Category: Parent Talk
With my wife being pregnant, and our baby due on May 20, I've noticed 2 things that appears strange to me.
I would like to hear the opinions of those of you who had the privallege (forgive the spelling), of having a simular experience in the past.
Firstly, when according to my wife, the baby is restless in her womb, in other words, moving and kicking a lot, and I gently place my hand over where it moves, it seems to calm down, almost like it is comforted.
Lastly, when we lie in bed and I put my hand over my wife's stomach, the baby would make a gentle movement, almost as if it realises it's me who's hand is there, and that without me even saying a word.
Could it be that the baby can already associate my touch with who I am, or is it merely coincidence?
Any suggestions are welcomed.
The baby could be reacting to changes in your wife's body, she is comforted, and so is the baby. Also, the baby does not associate the parent's voice with the actual parent at this point, but it can become familiar with it. So the more talking to baby you do, the more touching, the more the baby will be used to you once it is born. So in other words, baby doesn't know who you are yet, it just knows you are nice to be around.
Whenever my husband put his hand on my belly when I was pregnant, the baby would stop moving. I used to tease and say he was just being stubborn and didn't want to kick when Daddy touched him, but, I think maybe it had something to do with feeling calmed by being touched. Babies can hear their parents voices, and they do become familiar with them. Studies have shown that babies ecognize a mother's voice right when he's born, and will calm quicker when he hears it. That's the sound they've heard since their little ears developed, so, it wouldn't surprise me.