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Talking To Baby In The Womb During Pregnancy
Does talking to someone who isn’t born yet sound like a paranormal activity? NO! This is backed by evidence that shows that the baby responds to external stimuli such as touch, sound and even smell. While it may be difficult to have a riveting conversation with your unborn child, the baby’s ability to receive external stimuli makes it inconsequential. Their senses are heightened and have a good idea about the world around them through you. Everything that you experience is something that they would feel as well because of the physical connection.
Why Talking to Your Baby in the Womb Is a Good Idea
1. Helps to Stimulate Hearing in the Child
Studies have shown that development of the ears starts early on in the pregnancy at week 25. Unlike visionm which is poor, as the fetus cannot have access to the outside world, hearing is something that can be developed. The tiny hair that is beginning to grow inside the ears during this time is tuned into the world outside to get stimulated. A word of caution, avoid exposing yourself to a noisy environment as sounds over 60 decibels can hamper the baby's auditory development.
2. Helps in Developing Oral Communication
Would it be unbelievable to think that a baby can remember words that have frequently been used by you? One study certainly thinks and goes on to say that it can help build communication due to familiarity. This isn’t surprising because learning any language involves a lot of listening. You can even watch television programs of different languages and make them a multilingual even before they are born!
3. Helps Your Baby Get Familiar With You
Just because they reside within you doesn’t mean they’ll get to know who you are. You would need to communicate with them on a regular basis, share with them your hopes and fears, and they will listen. A study conducted showed that infants were able to figure out the emotions that their moms were going through. Is it possible that someone can be familiar with the emotional make-up of another without being familiar with them? No, your unborn child is always listening, and communicating early on can help them understand who you are as a person.
4. Helps Establish a Bond With the Baby
Bonding with unborn baby is not something that you can pick up from any book. It is something that you must experience by talking to him/her every day. Talking will strengthen the love you already possess and help mentally prepare you to become a parent.
5. Helps Strengthen the Relationship With Your Partner
Spending just a few minutes talking to your baby can also be a relationship-building exercise. Couples who are busy with their daily life can spend time with each other. With a relaxing environment, some couples even open-up and talk about unresolved issues.
Best Ways to Communicate With Your Baby in the Womb
1. Talking
This might seem a little strange, if not comical. How to talk to your baby in the womb? It’s simple, just talk to them the way that you would to anyone else. You could do something as simple as getting into the habit of wishing them in the morning. If you hear a loud sound that is unpleasant, verbally reassure your baby that it is nothing and that they are fine. When you are happy about something, make sure that you let your baby know about it too so they can share your joy.
2. Painting
Did you know that painting can be two-way communication between you and your baby? During your first trimester, get paint supplies, close your eyes and create whatever you want, keeping the baby in mind. Expressing the inner artist in you is a way to connect with your baby. Now, moving to the third trimester, you can let them paint. Sounds crazy? Well, that’s exactly what six moms from Belgium did! They stuck some paintbrushes to their bellies and allowed the baby’s movements to create paintings. In fact, their unborn babies were so effective that they managed to spread awareness about the risks babies face during birth.
3. Dancing
It might seem odd to think that dancing and pregnancy can be pulled off together, but it can! Express yourself through dance and music, but be sure to do it within your limits. It helps reduce anxiety and the happiness you feel while dancing will be picked up by your child. Don’t be surprised if your baby starts dancing back as this footage from a 4D ultrasound has shown just that!
4. Music
Since we know that an unborn child has an acute sense of hearing, why not take advantage of it through music? A study conducted has given rise to the concept of ‘The Mozart Effect’. It says that exposing individuals for 10 minutes to classical music can improve their spatial reasoning skills. Exposing your child to the same could be your way of communicating concepts that children learn when they’re born! Who thought your child would have their first lessons so early!
5. Flavourful Food
Studies show that by the time a foetus is around four months old, they have a well-developed sense of taste. This means that you can go for dinner dates with just you and your unborn baby. Get to connect over your favourite foods and try out some exotic, but safe foods to have during pregnancy.
6. Aromatic Food
The sense of smell and taste are intimately connected as any foul odour warns us against rotten food. This role of smell is compounded in a foetus that smells the food in the amniotic fluid. A study showed that aromas play a powerful role and even helps in shaping their food habits. You could share some of your favourite sweet-smelling dishes and let them know what you like.
