As an eager new mom, I was always looking for ways to bond with my newborn by making thoughtful choices for him from the moment he was born. Yes, I did super practical things like researching and buying must-have baby products, baby proofed our home, set up his nursery, got our finances in order, and invested into an RESP for my newborn … but what about bonding with my baby bump, before he was born?
Bonding with our babies can begin long before giving birth. You may be surprised to hear that infants are stimulated by maternal touch of the abdomen while in utero and can recognize their mother’s voice as early as the third trimester. So keep patting that baby bump and singing to your belly, because you’re bonding with your bump!
Here are four ways to strengthen your connection with your baby while they are still in the womb:
Bonding with your voice
Studies have shown that newborns will recognize their mother’s voice and prefer her voice over unfamiliar female voices. This suggests that babies are already bonding with their mothers while still in-utero. Some of the ways you can encourage familiarity with your voice include talking, singing, or reading to your baby while they are still in your belly. Get in the habit of sharing about your day, singing soothing lullabies, or reading children’s books. The sound might be muffled, but they will be able to hear you by the second trimester as their hearing develops.
At first, it may feel unnatural to have a one-way conversation with your unborn baby. Some “conversation” ideas include narrating your day, describing their family, or sharing about how excited you are to meet them. That part that matters is you are using your voice to bond with them, not what you are saying.
After your baby is born, continue to read them the same books or sing them the same songs which will help create a calm, soothing and familiar environment. If you’re lucky, that might help with better sleep habits down the road too!
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Gentle Touch and Massage
Infants are stimulated by maternal touch of the abdomen while in utero. As you feel kicks and movement by your baby, they will be able to feel you too! Use touch to communicate love and reassurance to your baby. You can gently pat your belly, or stroke with soft, gentle movements. You can also use a natural belly oil which’ll double as a moisturizer to help you prevent stretch marks down the road.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
The lifestyle choices you make while pregnant affects your baby. Maternal well-being can positively affect fetal development; this includes eating well, staying active during pregnancy, and managing your stress and mental wellbeing.
The baby growing in you gets all the nutrients it needs directly from you, so it’s common to become deficient in important vitamins and minerals while pregnant. Take prenatal vitamins as soon as possible to help round out your nutritional needs.
If you are used to being physically active, keep up your routines with adaptations for your physical capabilities and safety. If you are incorporating new physical activity into your routine, check in with your healthcare provider to ensure you’re accommodating the changes your body is undergoing.
Between your changing hormones and potentially feeling anxious during this transitional phase, moms-to-be must remember to take care of their mental and emotional well-being. There’s a well-shared reminder among moms: you can’t pour from an empty cup. In order to take care of others, you have to take care of yourself.
The healthy lifestyle habits you develop in pregnancy will continue on after giving birth and support you through the challenges of motherhood.
Partner Involvement and Support
As Dads-to-be don’t go through the same physical changes we do during pregnancy, I often hear from Dads – including from my own husband – that fatherhood didn’t feel “real” until after the baby was born.
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However, there are still many things we can do to get our partner involved in bonding with our baby bump. Where possible, bring your partner to prenatal appointments so they can hear their baby’s heartbeat or see them moving on the ultrasound screen. This can make the experience feel more ‘real’ for your partner.
Whenever you feel your baby kicking, you can let your partner know, so he can feel those movements too. We played little games where we would try to guess what baby body part we were feeling through my belly. Is that a bum or a head? Was that a punch or a kick?
Likewise with bonding with our voices. Whenever my husband and I would go on a walk together, I encouraged him to include our baby into our conversations or direct his voice to my belly. It felt silly at first, but it did make things feel more “real” with our growing family.
These are just some of the ways you can strengthen your connection with your baby while they are still in the womb. Remember, this is just the beginning! You’ll have a lifetime of opportunities with your kids to bond with them. The fact that you’re already reading an article about how to bond with your baby bump already shows how much you care about the little human growing inside of you.
Keep it up! You’re doing great.
Since 2008, Vanessa has kept her readers and followers ‘in the know’ on local happenings, facilitating for the discovery and support of brands, businesses, and experiences available in Vancouver and beyond. Now as a new mom, she shares her journey of motherhood, inspiring modern women and their families to think... "Hey if she can do it, I can too!"
