what a great idea, I still remember reading a biik called "are we there yet?" to my son he loved it and no matter how many times I read it he would still sit there with the same look on his beautiful face, now he is almost 13 years old and still has the book.

 I think that's beautiful to read to your unborn child and to continue when the baby is born. The whole thing when your baby picks up on your voices and smile as you reads seems to melt your heart. 

I agree, reading to your baby is really important for their development and also helps create a close bond between the child and parent. I have read to my baby girl ever since she was born she is now 15 months old. She loves her books especially when daddy reads them! She goes over to where her books are kept, picks out her favourite, brings it over to one of us (usually daddy) then makes herself comfortable on our lap, ready for the story. It is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen.

i have read to my baby from the moment she could sit up on my lap...she has learnt so much from books,they are the best a child could have....

great advice

Well done mum, reading to your baby is great  both before and after arrival. The sound of a parent voice, aunty, grandma, who-ever, is soothing to child. Keep it up!!

Yeah, sometimes you may feel stupid reading to a baby because they give you no reaction, and you feel like you are actually reading to yourself. BUT you don't really know what that wonderful brain of theirs are actually soaking up. So I totally support you on this for parents to read, read, read to their babies.

I didn't read to Lillian before she was born but I suppose she heard me speak to others and I did speak to her and called her Lillian even before birth.

I started reading to her very young and I have found many online stories that you can find on the internet.  So I sit with her on my lap reading stories from the computer and I think I have created a problem.

At 11 weeks she will

Completely ignore me and crane her head around to the computer or TV

Gets angry if she cannot bang on the keyboard.   Oh and she also gets angry if her keyboard banging doesn't result in a change on the screen.   Her favourite keys are the windows key and her favourite online website is the Teletubbies sound board as each alphabetical key she presses it makes a sound.  I have found that she really loves it but can only be on for 10 minutes or gets over excited.

I have found reading actual books good and I have a soft one with tags on it about a Princess and book of Poems but she does  not get as enthuised about these as she does the online books and the computer

I never thought to read to my bump, I did talk to it and play my gutar. I'm sure the baby relaxed. As soon as he was born I read and still played to him.

I think it's a great idea to start whem in the womb, havent mothers often said they felt sure the baby responded to their voice?

Antony's favorite book was The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar.

I have always done this to my daughter since she was about 4 or so months old. It's great to see them smile and giggle and just to see thier faces when a bright coloured page comes up.

I agree. My kids all love being read to. They have a box full of toys that sit in the living room, but they rarely touch them. They'd rather be read to.  They love the library. & I purchase a lot of unused toddler books at my local thrift store.

How very true....

I think that would have been a real kodak moment too....reading to your tummy that is....

Cheers

Lavinia

I did exactly what you did, read and talked to my baby while i was pregnant, and when she was born. My doctor adviced me to talk to her, play soft music, or stand near the television etc while in the womb still, and they'll get used to noise etc. There always had to be different noises all the time even when in womb or born, so they're not so scared later on in life of things.

I encourage all mums to take up reading to their kids, I read to the kids at school and it surprised me how many had never been read to so come on parents as stated read read read dads as well as mums nanna and poppy remember modelling is the most valuable way to encourage your children.......dont expect them to read if they never see you do it