There is much research regarding the influence of music during pregnancy these days. Many studies, have shown that listening to calming music such as baby music or lullabies is beneficial to both the mother and the fetus, especially during the latter stages of pregnancy. It has been established that the fetus can perceive sound vibrations after the fourth month of pregnancy and listening to calming music can help promote fetal well-being. The sound vibrations of the music serve as external stimuli which can positively influence the fetal environment. It is recommended to listen to music that is soothing for the mother since a calm mother helps to calm the fetus. Conversely, music that is disturbing to the mother will have a disturbing effect on the baby.

Listening to music also works as a relaxation aid for the expectant mother. In doing so, it can help minimize complications of pregnancy such as morning sickness, pregnancy induced blood pressure and heartburn. Any form of music and even chants and prayers works well as long as the mother enjoys listening to it and it is calming. It will relax the mother and aid in the proper growth and development of the fetus.

Research shows newborns are capable of recognizing voices and other sounds that they have heard during the final weeks of pregnancy. It has been shown in experiments that even babies who are only one or two days old can tell the sounds that they want to hear. They display sucking when familiar sounds were heard. A majority of mothers claim their newborn babies preferred the same kind of music that was played during the latter stages of pregnancy.

Additionally, children who were initially exposed to music before birth tend to develop an inclination for it after they are born. There is some evidence that babies who were exposed to music during the latter stages of pregnancy tend to perform better in school in the future than those not exposed to music. This seems to be due to the music stimulating more areas of the brain in a simultaneous manner, thus creating better neural connectors and receptors, which helps with the processing and retention of information. Make sure that during the later stage of pregnancy, you listen to your favorite music so that you and your baby can enjoy it at the same time.

Pregnancy can be a wonderful experience. It is best to remain calm and happy at all times. One great way to do this is to listen to calming music that you enjoy and thereby create a relaxing environment for yourself and a calm environment for your baby.

The benefits of breastmilk over formula are many. From providing the immediate bonding experience, to giving the all important immune properties that are unique in breast milk to the health benefits that mom receives as well, human breast milk is the optimum choice for babies.

Solids should only be introduced after 6 months, with breast milk as the milk of choice until one year of age, and beyond.

Here are just some of the benefits that babies will get from your milk by providing protective factors that help a baby’s immune system. Compared to formula fed babies, breastfed babies have, overall, less gastrointestinal (diarrhea) illnesses, fewer respiratory infections, a decreased risk of developing allergies, an improved fatty acid profile in their blood, some protection against cancer, better bone health, protection against inflammatory bowel disease, and possible protection against celiac disease. And what about mom? You benefit too. How? With better psychological well being, and bonding, possible protection against cancer, reduced risk of osteoporosis later on in life, easier weight loss after delivery. Not to mention the ecologic, economical and convenience factors of breastfeeding.

The changing flavors of breast milk versus the single flavored formula are also an advantage to babies. Mom’s own diet ‘flavor’s the milk with her own food choices, and this help a baby adapt to different tastes over time- perhaps helping to encourage more variety in their diet later on! Make the decision to breast feed your baby. If you need help with any aspect of feeding, seek out help early from a reliable profession, such as a trained lactation consultant.

Daina Kalnins, MSc., RD

Co-author and Author of;

Better Baby Food (D. Kalnins, J. Saab, Robert Rose Pub., 2001)

Better Food for Kids (J. Saab, D. Kalnins, Robert Rose Pub., 2002)

Better Food for Pregnancy (D. Kalnins, J. Saab, Robert Rose Pub., 2006)

Better Breastfeeding (D. Kalnins, Robert Rose Pub., 2007)

Studies show that fetuses can hear and react to sound from as early as 20 weeks and begin active listening by the 24^th week. Researcher Michele Clements found that playing a lullaby, or calming music by Vivaldi and Mozart soothed 4 to 5 month-old fetuses but loud and discordant music disturbed and upset them.

The sense of hearing is the most developed of all senses before birth. French pioneer Dr. Alfred Tomatis states the ear is “the Rome of the body” because almost every cranial nerve leads to it. He believes the ear is far more than just an instrument for hearing, or an organ for maintaining balance. The ear acts as a generator of energy for the brain that gives a cortical charge which is distributed throughout the body. This charge tones up the whole system imparting greater dynamism to the human being. Therefore the proper pre-natal sound stimulation leads to better verbal, listening and thinking skills. He discovered that songbirds hatched by silent foster mothers can’t sing.

 Renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin believes his musical ability is partly due to constant exposure to music before he was born.

