Reading to a fetus is one of the best ways of bonding with the baby. But this needn’t be a post-birth ritual. Mothers can in fact start reading to their baby while they are still in the womb. Today, it is advised by most medical practitioners that reading to the womb is a very effective method of bonding with the child and also helps in emotional and intelligence development.
Why Read TO The Baby In The Womb
From the layman’s point of view, it might sound ridiculous to read to the belly. But facts run deeper than that. It has been proved that unborn babies can decipher the pattern of their mother’s voices. They learn to recognize the sound and rhythms of the mother’s voice and hence associate it with warmth and security. As a result, post-birth they can connect easily with the mother.
Reading to the womb also creates a bonding experience for the baby and whoever does the reading. This is especially beneficial for the fathers as they tend to be the ones who feel left out throughout the period of pregnancy. Regularly reading to the baby creates that bond between the unborn baby and the father; the fetus is also able to decipher its father’s voice post birth.
What To Read
There are a number of books which are tailor-made for reading to the unborn or newborn child. Some of those books are Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Runaway Bunny, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Dr. Seuss Board Book etc. These board books are better than the normal paperback ones as they are more to the point and hold up better.
How To Read
Reading to the womb should be a daily routine. The mother should regularly read to the fetus in the womb, say after bath or before bedtime. The reading should be slow and steady. It is also advisable to keep on reading the same story to the baby in the womb. In that way, when the same story is read after birth, the baby instantly identifies with it and it has a calming effect of it.
Effects Of Such Reading
Reading to the baby in the womb has long lasting effects on the baby. It creates an undeniable bonding experience between the reader and the child. It allows everyone to be more involved with the happenings inside the womb and allows the parents to experience an emotional connection with the baby.
When the same story is read continuously to them, it has a calming effect on the baby as it grows familiar with those rhythms and voice. Hence, reading the same story post birth can be very helpful in calming the child before bedtime or naps.
Studies have also shown that reading to the child in the womb has benefits regarding their educational and emotional future. Such children develop an early intelligence due to the exposure to words and sounds when in the womb and also begin learning the foundations of language.
