Babies need adults to nurture and support their development during pregnancy and beyond birth.
Communication is one of the skills you can help babies to develop. Encouraging communication between parents and their babies shapes how their brain develops. This is as true before they’re born as when they arrive. Babies can hear you from at least 16 weeks, and perhaps earlier. During pregnancy it is important for parents to communicate and form a relationship with their baby by talking to the bump.
Taking time out as part of your daily routine to think about and bond with your unborn baby is known to release oxytocin, a hormone which can help your baby’s brain to develop.
You can do this by:
This helps your baby:
To get to know voices, which will help them feel safe and secure; tune up their hearing and get ready for when they will eventually talk. It will also help them manage their feelings and have safe and healthy relationships in the future.
Babies hear their mother’s voice most clearly, but other people in the family can talk and sing to them as well – your baby will love to hear from others too.
Discover our range of free online language resources offering tips you can easily apply with your child at home.
Advance your speech, language and communication understanding using our training resources.