 The heartbeat of four-month-old fetuses accelerates if exposed to loud sounds. A Japanese study discovered pregnant women who lived near Osaka airport had a greater incidence of premature births and delivered smaller babies. Chronic noise has also been linked to birth defects.

 Babies remember music they hear in the womb more than a year later. Some mothers have found that playing the same calming music they listened to before the baby was born calms the baby after birth. And one mother found that the only music that would calm her baby was the Ella Fitzgerald album she had constantly played when she was pregnant!

 When playing music for your unborn child it is important that the music is not too loud.   It doesn’t have to be a lullaby or classical music. Elton John or smooth jazz is just as good. Whatever you enjoy, as long as it isn’t loud or discordant is fine.

 Studies show that constant exposure to aggressive, discordant music negatively alters the brains structure. Even plants suffer when exposed to this sort of music.

 So if you are pregnant the 3 types of music that you must avoid are Rap, Grunge and Hard Rock. If you are a fan of these styles of music and you really don’t want to give up listening then put on headphones and listen to your heart’s content. But, when you turn on the stereo or the car radio, stick to sweet melodies and beautiful harmonies. Your baby will thank you.

Kids LOVE fairy tales. There is nothing more pleasing to children of all ages, than listening to a great story. And when kids fall in love with a story they’ll want to hear it over and over again.

Listening to these stories will enhance your child’s vocabulary, while increasing their attention span and ability to focus.

Fairy tales are just about everywhere, and you'll soon to begin to realize that your children love them. Whether it's the traditional 'Beauty and the Beast' or a new Disney story that's come into the world, your children will be going absolutely crazy for them. What some people don't understand though, is that fairy tales do have a positive effect on your child's personality and development in later life. While you may not think that princess warriors and talking frogs can't help your children, the true reality is that they can!

Fairy tales are naturally written because of their creative values. However, the majority of them possess an underlining meaning. Whether it's showing happiness, trustworthiness or the benefits of being obedient to your elders, the majority of fairy tales do have a positive aspect to them. In addition to educating your child's mind from an early age, you'll also be helping them to develop a healthy personality. For example, 'Beauty and the Beast' speaks of a story between a beautiful princess and a beast. While the story is completely fictional, it will teach your child some important meanings of life. The ending of the story shows that children should learn to respect and love everybody in the world - regardless of their looks, race, culture or personality. If a princess can fall in love with a beast, then your child can make friends with somebody who looks different, right?

Apart from teaching your children morally correct principles in life, you'll also be helping them to develop a natural passion for reading and writing. Once they hear their first fairy tale, you can rest assured they will want to hear more and more. As time goes by, you'll begin to notice that your child begins to develop great reading and writing skills as a result. It's often hard to get your child started in life with the English language - but by teaching them fairy tales, you'll be giving them the boost in life they really need.

Whether you’re busy working at home or driving to the store, simply play these stories on your mp3 or CD player and your child will be transported to new worlds and exciting adventures

When you play these stories to your child, you are building the pathways in their brains needed for successful reading experiences.

When you play these stories - you are starting your child on the road to success!

If you're considering teaching your children nursery rhymes, you'll be glad to know that there are several benefits. Whether you're planning on teaching them old nursery rhymes, or newer ones, all of them will provide a unique experience for your child. In recent years, studies have shown that teaching your children nursery rhymes can have a positive impact on their future. Nursery rhymes are considered highly beneficial in the development of your children. Additionally, research has shown that nursery rhymes help to optimize your child's spatial reasoning - which is never a bad thing. What you can ultimately expect is for your child to perform better, and excel in their studies later on in life. Research has shown that children who learn and memorize nursery rhymes at an early age have greater levels of academic success in subjects such as Math, Science and English. The following points will help you to identify the additional benefits of teaching your children nursery rhymes during their young lives.

1. Children who are taught nursery rhymes at an early age begin to develop a passion for reading poems, short stories and other types of English literature. In addition, children also show more willingness to write, and as such, develop better writing habits in later life.

2. Research has shown that children who are taught and educated on old nursery rhymes generally grow up to have better comprehension skills and higher levels of cognitive functioning.

3. Nursery rhymes also help your children to develop an understanding of the English language from an early age. By learning nursery rhymes, your children will develop an understanding of the language. This can often lead to your children being able to read and write better than their peers.

At Dreams & Lullabies we have taken a unique new approach to nursery rhymes. Using all the standard Nursery Rhymes we have created new arrangements, new sounds and combined them with rhythms from around the world.

Whether it’s Itsy Bitsy Spider combined with rhythms from Africa, or Jack and Jill with the pulsating beat of Brazil.

Not only will you and your child have fun joining in and singing along, you’ll also find yourselves both dancing along to the infectious rhythms.

