Talking and singing to your baby before birth

Reading aloud is one lovely way to bond with your baby before birth — but it's far from the only one. Talking and singing work just as well, and some parents find them even easier.

Why talking and singing help

From around the middle of pregnancy, your baby can pick up sound from outside the womb, and they hear your voice most clearly of all. Talking and singing simply give them plenty of it. Over the weeks, your baby grows familiar with the rhythm and tone of your voice — which is part of why so many newborns are soothed by it after birth.

As with reading, your baby isn't following the words. They're responding to the warmth, rhythm, and repetition. That's why a song you return to again and again is such a gift — the familiarity is the point.

Easy ways to talk to your bump

• Narrate your day. "We're making tea now, then we'll sit down for a bit." It feels a little odd at first, and then it doesn't.
• Say goodnight. A few quiet words at the end of the day, every day, becomes a small ritual.
• Let your partner join in. A partner's deeper voice carries through especially well.

Easy ways to sing

• Pick one or two songs and return to them often. Lullabies are perfect, but any gentle song you like works.
• Hum if you'd rather not sing. The melody and rhythm still reach your baby.
• Don't worry how it sounds. Your baby has no opinion on your singing voice — only that it's yours.

A gentle routine beats a grand gesture

A few minutes most evenings does more than an occasional long session. Whether you talk, sing, or read aloud, the repetition and the familiar voice are what matter.

If you'd like a calm, ready-made piece to read aloud as part of the ritual, Dreamtime writes soothing stories for your bump — and grows them into bedtime stories once your baby arrives.