Prenatal Education

Prenatal education is important as baby's senses are developing during his time in the womb. This is a process that encourages learning in unborn babies optimizing mental and sensory development. Sound will be his primary source of stimulation, touch, vision, taste and even smell will also help his brain to grow.

Prenatal education at different stages:
Month 3 & 4 (Week 9-16): Nutrition i.e balanced diet as mentioned previously for babies brain development.

Month 5 (Week 17-20): Music to stimulate your baby. Twice a day. 20-30 minutes each time. Once babies develop hearing in the fifth month, music is excellent for aural stimulation and to soothe the baby. To stimulate fetus' hearing, you can talk or put a melodious music (lively, soft, poetic) near your belly. Additionally, you can communicate with your child through touch; whenever you feel a kick, touch the opposite side (this is the place where the head is) and caress the area while you speak. *Avoid high frequency and loud music as these will harm your baby's hearing.

Month 6 (Week 21-24): Exercise
1. Morning walk
2. Toe movement - Two feet flat on ground while sitting on a chair. Tilt your toes and put them down. Repeat the movement and make sure your feet do not leave the ground.
3. Ankle movement - Sitting on a chair with one leg on top of the other. Keep the bottom one flat on the ground. Move your ankle up and down for several times. Vice versa.
4. Rub the soles of your feet - Put one feet on top of the other leg. Use left hand to rub soles of your right feet in a circle movement. Vice versa.
5. Knee-chest position - This is to put the fetal into the correct position. After emptying your bladder, in relaxing clothing, kneel on the bed with thigh and bed forming a 90 degree. Bend your body towards the bed repeatedly for 15 mins. Twice a day.

6. Sitting cross-legged

7. Standing
8. Abdominal breathing

Month 7 (Week 25-28): Language: Speak to your baby. Contents are unlimited. You can greet, chat, tell stories, sing, etc. Be simple and easy. For eg, repeating some simple word like milk, dry, wet, mouth, etc. In addition, some systemic induction of the language can be used such as "Good morning, baby.", "Wash your face", "Brush your teeth", "Baby, the chicken smells so good!", "Listen, this is the sound of water, mummy is bathing!"

Month 8 (Week 29-32): Music

Month 9 &10 (Week 33-40): All

(Source: Makewayforbaby.com; Chinese TV programme; Qingyunju.com)