There's no doubt that teaching your children nursery rhymes at an early age can have a positive effect on both their childhood, and in later life as they progress through education.

A lot of people may wonder what type of songs they should be playing for baby. Bear in mind that the newborn will already be familiar with not only the voice of their parents but certain tunes and songs that they were exposed to while still in the womb. At about twelve months a baby likes sounds that they can move to as there is a strong link between the developing motor ability and a baby’s hearing.

Exposing your baby to a wide range of music has been shown to have a lot of benefits on babies. Baby lullabies help with development of language skills. Based on research there seems to be a strong link between music and the development of language. Music that babies are exposed to can help them to improve upon their language skills much more efficiently and at a more multifaceted level. When they hear baby music that is complex in nature it helps them to identify words that sound similar like those with Y and I.

This type of music also helps babies to improve their auditory memory and also improve the ability to understand what they are hearing.

It also has a great effect on their physical health. Calming lullabies helps the baby to become relaxed and well rested. It has been noted that even the baby’s heart rate changes when slow calming musical pieces are played. Even the most active babies will calm down so it is a great tool to help with bedtime.

Lullaby music also affects a baby’s mood. The exposure to this music helps to trigger the release of natural relaxants in the brain. In the long run they are much more calm and less moody.

Another great benefit is that it cuts down on trauma at birth. The birthing process is a rather traumatic one not only for the mother but for the baby as well. It has been shown that playing some soothing lullabies will help the baby get over the trauma. When the baby is in the womb they hear their mother’s heartbeat and the music she has been listening to which is comforting to them. Once this sound is replicated they will be much calmer and adapt to their new world much more quickly.

The main point is that babies respond well to music. It has many benefits beyond just entertaining.

Playing baby songs is always a great way to get baby nice and calm especially around naptime.

Playing a lullaby or any other calming music has no adverse effects on the unborn child. The thing to note is that the music ought to be played for a specific period of time at a specific volume. Amniotic fluid is a great carrier of sound so the same level that the mother enjoys listening to music at will be okay for the child. The songs should only be played as long as you want to hear them.

Another benefit of playing music for unborn babies is to get them more active. There are particular types of music or songs that will get your baby moving and this will help later on when the development of the necessary motor skills come into play. On the other hand less up-tempo music will get a busy baby to calm down quickly.

Exposure to various types of music also allows your baby to become more tolerant of various types of noises.

The playing of baby lullabies can also help your baby recognize when it is time to calm down and get ready to sleep. When certain patterns are established before birth it is much easier to maintain your new baby on the same schedule and give parents well needed rest.

As it pertains to the mother, it has been shown that calming music can help cut down on the length of labor and delivery. This helps your baby as well, as the trauma of the birthing process is reduced. Soothing music helps your baby enter the world peacefully. Note that the music helps to calm the parents down, especially the mother so the baby in utero will only hear a nice calm heartbeat from mom and be at peace as well.

The main aim of playing baby music is to establish a special bond with the baby. The process is started while the child is still in the womb and can easily continue after they are born. A nice lullaby can accompany a bedtime story or a great up-tempo piece of music can give the baby his share of exercise for the day. All in all it is a wonderful experience.

The Dreams & Lullabies booth at the Baby Times Show In Toronto

Thousands visited our booth with many entering our draw for a free one year subscription to our Dreams & Lullabies music series.

Nursery Rhymes have been taught to children for hundreds of years, with many dating from the Middle Ages. They are the earliest educational tools that children use for learning language and counting skills. Additionally they combine movement and music teaching kids rhythm and melody.

But according to a recent study more than 40% of parents cannot recite a single nursery rhyme all the way through.

Many cultures around the world have their own indigenous nursery rhymes but most of the best known rhymes are from England and more recently the US.

Many nursery rhymes were originally political commentaries from a time when free speech was punishable by imprisonment or even death, especially if you criticized the government of the day.

Some nursery rhymes are quite violent -

Rock A Bye Baby

Rock a Bye Baby
On the tree top,
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall
Down will come Cradle
Baby and all.

Or

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill
Went up a hill
To fetch a pail of water

Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after

The earliest known collection of nursery rhymes was Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, published in London, in 1744. But, probably the most well known was Mother Goose's Melody: or Sonnets for the Cradle, published by John Newberry in 1781. Reprinted in the United Statesin 1785 by Isaiah Thomas, its popularity is attested to by the fact that these verses are still commonly called "Mother Goose Rhymes" in the United States.

Click and download. Then, by teaching your children Nursery Rhymes and acting out the movements with them you'll have fun, while teaching them language and counting at the same time as playing, building a bond and burning energy.