Can your baby hear Dad in the womb?

If you're the non-carrying parent, it's easy to feel a step removed during pregnancy. Here's some good news: your baby can hear you too — and there's a simple way to be part of things before they arrive.

Lower voices carry through well

Sound reaches your baby muffled by the body and the fluid around them, and lower-pitched sounds tend to carry through more clearly than higher ones. A partner's deeper voice can come through to your baby surprisingly well. Many parents say their newborn seems to recognise and settle to a partner's voice in the early days — a sign of all that listening before birth.

You don't have to be a natural performer

Your baby responds to the rhythm and warmth of a voice, not the words or how polished they are. You really can't get this wrong. A few ideas:

• Say hello. Talk about your day, the weather, anything. The content doesn't matter.
• Read aloud. A few minutes of a book — any book — is one of the easiest ways to give your baby plenty of your voice.
• Sing. Even quietly, even badly. Repetition is part of the magic.

A small daily ritual

Pick a calm few minutes — often the end of the day works best — and make it a gentle routine. Doing a little most evenings does far more than a long session now and then, because it's the repetition and the familiar voice that count.

It's also a lovely way to share the load: while one parent rests, the other can have a quiet moment with the bump.

Make it easy on yourself

If you'd like something ready to read aloud, Dreamtime writes gentle, soothing pieces made for exactly this — and you can read more about the why in our guide to reading to your baby in the womb.