7. Get the Family Involved
You’re their universe and rely on you to help them make sense of this world. However, you may not always be there with them, and they would need to learn to trust the people around them. Get your partner involved so that they both get acquainted. If you have a toddler, let them have regular meetings so that they understand who the other is. If you have a dog, they’ve already figured out that you’re pregnant. Let them nuzzle away at your belly so that they can both interact with each other.
8. Baby Shower Introduction
When your due date is close by, assemble all your closest friends and relatives and invite them over for a baby shower. During this time, you could introduce your baby to those who make it. Ask your guests to talk as well so that the baby can hear them and be acquainted with their voice. Your child will be able to pick up the tone, and also understand the dynamics you share with other people.
9. Massage Your Belly
Who doesn’t love a good massage? Make a ritual out of it by bringing out the oils and creams at a convenient time to begin the bonding. If you have the time, you could pick out some essential oils that are safe for you and the baby inside you and mix it for some aromatherapy. Recruiting your partner to give you belly massage can make it into a family affair. A study conducted showed that foetuses sometimes reach out to respond to the touches. One of the most extraordinary findings of this study was that the baby could differentiate who was touching the belly. Researchers came to this conclusion because babies respond differently when the stomach is touched by the mother, father and a stranger.
10. Yoga
Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean that you’re constricted to home. There are other things also that you can do during this phase. For example, you can practise yoga in pregnancy. Yoga is a way where you can declutter your mind from everything else and focus on you and your baby. The visualisation exercises that you will be doing can help you reconnect with your baby. As they are inside you, you must rely on all your other senses to listen to your baby. When was the last time they pushed against your belly? Have you been giving too much stress to your child? There are plenty of yoga exercises that you can do, such as pregnancy yoga that is safe for you and the baby.
11. Hypnobirthing
This is a birthing technique that relies on self-hypnosis rather than medication. However, the practice is flexible and allows medical intervention when the pain is unbearable. Stress hormones released by the mother, have been known to affect unborn babies. During or before labour, anxiety or fear of the labour process can be a form of unintended communication for the baby to be under stress. Hypnobirthing focus is to remove that fear and relax the body. This helps you concentrate on your baby and assure them that everything will be okay.
12. Reading
Reading books to your baby is another way to communicate with your baby. Try to stick to light and joyful reads that will make you happy. Once in a while, you can also read inspirational books. You can read the books aloud and ask the baby inside you if he/she understands it. Don't hesitate to explain the content if you think it is too complex for your baby. The small talk in between reading can really help you bond with your baby. You may also ask your partner to read books out loud for you and the baby if you are too tired to read.
Learning to communicate with someone who is inside you can seem awkward at first, but once you start, you’ll never stop. This is the closest that you will be with your child so savour every moment with them. Eat, dance, pray and enjoy life together because life is short. Before you know it, they’ll be going to school, and after a few years, they’ll be adults.
Also Read: Placenta During Pregnancy Read more
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5 Mindful Ways to Reflect on the Year Gone By
As 2018 has come to a close, there’s a chance that you have caught yourself wondering how the year has been. We often reflect and think about all the things that happened to us in the year – the memories we’ll keep and the moments we’ll try to forget. More importantly, we reflect to think of all the ways we can make our next year better in any way possible, whether it’s by making new years resolutions or making notes of all the things we learnt.
It can be an overwhelming time for some of us, especially when our year hasn’t been kind to us – so, instead of getting too emotional and confused about how to bring 2018 to a close and welcome 2019 with open arms, let’s reflect on the past and learn from it.
5 Mindful Ways to Reflect on the Year Gone By
Here are a few helpful ways to reflect on the year gone by in a mindful manner and prepare yourself for the coming year.
1. Write down all the good things that happened to you, however small or big they were.
Often when reflecting on the year gone by, we tend to hold on to the things that made us feel unworthy. It’s not uncommon to feel that way, mainly because we want to protect ourselves from feeling that way again. However, in this chaos, we tend to forget that good things too have happened to us. Remembering the good things is great for our self-esteem and our mental and emotional health.
