specially developed curriculum of tones for pre-natal babies, such as that provided by BabyPlus.com, are most effective in teaching the baby pattern recognition. The incremental speed and complexity of the tones in the Baby Plus Prenatal Education System “teaches” prenatal babies to recognize and distinguish sounds, which is the most basic step in cognitive and critical learning.

(Source: The Effects of Music on Prenatal Babies, LiveStrong.com)

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Choose Prenatal Music Wisely: Babies Recognize Them From The Womb

In August 2013, researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland released the results of a study, reinforcing the belief that babies can hear while in their mothers’ womb. NBC News correspondent Meghan Holohan writes about the research conducted on 33 expecting mothers, half of whom listened to a recording of made up words, while the other half did not.

“THE MOMS AND BABIES HEARD THE NONSENSE WORDS ABOUT 50 TO 71 TIMES. FOLLOWING BIRTH, THE RESEARCHERS TESTED THE ALL 33 BABIES FOR NORMAL HEARING AND THEN PERFORMED AN EEG (ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPH) BRAIN SCAN TO SEE IF THE NEWBORNS RESPONDED DIFFERENTLY TO THE MADE-UP WORDS AND DIFFERENT PITCHES.

BABIES WHO LISTENED TO THE CD IN UTERO RECOGNIZED THE MADE-UP WORDS AND NOTICED THE PITCH CHANGES, WHICH THE INFANTS WHO DID NOT HEAR THE CD DID NOT, THE RESEARCHERS FOUND. THEY COULD TELL BECAUSE THEIR BRAIN ACTIVITY PICKED UP WHEN THOSE WORDS WERE PLAYED, WHILE BABIES WHO DIDN’T HEAR THE CD IN THE WOMB DID NOT REACT AS MUCH.”

The findings suggest that babies who are exposed to consistent prenatal music while in the womb stand a better chance of developing their language skills as they develop. Other studies have also identified the kind of music that works best both for adults and babies, including pre-natal ones. After all, music can affect the human mind in a variety of ways, sometimes defying logic.

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Kathy Henderson, author of Hush, Baby, Hush, a children’s book on lullabies, says lullabies also have a calming effect on adults. The brain favors soft, harmonious music, especially one that starts slowly, rises in tempo at the middle, and finishes softly or slowly again. This type of harmony induces the feeling of comfort and compassion that the baby experiences from the mother’s womb.

Additionally, a study by Kawakami et al. (2013) revealed that listening to sad, somber music can actually be used to improve mood, mainly because this type of music induces a mix of positive and negative emotions for cathartic effect. That said, music’s effects on pre-natal babies could be varied as well, highlighting the need to identify and choose the right kind of music to expose these babies to.

Pre-natal babies’ abilities to recognize, discriminate, and recall various sounds, however, can go beyond their early exposure to music. A full audio-learning program for pre-natal infants, like that designed by BabyPlus, offer their own enriching benefits. An effective prenatal sound system can provide good foundation for a baby’s future cognitive skills and behavior. As the baby learns to distinguish a variety of sounds while in the womb, it also starts to learn the basics of communication and language.

(Source: Unborn babies are hearing you, loud and clear, Today, August 26, 2013)

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Fetal Development Experts Join Babyplus’ Scientific Advisory Board

The success of the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System is already being enjoyed by mothers and expectant families, and it is our goal to help more people by ensuring the quality of our program for a more remarkable fetal development for babies. Having that in mind, we recently updated our Scientific Advisory Board, and tapped some of the brightest minds in the field of medicine, child development, therapy, and education.

Leading the pack is Dr. Elizabeth Moore, the board’s chairperson and a pediatrician who has special interest in childhood development and behavior, who also has a background in treating asthma and other forms of allergies. Next is Ms. Karin Bell, a registered nurse, who focuses on the field of reproductive medicine, and is one of our most committed educators and promoters of the BabyPlus program, serving the prenatal caregiver community.

Also here to guide us is Dr. Gary F. Meunier, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at the Ball State University, and founder and director of Diagnostics Inc. Dr. Meunier also boasts of two granddaughters who are now experiencing the benefits of the BabyPlus System. We also have on board Dr. William Bean, who started his medical career as a board-certified emergency medicine physician for the Indiana University health, his alma mater. Leading our transdermal acoustic vibration area, on the other hand, is dermatologist, Dr. Melanie Kingsley.

