What to Read During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is an exhilarating time, but there are a lot of questions and worries. You will experience a lot of changes in your body and astonishing symptoms can come out of nowhere, and for first-time parents-to-be, it’s a completely new journey. Getting adapted for the nine months ahead is crucial for both mental and physical health.

Reading a book while pregnant can help you to learn more about your body and the experience and changes you are going to feel ahead.
It’s important to keep in mind that whichever book you prefer, it should have clinically proven information from highly trusted sources.

Benefits of Reading to Your Unborn Baby

While considering the things to read to a baby, it is also important to figure out how your activities are going to perk the baby inside the womb. Your daily activities, right from eating to speaking to exercising, have a significant effect on the baby’s physical and mental growth. The hearing sensation is so strong that most babies can begin a harmony for the native language over any other, even without understanding it completely.

• Pregnancy is a stressful and agitated time for the mother and also for the baby. The baby experiences an array of emotions and can feel deluged at times. Reading books while pregnant can make you calm down, and your soothing voice can also control the heartbeat of your fearful baby inside the womb and help him or her to relax.

• A baby’s bond with his mother develops right from the time he is in the womb. Skin-to-skin contact has its impact and makes the bond even stronger once the baby is born. However, the bond is truly shaped when the mother indulges herself in various day-to-day activities when the baby is still inside her womb. Being constantly conscious of the mother’s voice helps the baby develop trust and get acquainted with the mother, that’s the reason why most of the babies stop crying after they recognize the mother’s voice. Reading the book while pregnant can make the baby acknowledge his mother’s voice pretty well, too. Reading it again and again once the baby is out can also build up the bond yet again. And, this doesn’t apply to the mother only. If the partner reads a story to the child, the baby will recognise that voice too.

•As your baby develops in your womb, his brain development process is still in progress, and the neural connections form constantly. Listening to the mother’s voice inside the womb or reading books while pregnant can strengthen and build up those connections. And, baby can easily acknowledge his mother’s voice when he listens to them again after birth. Repetition of voice helps to retain anything permanently in memory, boost memory development and enhance concentration in babies.

When Can You Start Reading books to Your Unborn Baby?

Reading does not need a perfect time, to begin with. However, if you are specific about selecting books to read to your child, it is mandatory to know the correct time to get started. The initial months for the baby’s development are completely focused on getting used to the womb and adjusting to the surroundings. Over time, as the baby grows, he begins to acknowledge the hearing sensation from outside. This makes it pretty easier for him to listen to the music being hummed and the words you speak.

Therefore, as you are closer to the completion of 23 weeks of your pregnancy, which is also called as second trimester, your baby will start acknowledging your voice and any other actions rapidly. This means your baby’s cognitive development is happening, and you can boost it by listening to music and reading books that impact his memory growth during pregnancy.

What stories you should read to a Baby in the Womb?

If you are a passionate reader, you will be fond of reading all kinds of books under the sun; from all types of romantic novels to murder mysteries to science fiction. But, you can’t prefer all types of books to read to your baby, whether he is in the womb or outside it. If you are striving hard to figure out what kind of books would best suit your baby, take a simple look in the children’s or kids’ section of any bookstore and purchase books that you want your baby to hear. You can also create a baby’s library by collecting books and reading to him.

Books that are replete with small poems, pointing to the rhyme scheme, can help develop his tendency to understand sounds and word formations. It’s better to opt for reading fantasy stories that can cultivate his imagination.

Once you get to know what to read for your baby in the womb, don’t stop there. It’s better to add the reading activity with listening to music or humming some music of your own that benefits your baby’s cognitive development.

Here we have highlighted the best pregnancy books tips to suit your lifestyle, needs, and situation.

1. What to expect when you are expecting.

This is one of the best books you should read when you are pregnant and perhaps the title is the one that comes to your mind and for a good reason. It highlights everything from pre-pregnancy to post-pregnancy. It also focuses on labour and delivery pain, the first six months of postpartum sickness, pregnancy loss, and a nutritious diet.

2. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide

This book focuses on the beginning of pregnancy discussing choices, common body changes and concerns, major complications during the pregnancy phase, working out, and in taking nutrition. It also focuses on labour and childbirth, pain relief medications, and uses.

3. HypnoBirthing

This is another good book to read while you are pregnant. Every pregnant woman should consider it, even if she is not planning on having a natural birth. There is a lot of anxiety surrounding childbirth, so this book helps to prepare you for childbirth physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

4. The Mindful Mother

This is a highly recommended book for all pregnant women to read. This book focuses on being a knowledgeable friend and helps you understand what being a mom means. This book highlights all the joy and challenges of becoming a mother.

5. We’re pregnant

This book is especially recommended for first-time dads. Reading this book can give you immense comfort and prepare you to overcome the challenges of becoming a dad. This book focuses on the tools you need to be a supportive partner during and after pregnancy.

FAQ

1. What should I read during pregnancy?

Books that are replete with small poems, pointing to the rhyme scheme, can help and develop his tendency to understand sounds and word formations. It’s better to opt for reading fantasy stories that can cultivate his imagination.

2. When should you start reading to your baby in the womb?

When you are closer to the completion of 23 weeks of your pregnancy, which is also called as second trimester, your baby will start acknowledging your voice and any other actions rapidly. This means your baby’s cognitive development is developing, and you can boost it by listening to music and reading books that impact his memory growth during pregnancy.