When reflecting on the passing year this time, write down all the good moments and things that happened to you. Don’t focus only on the major great things, but delve deeper and recall those little things that made your day or made you feel good even for a minute. The idea is to think deeply about what made you happy, and to remind yourself that good things need not be grand – happiness can be found in the smallest of actions and deeds. If you found a small flower on your desk left by your coworker and it made you feel good, write it down. Every little thing that brought a smile to your face counts.
2. Reflect on the unpleasant things – but without judgement.
The most crucial thing about this practice is to think without assuming that it was right or wrong. Practicing mindfulness means learning how to think objectively; it is a practice that takes time and dedication. The next time you find yourself alone, reflect on the past year and think about the unpleasant things with no judgement or moral take. Think of it as something that ‘happened’, and you’ll slowly find yourself getting rational about it. Thinking mindfully will help rid your mind of negative feelings.
3. Write about your feelings.
Mindfulness is a state of being completely aware of how certain things make you feel - how drinking your favourite cup of coffee makes your tongue dance and how the warmth of the cup you hold makes you feel comfortable on a cold winter day. Similarly, one of the ways in which you can reflect upon the year gone by is writing about your feelings regarding all the things that have happened with you. Write about how that good thing made you feel a certain warmth in your chest and how the bad thing made your palms sweaty out of anger. Being aware of your feelings can be a calming and liberating experience.
4. Forgive people, and yourself.
This does not necessarily mean that you have to make calls and write letters sending your apologies (however, you can do those things as well, if they help you) – it simply means thinking about the situations mindfully and letting go of the stress and anger by applying the techniques mentioned above – writing/talking about how it made you feel, and reflecting without thinking about the right and wrong. Before you step into 2019, leave the bitterness behind, and turn a new, happy page.
5. Prepare for the next year by making small, mindful changes.
The best thing about reflecting on the year gone by is the determination you feel for the year to come. While reflecting on the past, you’re preparing yourself for the future. We see the new year as an opportunity to be better people and do more things we enjoy, and we must see it that way – but making small, mindful changes can help accelerate your experience. For example, taking some time off for yourself from the world and practicing Yoga can help you learn and master breathing techniques that can calm you down in stressful situations. Similarly, the practice of maintaining a journal and writing about your feelings at the end of every day or every week can help you streamline and acknowledge your feelings, and will also be a saved memory of how much you have grown in the year. Imagine reading that journal at the end of 2019 and seeing the changes you’ve always wanted to see in yourself.
Going into the new year can be overwhelming sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be – try these mindfulness techniques to understand yourself and your emotions better, so you can be the best version of yourself too.
Also Read:
Happy New Year Wishes In Different Indian Languages
New Year Resolutions Every Indian Should Make
New Year Traditions Around The World Read more
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How to Gift yourself The Perfect Bra
A perfectly fitted bra will give your upper body a well-sculpted look. An ill-fitted bra would do just the opposite! As important as it is to wear a good bra, it's equally important to be comfortable in it.
Before whining about the fact that your breasts don’t look shapely, ask yourself "are you wearing the right bra?" It doesn’t matter if your boobs are small and perky or big and bouncy. The right kind of bra does justice to every bust shape and size. These boobylicious tips will help you stay on the right lingerie track and help your figure get a perfect 10!
How to Select The Perfect Bra Every Time
1. Snug Fit
The right bra for a breast shape is one that fits snugly around your boobs instead of suffocating them. If you’re able to get two fingers comfortably under the band consider the job halfway done. Make sure the bra doesn’t ride up from the back because then you’ve got it a size small. If you have to constantly pull the straps up even after the band is on the last hook then it’s a size too big and you need to go a smaller size.
2. Make It A Cup Full
Moulded cup bras should encase the breast completely. There shouldn’t be any extra room in the cup. On the other hand, you don’t want to be spilling out of your cups especially if you're naturally endowed. So start with something in between when figuring out how to choose the right bra.
3. No Peeping Toms, Please
Many women tend to wear bras with a larger band size thinking a looser band will be more comfortable. But this takes comfort to the extreme! You definitely don’t want your boobs and bra out of sync with each other. A tighter band gives more support and even prevents pain in your shoulders and back when the weight becomes too much to bear.
4. Avoid The Back-Fat Bulge
Every pleasantly healthy woman’s dilemma is her back-fat, which tends to bulge like nobody’s business. Thankfully there are various brands out there, which cater to your need with the creation of figure-fixing bras that target those troublesome areas. Such a bra is designed with a higher back and side panels to smoothen out those bulges while the wider straps provide extra support. Your best bet would be to go for a seamless bra, which will give your silhouette a sleek look under fitted tops.
