How much stimulation does baby need?

[LilacWine7]

I'm nearly 34 weeks. Baby is very lively and responds to touch, music, voices, loud environments, me changing position etc. Certain types of music seem to excite him a lot, he squirms and kicks vigorously then stops as soon as music stops. I also talk to him, sing to him and DH talks to him and plays with him several times a day. He gets excited and wriggly when he hears DH's voice! If anything touches my bump he tends to kick against it even if it's just the seatbelt in car!

DH thinks he needs daily music sessions for brain development and says being in a quiet environment most of the day is bad for him. He thinks he'll get bored and under-stimulated.

How much stimulation do you give your baby?

[Wolpertinger]

Your baby isn't born yet. He just needs to lie there and grow.

[Mulligrubs]

Babies don't need a "set" stimulation - everything is new to them so everything, even you just chatting about mundane things to your DH, is stimulating.

Being in a quiet environment in the womb and once they are born is good for them. They need periods of quiet because brain development takes place when they are asleep. While you're pregnant if you're constantly trying to make them wriggle you could be interfering with their sleep.

So there needs to be a balance and you don't need to do anything special or specific to help stimulate them.

[Fishwives]

Jesus, calm down already. In the nicest possible way, this sounds like very large amounts of stimulation before your baby is even born! Are you and your husband very busy, nervy, loud-soundtrack 'bored if 10 things aren't going on simultaneously' kind of people? Because it seems a bit much to assume that of your baby.

And no, daily music lessons from birth are both unnecessary and unwise - your DH does realise that actually being out in the world for the first time is more than enough stimulation for a newborn???

For what it's worth, my DS was exposed to a lot of opera and Irish trad in the womb, and was very lively in utero, is pretty musical now at three, but has dubious taste, mostly reggae.

[lauraa4]

Just the sounds of voices and every day things such as traffic, television, going to the shops etc he will pick up on the noises. As PP have said until he is actually born there isn't an awful lot of things you should or shouldn't be doing in terms of mental stimulation. I have certainly never been worried that my baby is 'bored' in there.

In the later stages of pregnancy they do start to have longer set periods of sleep etc. so encouraging him constantly to be awake, alert and moving around I think would be worse then letting him actually do things when he wants, rather then to put it on him all the time. Maybe if you wanted to have an hour or so a day playing certain music and reading him a story but definitely not as much as your DH is saying.

[Doublebubblebubble]

Honestly... Newborns need very little stimulation.
We buy the toys, the baby genius dvds (yes I know they have been debunked as being absolute bullpoo) the rattles etc for us You'll see that they really don't need anything really everyday when they (honestly their little faces just light up every morning seeing you and your dp) see your face - if you wear your hair differently, sing, when they have a bath or when they discover their foot for the first time... Seriously don't waste your money on music when simply speaking to him is so much better for you and him

[Rosieliveson]

I'm pregnant with DC2. The most entertainment this little bump gets is the shrieking from DS1!!

[LilacWine7]

Thanks for reassurance
I've been on sick-leave with HG last few months so I've mainly been indoors alone in a quiet house while DH is at work. DH thinks I should get out more often to expose baby to sounds of the world, and play him music/radio to entertain him during the day. I get out of the house 3-4x week on average.

I'm not sure when he sleeps as he seems to be active most of the day and night, maybe he sleeps for very short periods or moves a lot in his sleep? If he's quiet we don't interact with him, but when he's wriggly DH thinks he needs/wants attention! The only thing that seems to lull him to sleep is the sound of the hoover or shower, or if I'm walking around in a quiet place.

Are you and your husband very busy, nervy, loud-soundtrack 'bored if 10 things aren't going on simultaneously' kind of people?
Quite the opposite actually I like a quiet, calm environment and feel no need for noise, music or TV during the day. Good to know baby's not missing out!

[Skiptonlass]

You don't need anything special! They don't need you to talk to them, there's no difference between that and just hearing you talk to your other half. Right now they're just putting down fat stores and finishing baking :)

With babies, everything is a first. Paper rustling, birds tweeting, they get tons of stimulation from just existing in an environment so different to the womb. Everything is new, everything is novel.

Witness the excited reaction of a child in a pushchair to even the hundredth dog it's ever seen ;)

Of course you should read to and talk to your kids, play counting games etc, but I think there's a danger in having things too structured.
In my opinion, kids get far more pleasure and benefit from playing independently with stuff. Boredom is essential as it lets them use their imaginations. As a child I'd have hated to be ferried off to lessons, I only needed books (I was an early reader) or some peace and quiet to amuse myself. I could lie in the garden for hours staring at ants. I'd have been miserable as sin being dragged off to ballet/piano or whatever. Some kids love it, I'd have loathed it.

[batfish]

Are you talking about stimulation for the baby whilst in the womb or as a newborn? If in the womb then it's really sweet that you and your husband are bonding with the baby so much but I don't think entertaining an unborn baby is something that is necessary, talk to him and feel him move and play a bit of music but putting a lot of thought into how to stimulate them really isn't needed, they're just chilling out in there and growing, I would focus your energy on what to do with him when he is on the outside I think. Don't want to sound rude as it really is lovely how much your husband is thinking about this but daily music sessions sounds a little bit crackers. Sounds like your baby will have a fab set of parents though with never a dull moment

[Longtalljosie]

Deliberately stimulating a tiny baby is a one-way ticket to colicsville imo...