Let us begin by saying… Congratulations to all women who are expecting! You are carrying the most precious and fragile gift of life.
First 1000 days
The life of the child has already begun regardless of the fact that he hasn’t taken his first breath on earth. It is one of TREE’s functions to advocate for the protection and nourishment of the child from conception through the essential package of services and support.
- Taking care of yourself
- Attend prenatal classes
- Ensure good nutrition
- Being active: exercise
Play to Learn…Learn to Play
The womb is a sensory playground for a baby to play. From about 10 weeks, she’s already wriggling and stretching her tiny limbs.
You can certainly help your baby’s natural cognitive development by interacting with her, and this includes singing and talking.
By reading stories, playing music, or even just talking to your baby, you can let her experience a simple form of learning in the womb, according to a number of studies (James DK. et al. 2002).
Playing with your baby in the womb may seem like an activity with no rewards but child development begins in the womb and so your baby can learn to play even before they enter the world.
Ways babies learn in the womb:
Learning by experiences. Babies recognise familiar voices and music they heard in the womb, and are soothed by them after birth. They’re also soothed by rocking and noises like car engines, which may remind them of the movement and sounds of your body.
Learning by repetition. For instance, if you frequently play an alarming noise to your baby in the womb, she may not be startled by it as a new-born (Damstra-Wijmenga SM. 1991).
Learning by association. Your baby may learn to connect certain experiences to the way you are feeling at the time. For instance, if you often listen to a certain piece of music while relaxing, the same music may soothe her after birth.
