Play with your baby today

Okay, so you may feel a little strange talking to your burgeoning belly when you’re out and about, but when you’re at home start chatting to your baby. Tell them what you’re doing, what you’re eating, watching, listening to. Tell them you love them, that you can’t wait to meet them. Your baby loves to hear your voice, as it resonates through your body.

We communicate so much through touch in our everyday lives – love, empathy, excitement. This can begin between you and your baby before birth through touch and is another great way to help your partner bond with bubs. By 22 weeks you may start to feel your baby move and by 26 weeks your baby may begin to respond  to your touch.

Reading to your child is the best thing that you can do to help them learn to talk, and later, learn to read. It’s also a great way to get your partner involved too. Not only will your baby start to recognise the books that are read to them over and over, but you will get into the fantastic routine of reading to your baby every day. 

We know that babies are able to recognise songs that are heard frequently while in utero, so why not sing and play music to your baby. While there is no specific research on whether this helps your child learn how to concentrate on speech sounds once they are born, it is activating the areas in their brain that are used for listening.

Writing a journal to your baby is a beautiful way to start communicating and bonding with them. It’s a way for you to connect and share your excitement, hopes, fears and dreams as your baby grows. You can read your journal to your baby and they will be able to hear your words from about 20 weeks. This will be a treasured keepsake for both you and your child for … well, for forever!