You’ve heard that singing to your newborn baby has many benefits, but did you know that singing to your baby during pregnancy is something you should definitely do too?

Don’t worry if you’re not the next American Idol, baby doesn’t mind if you can’t carry a tune.  All that matters is that baby is exposed to and hears your voice on a continuous basis. Here’s why: 

Soothing Sounds

The sound of your voice is calming to baby (and singing is especially soothing).  Talking and singing to your bump is also a great way to bond with baby and how baby will get to know you before life outside the womb.

Plus, music has been shown to help infants fall asleep faster. If baby is kicking up a storm, start crooning away to settle them down. Or after they arrive, bust out a little ditty after that 3 A.M. feeding when you’re ready to go back to sleep.

Brain Development

There is also a ton of research that suggests that music benefits the developing brain. KidsHealth.org says that “children who grow up hearing music, singing songs and moving to the beat are enjoying a rich sensory environment.” This means that while kids are having a blast rocking out, their brains are growing!

So start dedicating some tunes to your womb – simple nursery rhymes, the latest top 40 hit, religious songs and prayers – anything will do.  Your Lullabelly pregnancy music belt will help you set the playlist on occasion too!

Or if popular music isn’t you’re thing, make up your own song and continue to sing it to your child as they grow.  The important thing is that baby hears your voice before its born and after. Doing so will ensure you create a special bond between you and your little one forever.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, playing prenatal music for baby-to-be benefits both mom and baby.  It creates a wonderful bonding experience, reduces stress levels, enhances the stimulation of your unborn baby’s growing brain and improves sleeping patterns for a newborn baby (all great things, right?!).

So, let’s say you’ve purchased your prenatal music belt (hopefully a Lullabelly!) and now you’re wondering what type of music should baby rock out to?

Most pediatricians agree that any type of music is suitable for you and baby to enjoy.  It’s all about offering a variety of soothing and repetitive sounds for baby to groove to. 

Classical music is always a great choice. Particularly Mozart’s symphonies, because they mix the right amount of new sounds and repetition, says Roaslie Pratt, a professor of music medicine at Brigham Young University, in an article from BabyCenter.com.

However, you should skip the heavy metal, rap, grunge, hard rock and head banging songs.  Studies show that constant exposure to chaotic, discordant music may negatively alter the brain’s structure.

Listen to your own moods. If you’re feeling a little retro, choose Madonna or Elton John. If you want something more relaxing, choose Michael Buble or Josh Grobin. If you’re in the mood for something popular that you can sing along to, choose Maroon Five or Pink – or maybe even a little Flo Rida. Whatever the case, choose something you would enjoy and something you want to share with your baby now and later.

Oh, and if you’re getting tired of hearing that same old Beethoven selection, baby probably feels the same way too. Change it up, create a mix tape and most of all, have fun!

Rock on!

Here at the Belly Blog, we know the important role music can play in your unborn baby’s development. Listening to music with your baby in the womb helps reduce a mom’s stress during pregnancy, plus it helps with fetal development and creates a wonderful bonding experience for mom, baby and dad.

But did you know that continuing to expose your child to music as they grow is also beneficial?

Research shows that kids who are actively involved in music (play it or sing it regularly):

-       Score higher in math and reading

-       Learn coordination, goal setting, concentration and cooperation

-       Excel in math and science

-       Express less conflict with friends/peers and have a higher self-esteem

-       Have a higher chance of attending college

Those are a lot of benefits indeed!

We thought we’d offer you some tips on how you, too, can fill your child’s and (family’s) life with music – from womb to adult – so you can experience all these wonderful benefits:

-       Put an iPod stereo with rotating playlist in your child’s room.

-       Use a musical alarm clock to help your child wake up to happy tunes.

-       Introduce kids to songs from your own childhood or music you loved when you were their age.

-       Have an old-fashioned sing-along in the car.

-       Make or buy musical instruments for playtime jam sessions.

-       Form your own family band with real or pretend instruments. 

-       And of course, start early by exposing your baby to music in the womb, which is made easy with the Lullabelly prenatal music belt.

You never know, by exposing your child to music, you may just be developing the next Jonas Brothers band or Miley Cyrus!

In the past, if you wanted to play music for your unborn baby, you’d “belly up” to your sound system’s speakers or place headphones around your middle.  But today, prenatal music belts make it easy as pie and leave you hands-free when playing music for your unborn, womb-housed baby.

Pregnancy musical belts are a small investment ($50+ per belt) and there are several models on the market today, so you want to be sure you are purchasing the one that is right for you.

Here is what to look for when buying a musical pregnancy belt:

Comfort

One of the most important aspects of choosing a musical pregnancy belt is to make sure that you are comfortable wearing the device.   The material should be soft against your skin, adjustable and lightweight as to not irritate your delicate skin.  The belt should also fit well enough that you can go about normal daily activities (like walking the dog or doing light housework) without worry of the belt falling down.

Style

You can wear your prenatal music belt under or over your clothes.  If you are the fashionista type, you’ll want to be sure your musical belt reflects your personal style when you rock it over clothing.  Musical belts come in all shapes, sizes and colors so be sure to investigate the available options.  Lullabelly prenatal musical belts, for example, are available in five different color options – perfect for accessorizing! 

Sound Quality

Of course you want to be sure you are providing your baby with the optimal listening experience while keeping her hearing and ear development safe.  Lullabelly utilizes safe sound level technology where the maximum volume level is similar to a mother and father speaking or singing aloud to their baby in the womb.  

Plus, you want to be sure that the belt you choose is compatible with the portable musical player you will be using (iPod, CD/MP3 player, laptop, etc.), so check which systems each belt supports.

Reputable Company

Like any product intended for prenatal use, you want to be sure that you are buying from a company with a strong reputation that makes quality products and offers excellent customer service.

Prenatal music belts are a great way to bond with baby and reduce stress during pregnancy, use the above guide to pick the belt that fits best with your lifestyle…. and style too!

Lullabelly was featured on "Gadget Wednesday" on NBC 9News in Denver, Colorado this week.  Check out the clip below to see Lullabelly founder, Adrianne Godart, showcasing the prenatal music belt!

Pregnancy mood swings. We all have them and experts say it’s a normal part of pregnancy; after all, your body is going through a variety of hormonal and physical changes that you can’t control, leaving you with a broad range of emotions and feelings to cope with. Plus, you may feel less attractive and/or more tired – all normal parts of pregnancy.

• Getting plenty of rest and relaxation, including naps (hooray!)
• Getting regular physical activity (pregnancy yoga class anyone?)
• Eating well (plenty of fruits and veggies – and maybe sneak in a Krispy Kreme every so often to cave into your cravings.)
• Spending time with your partner and/or friends doing activities you enjoy (walking, movies, shopping for cute maternity and baby stuff, etc.)