Music to my Ears: A Sound Start for Your Unborn Baby

Informal music sessions to help you communicate and interact with your bump using songs, chants and lullabies (in English and Gaelic) and recorded music.

When you are expecting a baby you begin to prepare for your role as a parent – but when does parenting begin? Our increasing knowledge about the growth of the foetus tells us that parenting involves nurturing the baby before birth, as well as the act of raising a child throughout its life.

Making music with your unborn child engages your baby’s attention. It enhances the sense of hearing, and develops learning, language and memory skills as well as musical ones.

For the mother, it reduces stress levels during pregnancy, and enables greater bonding between you and your child. It can also improve your baby’s sleep habits after birth and encourage a calmer, happier baby all round.

There is no period of parenthood with a more direct and formative effect on the child’s developing brain than the nine months of pregnancy before birth. [Marion Diamond – Magic Trees of the Mind]

Scottish Book Trust’s Bookbug Before Birth project demonstrates the benefits of singing, talking and reading to your baby before birth. The project, which began in 2019, provided Bookbug resources through Family Nurse Partnership teams. You can read the evaluation report on the Scottish Book Trust website.

Please adhere to current NHS Inform Covid-safety guidelines.

Supported by Bank of Scotland Foundation.