But the fetus has shown itself capable of far more. In the 1980s, psychology professor Anthony James DeCasper and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro devised a feeding contraption that allows a baby to suck faster to hear one set of sounds through
headphones and to suck slower to hear a different set. With this technique, DeCasper
discovered that within hours of birth, a baby already prefers its mother's voice to a stranger's,
suggesting it must have learned and remembered the voice, albeit not necessarily consciously,
from its last months in the womb. More recently, he's found that a newborn prefers a story read
to it repeatedly in the womb--in this case, The Cat in the Hat--over a new story introduced soon
after birth.
Gently talking to the fetus, however, seems to pose little risk. Fifer suggests that this kind of
activity may help parents as much as the fetus. "Thinking about your fetus, talking to it, having
your spouse talk to it, will all help prepare you for this new creature that's going to jump into your
life and turn it upside down," he says--once it finally makes its anti-climactic entrance.
When you are pregnant, your baby is exposed to everything you experience. This includes the
sounds in the environment, the air you breathe, the food you eat and the emotions you feel.
When you feel happy and calm, it allows your baby to develop in a happy, calm environment.
However, emotions like stress and anxiety can increase particular hormones in your body, which
can affect your baby’s developing body and brain.
Often one or both parents experience difficult emotions during pregnancy, or after the birth of a
child. You are not alone.
You might be feeling like hiding the fact you are struggling because you feel embarrassed or
ashamed.
It is normal to have occasional negative thoughts, dreams or fleeting doubts.
Many things can make you feel this way including:
● worries about the birth
● lack of sleep
● worries about how you’re coping as a parent.
There are things you can do to help yourself get through the more challenging aspects of
parenthood. You can read about some common emotional problems in parents with new babies
While women usually start preparing emotionally for parenthood during pregnancy, some
fathers begin this process after the birth. As a result, the reality of fatherhood can be quite a
shock. Even if you have been preparing throughout the pregnancy, some fathers can feel
unprepared for the reality of having a newborn.
If it is taking more than a couple of weeks to feel a connection with your baby, you should talk to
a health professional.
