This gadget is sure to get your baby grooving!
Introducing the bellybuds...
Bellybuds are a specialised speaker system that gently adheres to your belly and allows you to safely play music directly to the womb. It's amazing to think that a baby's hearing is fully developed at about 20 weeks. It's even more amazing that memories start at 30 weeks. Come to think about it...I can't even rembember before I was 5 years old, but I do have a shocking memory!
So why not let your little one get their groove on with bellybuds? The bellybuds adhere to your belly with medical grade, reusable hydrogel rings. Just plug the cable into your iPhone and you’re all set. It even comes with a “Y-Splitter” so you and your baby can listen to the same tunes simultaneously. As most mums can attest, there’s not a whole lot of things you can do to interact with the baby before birth. But playing music to baby in the womb is a great way to facilitate bonding. Listening to music is something that you can do together, and it’s really fun to feel baby respond to a song that she likes (especially if it’s a favourite of yours). This is also a terrific way for dad to bond with baby and to feel involved with the pregnancy, especially if he’s the one creating the playlist. Having never been pregnant myself, I haven't had the chance to test the belly buds out, but the lovely Natalie who many of you will know from the store was the first to try them out. She said she had never felt the baby move as much before!
I must admit I am pretty impressed with the VoiceShare by WavHello app.
The jist of it is that you or anyone you love can record messages. This is perfect for FIFO dads or family members living overseas. Whilst they're not physically close by they still have the opportunity to bond with the baby. How sweet is that?
Or if you're baby daddy is Kanye West, your child can start listening to their famous daddy's music early ;)
Whilst the bellybuds may sound like a bit of a gimmick, there's some pretty amazing research behind the power of music. Firstly, music can be beneficial to babies in the breech position. I can only imagine just how overwhelming being told that your baby is breeched, especially if you have a specific birth plan. For any pregnant ladies who have been advised that their baby is in breech, there's research that playing music to a breech baby might even help them to turn. It's gotta be worth a shot!
More on the research front. There has been much research on the effect music has on premature babies. A report in the journal of Paediatrics found that premature babies exposed to music therapies showed more positive health effects like improved feeding and sleeping patterns. Infants exposed to the ocean sounds also experienced better blood-oxygen levels. Who knew that music could be so effective in a variety of ways? We thought the Bellybuds are pretty amazing and that's why we've brought them over direct from the USA for you. Why should us Aussies miss out?
To try them out for yourself, click here.