The Unborn Baby and Mom's Voice

Sing to your baby! He just wants to know you’re there and keeping him safe. And just as your baby will learn to recognize your voice, he can also become familiar with your partner’s voice. 

In his book A Musical Journey Through Pregnancy, Prenatal Music Therapist and Professor, Gabriel Federico, describes the moment that he became inspired to research the connection between obstetrics, musical acoustics, and prenatal bonding. He was in the hospital observing a premature baby born at 7 months gestation who seemed to recognize and be following his mother’s voice as she sang. The mother told Gabriel that she had been singing the same song to her baby since her second month of pregnancy. Not only did the baby turn his head toward the sound, but his oxygen levels improved and he showed more signs of vitality.  

Did You Know... 

• A fetus’s hearing system is fully developed by 3.5 months, and they begin to hear sounds from the outside world around 4 months 

• Mom's voice attracts baby’s attention first and most strongly because the sound is conducted through tissue and bone, as well as through the air 

• Hearing mom’s voice every day while in the womb establishes a sense of safety and also comforts baby after birth 

• Singing is heard more clearly in the womb than speaking because of the great range of pitch, inflection and rhythm 

• Research has shown that a baby in the womb can learn to recognize melodies that it has been exposed to repeatedly  

And don’t worry if you think you can’t sing… your baby doesn’t care!