Stimulating the baby still in the womb, with music or reading, can promote his cognitive development, since he is already aware of what happens around him, responding to the stimuli through the heartbeats, which are calmer, their movements and imitating the suction movement.
In addition, the exercises used to stimulate the baby also help strengthen the bonds between the mother and the baby, reducing the risk of postpartum depression, for example.
Some ways to stimulate the baby still in the belly are:
1. Touch lightly on the belly
Touching the belly during pregnancy is a movement that almost all pregnant women do since the beginning of pregnancy and is usually interpreted as the pregnant wanting to give affection to the baby that is growing in her belly.
However, several studies indicate that the touch can also be felt by the baby, especially after 8 weeks of gestation, making him feel more relaxed and loved, facilitating its development. Often, the baby can even respond to touch by moving in the womb or pushing the feet and hands against the belly.
2. Putting headphones on the belly
From 25 weeks of pregnancy, the baby's ear is sufficiently developed to be able to hear voices and sounds from the outside of the belly and, therefore, is able to recognize stimuli such as music.
Music usually has a relaxing effect on the baby as well as aiding in language comprehension, as word songs such as children's songs can help the baby recognize words more easily after birth.
3. Telling stories to the baby
Like music, telling stories to the baby also helps the baby to recognize words earlier, making the language development process easier.
Although the stories can be told by the father, it is also important that it be counted by the mother, since it is the voice of the mother that the baby better recognizes, because it is the voice that is always closer to the uterus throughout the day.
4. Exercise in the water
Being in water is one of the simplest ways to relax during pregnancy as it helps relieve all the weight and pressure created on the body, making it easier for the mother to release all the emotional stress she is feeling.
Releasing stress is very important, not only for the health of the pregnant but also for the baby, since when the stress hormones are very high, they can hamper the development of the brain.
5. Catch sun every day
Catching sun every day for at least 20 minutes helps your baby develop stronger bones and also prevents the onset of heart problems. In addition, the sun helps the body produce more vitamin D, which can prevent the onset of autism.
