Educating your baby in the womb – is it possible?

We all want to do the best for our children, and if you were given the opportunity to give them a head start, would you try? Well, this may be the answer! This may well sound just like an advert, but I promise I have no links or interests in

The Background:

Many years ago, I remember reading about a way of playing notes to a baby in utero, which assisted with their mental development. When I later became pregnant, I searched the Internet to try and find something similar. I came across lots of devices to play music to the unborn baby, and then eventually stumbled upon BabyPlus. It was exactly what I had been looking for. When considering the fact the a baby develops so quickly from birth, it made sense to me that this learning must happen before the child is born, too. The BabyPlus system seemed more researched and targeted than just playing music to the baby. When I read the listed benefits, I thought "Hey - if this thing produces even a fraction of the benefits, it has got to be well worth it" 

The Thing:

BabyPlus is a device pre-loaded with 16 "lessons" that you play to the baby for one hour, twice a day. Each lesson uses a sound similar to the mother’s heartbeat. For the first lesson, the beat is slow and simple, and gives the baby a chance to recognise that it is different to the mother's usual heartbeat. As you progress through the lessons, the beat becomes more complex, stimulating development in the brain.

The BabyPlus system has been used by parents worldwide, and many swear to the positive benefits. These include:

• Sleeping better
• Feeding better
• Crying less
• Reaching development milestones early
• Being more relaxed and content

The Experience:

When my BabyPlus arrived, I waited with anticipation to be 18 weeks pregnant so that I could start. When the time came, I would strap the beeping machine to my ever-increasing stomach and, initially, get driven slightly mad by the noise! Then I found a bag (bum bag / fanny pack - depending on where you are!) to put it in and found that the noise was completely tolerable. I would put on the machine whilst getting ready for and going to work in the morning, and again in the evening when relaxing in front of the TV.

At first, it was a little bit of a drag and I didn’t always remember to put the thing on. But as the baby began to react and I could feel her kicking when I used the machine, I began to get more and more interested. I felt that I was bonding with my little one by initiating contact rather than just waiting for a swift kick in the ribs or hiccups. I was soon wishing that I could use the machine for more than the allotted two hours a day! The first time that I was really sure that the baby was kicking was when I was using the BabyPlus at around 20 weeks.

When Leala was born, we soon realised that she was an incredibly placid baby. She didn’t cry for 24 hours and from that point rarely cried. If she did cry for half an hour a day, it was a bad day. She has always fed well and from 1 week of age was sleeping for five hours at night, which got better and better as the weeks went on. Although she barely slept during the day, she was very content and amused herself quite happily. Everyone I know commented on what an easy a baby she was. Her physical development has always been slow, but that has now been shown to be due to her recently diagnosed "hyper-mobility" (double-jointedness). She has always been so alert, and in the first few weeks I felt that my partner and I really got to know her because she was awake, alert and happy for such long periods during the day.

Second Time Round:

I used the BabyPlus with my son and already notice that he feeds brilliantly and is hitting milestones early – he has been able to bear weight on his legs from two weeks of age and is unbelieveably strong. He is feeding like you wouldn't believe, although I have to say that this is having a knock-on affect with the sleeping at night-time :(

Conclusion:

Now, the claims made by BabyPlus are very hard to test. Babies are individuals and you can never tell if any difference has been made. Clinical trials were held in Moscow between 1992 and 2001 and the results make interesting and persuasive reading, along with parental testimonies, but a parent always thinks their child is the smartest there is, right?

Having said this, I do think that there are benefits and I would recommend BabyPlus to anyone without reservation. If nothing else, I absolutely loved the interaction and bonding I felt whilst using the machine. I really felt that the time I spent with the BabyPlus was a time I could concentrate and focus on the baby, and maybe have some positive influence on them. If I have given the children any advantages in life, well then that’s a bonus.

For more information, visit BabyPlus