The True Benefits of Playing Music to the Baby in Your Womb
Contrary to popular belief, playing music to babies in the womb doesn't necessarily make them smarter when they grow up. Recent studies have shown, however, that although playing Mozart to your unborn child may not make him into a future musical prodigy, there are numerous other important benefits to exposing unborn babies to music.
Benefits of Exposing Unborn Babies to Music
€ Singing the lyrics to your favorite tunes can help build a strong language development foundation for your baby. Studies have shown that the parts of the brain that process sound become active in the last few weeks of pregnancy, and that unborn babies may absorb the small building blocks of language during the last ten weeks. In addition, the mother has particular influence on her unborn child's brain, as she is the person whose voice the unborn child hears constantly throughout pregnancy. Hearing the mother's voice has a soothing, calming effect on the unborn child.
€ Babies may remember the music played to them while they were in the womb. A recent study showed that when music is played to an unborn baby, there is increased activity: the baby moves more and his or her heartbeat speeds up a little. Another study showed that newborn babies recognize the music played to them in utero, and are visibly calmed when they hear it.
€ Lastly, listening to music can help a pregnant mother relax. When the mother is relaxed, her stress levels decrease. The baby inside can sense this, and is in turn calmed and soothed.
Things to Remember when Playing Music to your Unborn Child
€ If you choose to play music to your unborn child, make sure you choose music that is soft and soothing. Examples are classical pieces like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, and Brahms' Lullaby. You can also play more modern music as long as they're not too loud and discordant, such as ballads and love songs. Loud, angry music such as thrash, heavy metal or rap songs may startle the baby inside the womb.
€ When playing music for your baby, make sure you don't turn the volume up too high, as some experts believe that amniotic fluid magnifies sound, which can be hurtful to baby's developing ears. A study made in the 1990s showed that exposing babies in the womb to very loud music can result in babies being born prematurely and babies with low birth weights. It's best to keep music below 50 decibels --about as loud as background music in a department store or coffee shop.
€ It's better to put the CD player on and play music through speakers than to place headphones on your belly. There isn't a lot of space between your baby and the source of sound in this case, and the loud music may end up over stimulating your baby and possibly adversely affecting his or her hearing. According to most doctors, if you want to use headphones, you should keep them on your belly for no more than an hour at a time.
€ Pregnant women who can play an instrument (such as keyboard, guitar, etc) are advised to play as often as possible whilst pregnant. The soothing sounds of the music made my Mum will calm your baby in the womb just as much as will the relaxed mood that ensues from playing an instrument. click to visit
Benefits of Exposing Unborn Babies to Music
€ Singing the lyrics to your favorite tunes can help build a strong language development foundation for your baby. Studies have shown that the parts of the brain that process sound become active in the last few weeks of pregnancy, and that unborn babies may absorb the small building blocks of language during the last ten weeks. In addition, the mother has particular influence on her unborn child's brain, as she is the person whose voice the unborn child hears constantly throughout pregnancy. Hearing the mother's voice has a soothing, calming effect on the unborn child.
€ Babies may remember the music played to them while they were in the womb. A recent study showed that when music is played to an unborn baby, there is increased activity: the baby moves more and his or her heartbeat speeds up a little. Another study showed that newborn babies recognize the music played to them in utero, and are visibly calmed when they hear it.
€ Lastly, listening to music can help a pregnant mother relax. When the mother is relaxed, her stress levels decrease. The baby inside can sense this, and is in turn calmed and soothed.
Things to Remember when Playing Music to your Unborn Child
€ If you choose to play music to your unborn child, make sure you choose music that is soft and soothing. Examples are classical pieces like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, and Brahms' Lullaby. You can also play more modern music as long as they're not too loud and discordant, such as ballads and love songs. Loud, angry music such as thrash, heavy metal or rap songs may startle the baby inside the womb.
€ When playing music for your baby, make sure you don't turn the volume up too high, as some experts believe that amniotic fluid magnifies sound, which can be hurtful to baby's developing ears. A study made in the 1990s showed that exposing babies in the womb to very loud music can result in babies being born prematurely and babies with low birth weights. It's best to keep music below 50 decibels --about as loud as background music in a department store or coffee shop.
€ It's better to put the CD player on and play music through speakers than to place headphones on your belly. There isn't a lot of space between your baby and the source of sound in this case, and the loud music may end up over stimulating your baby and possibly adversely affecting his or her hearing. According to most doctors, if you want to use headphones, you should keep them on your belly for no more than an hour at a time.
€ Pregnant women who can play an instrument (such as keyboard, guitar, etc) are advised to play as often as possible whilst pregnant. The soothing sounds of the music made my Mum will calm your baby in the womb just as much as will the relaxed mood that ensues from playing an instrument. click to visit