Our board will never be complete without an educator like Ms. Jodi L. Davis, a 3rd grade elementary teacher who believes in the value of having an early stimulating environment for children. Lastly, we also have Ms. Dorinne S. Davis, an experienced audiologist who specializes in the field of sound therapy and is an author of five books. Under the guidance and leadership of our Scientific Advisory Board, we are able to maintain the safety and effectiveness of our system and enrich children’s cognitive development, starting from the prenatal development stages.

Founded on neuroscience, the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System involves lessons composed of sounds that are similar to the child’s early surroundings, particularly the maternal heartbeat. This is crucial as studies have shown that “a child’s intellectual development is influenced equally by their genetics and the early immediate environment,” as stated by Dr. Mark Pitzer, PhD. Some of the benefits experienced by BabyPlus children include increased attentiveness, regular sleep patterns, strong nursing reflex, and developed better language, learning, and critical thinking skills, among others.

Feel free to browse through the rest of our website for more information on how the BabyPlus Program can help your child enjoy a better and brighter future.

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Military Families Celebrated This Memorial Day Weekend

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Sumter, SC-  This holiday weekend I was fortunate to celebrate with and honor the military by attending the Red, White and Babies military baby shower on behalf of The BabyPlus Company with former Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller and former Bravo star of Pregnant in Heels, Rosie Pope.  The event was put together by Melissa Revel a military wife and mother of 3 and her staff, all of whom are connected to the military.

The event was a formal affair with small town support.  Hosted at the Sumter Opera House, a beautiful historic building, there were city government officials in attendance, dinner was catered by the fire chief and his officers and the military families were showered with support and gifts!  A total of 32 families were helped at this event with gifts from cribs, strollers and bouncy seats to clothing, blankets and hand kitted hats made by Indiana moms.  In addition every mom received a complimentary BabyPlus Prenatal Education System.  What a wonderful way to spend this holiday weekend!

The BabyPlus Company supports all branches of the military and offers a military discount for the purchase of a BabyPlus system.  Contact robinm@babyplus.com for the discount code.

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I Just Got Babyplus

i-just-got-babyplus

I just received the greatest pregnancy gift of all, BabyPlus! I’ve known about and followed BabyPlus for years, but it wasn’t until just recently, I was finally the one who was able to start using it.

My husband and I have been married for over 5 years and we knew we wanted to wait to have kids. Well, after five of the best years of our lives, we decided to start trying. Luckily, we were able to get pregnant within the first four months of trying and are now due on September 28 (just 15 days after our 6-year anniversary).

Two weeks ago, we found out that we were having a girl and couldn’t be more thrilled. Even though, my husbands first words were, “Oh boy, I’m in trouble,” I know that he’ll be the most amazing dad in the world, even if (when) he does get wrapped around her little finger.

Soon after finding out the gender, we were sent the best gift of all, BabyPlus. For the past two weeks, I have been using this every night and am loving it. My husband is a drummer, so he likes the metronome feel of it as well. I’m excited to take you on my journey over the next several months of using BabyPlus. Stay tuned in and there will be more posts coming your way soon!

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Foods To Skip During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an incredible gift. And, it’s our job as moms to ensure that our babies are getting the healthy nutrients they need. It’s also important to keep them protected by avoiding certain foods that are not considered safe during pregnancy. We’ve compiled a list of off-limits-foods for you:sushi-roll-1345449-m

  • Alcohol. Currently, there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. Therefore, it’s recommended that you avoid it all together.
  • Raw meat. This includes seafood and shellfish, and undercook beef and poultry. So, sorry ladies, no medium-rare steaks or sushi for nine months.
  • Deli meat. Deli meats have been known to contain listeria, which can cause miscarriage. While the risk is very low, it’s just safe to stay away from it for now.
  • Fish with mercury. These include swordfish, shark, mackerel and tile fish.
  • Smoked fish. Again, these can be contaminated with listeria, so it’s best to avoid smoked fish.
  • Raw eggs. Raw eggs or any foods that contain raw eggs should be avoided because of the potential exposure to salmonella.
  • Soft cheeses. You’ll need to steer clear of brie, camembert, roquefort, feta, gorgonzola and mexican style cheeses that include queso blanco and queso fresco, unless they clearly state that they are made from pasteurized milk. All soft non-imported cheeses made with pasteurized milk are safe to eat.
  • Caffeine. As a general rule, caffeine should be limited to fewer than 200 mg per day during pregnancy.