5. Pad ‘em’ Up
For all the A-cup ladies who don't have a full cleavage, try padded bras. These bras are made just for you and make your breasts look fuller. You can try a push-up bra too, which will give your breasts a push in the right direction.
In your quest on how to select a perfect bra, don’t forget to pick a bra for everyday comfort. If you still aren’t sure where to start, try getting help from a professional if needed. Read more
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Toys That Are Useful for Babies
I am a mother of a one-year-old boy. For playing with him, I searched for many toys and books and got some special things that help brain development. I haven't brought so many toys for my son. He used to play with his cousin sister's toys. And I realised that this much plastic is a waste. So I thought of buying only useful toys so that we can reduce plastic waste.
These are the toys I brought for him.
The first one is a book It's a set of five books. Animals, vehicles, birds, general knowledge, and nursery rhymes. It's a board book. It will not tear easily. It includes pictures with names. When my baby gets bored, I will teach him each picture, and ask him to tell its name. You should ask your baby every day. Then they will be thorough with it. So it's a book to learn about our surroundings. I recommend everyone to buy this.
The second one is a gardening and beach playset. It's an outdoor play. It includes a sand playset and beach playset. My baby loves to play with that. He will sit calmly and play.
The third one is a colouring book. But it's a reusable water colouring book. A pen is given with it. Fill water in it and colour it in the book. When water sticks on the book, coloured images appear. After playing, dry in the air. Then the colour will disappear. It's useful while travelling. I use this book while my baby is eating anything.
The next one is a splash book with a squeaker. It's a bath toy. But can be used as a normal toy. It helps to keep your baby seated while bathing.
While selecting a toy, try to buy something which is both helpful for playing and developing intelligence. Just try any of these products and share your experience. I think these will be very helpful for moms. I love all these products.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
Sai Prasanthi R L has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
16 hours ago
Q. Hlw dr its my 6th month pregnency can i intimate with my partner
Sai Prasanthi R L
Mom of a 10 yr 2 m old boy
15 hours ago
A. Hello dear! If your pregnancy is going on fine without any high risk factors then it’s okay. Still, would advise you to check with your doctor once before going further. Maintain a good personal hygiene routine and a healthy lifestyle
Abhaya Rajput has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
13 hours ago
Q. My breasts feel full and heavy, but there’s no milk when pumping and during feeding baby —what do I do?
Abhaya Rajput
Mom of a 14 yr 4 m old boy
6 hours ago
A. Hello there ma’am please do not worry about it too much. But it is really very difficult to say anything without proper examination. It is advisable to get yourself evaluated by a doctor and follow doctors advise properly. You can also book online doctor’s appointment on FirstCry where the doctor can help you and guide you properly.
Thanks and take care
Dr Disha Patel has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 6 months
12 hours ago
Q. can I take medicine pcm n citrazene in pregnancy fir sore throats n fever
Dr Disha Patel
Ayurvedic Physician
7 hours ago
A. dear mom.
better to take tab pcm for time being n do take steam inhakation couple of tines a day, follpw good home renedies for cold, taje more rest .
Swati Kar Samanta has added a new answer
Mom of a 9 m old child
6 hours ago
Q. hi everyone good morning,
sorghum can I give to my 10 month baby is it safe or not please revert I waiting for your reply
Swati Kar Samanta
Mom of a 2 m old girl
4 hours ago
A. Yes but first give in very small quantity to judge the reaction of your baby.
Rashmi has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
3 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts is it okay that the baby is kicking less than usual?
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
3 hours ago
A. Yes it is the what part is that your child is kicking if you feel that there is a movement of your child whether it is a cake or slight movement also you know that your child is doing fine so there is no problem in that if the movement is less it’s completely alright
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
3 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts what to do if the baby’s nose is blovked
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
3 hours ago
A. Nasal blockage is very common, specially in small children because of the narrow nasal cavity. Any kind of saline drops like nasal clear will be helpful in dissolving the stuffy secretions, which can be taken out by vnasal aspirator gently also steam inhalation will be helpful also, try to avoid keeping the child directly under the fan.
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