As a final note, be sure to wash all fruits and veggies before consuming them. We hope this helps and that you don’t crave any of these yummy foods until after baby arrives.

Learn more about BabyPlus at babyplus.com.

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Babyplus Fans

We must say, it never gets old reading all the positive reviews that come in through our email, social media (Facebook and Twitter accounts) and our retail sites. Here’s one of the newest reviews we received followed by a review from one of our longest time users:

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Read the research done with this product. Used product from week 26 to delivery. Daughter was born alert, eyes wide open. Hands open. Nurses even commented how alert she was. For several weeks as a newborn people would comment at how alert our child was. She made eye contact with everyone. Fast forward to 22 months and everyone says how far along our daughter is. She’s got an amazing attention span. Very vocal. Listens to instructions. So many details to list. I don’t give 100% credit to this product as parenting also played a role in her development but I do believe this product started her off and I will be using it with our next baby. -Leyla

Both of my girls are BabyPlus babies and after 10 years I am still recommending this product any chance I get. My daughters were born alert and in tune to their environment. They nursed easily, slept long stretches (8-12 hours) before 3 months and were content and engaged while awake. Now in school they are thriving, they are readers and investigators. I am glad BabyPlus was part of my pregnancy plan. -Happy Mom

If you like what you hear, BabyPlus is probably for you. Learn more and purchase the BabyPlus Prenatal System today!

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Best New Review

We love reading the positive reviews that come in through our email, social media (Facebook and Twitter accounts) and our retail sites. Here’s one of the newest reviews we received:

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I purchased the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System over 7 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child. Everything about my son’s behavior was/is consistent with the claims the manufacturer makes regarding the effectiveness of the system. From birth, he slept absolutely every night (he would awaken at precisely 3:00 a.m.., without crying, for his nighttime feeding, and then he would go right back to sleep). He never had trouble nursing. Not sure if that is a result of BabyPlus, but he had no need for something to soothe him, such as a pacifier. He literally NEVER used a pacifier. He was rarely fussy (during the day, he always wanted to be outside and if I didn’t take him outside, even as a newborn infant, THEN he would become fussy!) He consistently has a cheerful disposition. At a very young age, my husband and I, along with extended family members (including my mother who is an educator) were amazed at his advanced sense of humor. At a very young age, he also showed a remarkable ability to infer meaning. His behavior is consistently on a more mature level than other children- even compared to other children that are first born or the only child in their family. In spite of this, he makes friends easily. Currently, he is in the second grade and reads on a 5th to 6th grade level. The little guy learns so rapidly it amazes me! I am so convinced the BabyPlus system played a part in his development that I bought another one for my second pregnancy. -Leanne

If that wasn’t enough, here’s another:

Used this throughout my pregnancy and loved the results. Baby nursed very easily within an hour of birth. She has hit milestones very early and is very alert and observant. She has slept extremely well and is very good natured. Will definitely use again for any future pregnancies! -Ellie

Do you have a review for us? Leave a comment below or email us at customerservice@babyplus.com.

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Back To Work After Baby

Planning to go back to work after maternity leave?  You are not alone.  Nearly two-thirds of American women return to work immediately following maternity leave.  You may wonder what effect going back to the office so quickly could have on your own baby’s development.  If you think your return to work is a detriment to your new baby; think again.  A recent Columbia University School of Social Work in New York study revealed that mothers who worked in the first year were more sensitive and responsive to their babies.  The study of 1000 children nationwide found little or no evidence that working affected mother-child attachment.  Psychologists around the world are in agreement that, regardless of employment status, a moms bonding experience with her baby truly matters most.

A simple easy way to bond with your baby before he is born is with sound.  Providing an enriched prenatal environment can be an important opportunity to communicate and bond with your baby.  The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System gives an expectant mom a unique bonding experience with her baby.  As a baby discriminates the simple rhythmic sounds of BabyPlus from those of his mother, auditory learning begins.  The language of the maternal heartbeat is the most basic and natural sound a child will ever hear and perhaps the most soothing.  Visit BabyPlus.com for more information about prenatal sound enrichment.

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