Who doesn’t want their child to be smart? You don’t have to wait till your little one is born to begin the molding process- you can start right when your baby is growing in your womb. Your state of mind, diet, exercise and the interaction with the baby bump all play vital roles in developing your baby’s IQ. Let’s take a look at some baby IQ boosting habits every expectant mother should follow!
1. Let Story-time Begin A Bit Early
You might find this a bit awkward in the beginning, reading stories to your tummy, but soon you will get used to and enjoy it. The foundations of your child’s language skills are laid down in your womb. By the third trimester, your little genius will be able to recognize and memorize your voice.
2. Stay On Your Toes
It is necessary that you stay active, as exercise plays a huge role in the physical and mental development of your baby. The endorphins that are released when you exercise reach the placenta, which will shower your little one with feel-good chemicals whose effects last up to 8 hours. Additionally, exercise will increase the blood flow to your womb, aiding your baby’s growth. Recent studies also show that regular exercise can increase the neurons in your child’s developing brain by a whopping 40 percent.
3. Soak In All That Vit D
Sunshine plays an essential role in your baby’s overall development. Many pregnant women happen to be deficient in vitamin D, either due to less exposure to sunlight or due to an imbalanced diet. A daily sunlight soak that lasts about 20 minutes is all that is required to keep you and your baby healthy. Recent studies have discovered a link between vitamin D deficiency in expectant mothers and autism. Besides this, the sunshine nutrient is also necessary for your baby’s bone and heart development.
4. Massage Your Beloved Bump
Your caring touch is vital for your baby’s growth. Your little one will be able to feel and recognize your touch starting from the 20th week.This can also help calm down your baby and regulate his or her nervous system. Studies prove that unborn babies can actually distinguish between their father and mother’s touch. A 20-minute long almond oil massage everyday will help you interact more with your baby bump.
5. Listen To Some Happy Tunes
Music can trigger happy chemicals into your baby’s system and also boost his or her musical abilities. Chemicals like serotonin, which are triggered by music can calm your baby down. Once born, he or she will be able to relate happy memories with the music they once heard while in the womb. All expectant mothers are recommended to listen to music as it is the best way to educate your unborn child.
6. Talk Non-Stop
Talking to your baby bump constantly can tremendously boost your baby’s IQ. It would also be great if your child gets to hear conversations between the father and mother. Babies are able to hear noises starting from the 16th week and all the connections from the ear to the brain are routed by the time they hit the 27th week. Many researches prove that unborn babies can even distinguish between different accents and respond to two different languages by the time they are born if their parents are bilingual.
7. Experiment With Your Diet
If your baby needs to be smart, he or she should get all the right nutrients. The need for a well balanced diet is not unknown to expectant mothers. But an intelligent brain also requires a varied diet. Explore new and exciting foods- your baby’s taste buds are in place by the 12th week. Studies show how the foods consumed most by the mothers during pregnancy are preferred by their children once they are born. So make sure you cover a wide and varied palate and pass it onto your budding genius.
8. Sing Nursery Rhymes
Singing to your baby bump is another clever way to familiarize your child with language and music. Babies will be able to recognize the rise and fall in the tunes, and relate to the same once they are out of the womb. It will also be easier to calm them down with the same rhymes as they are familiar with the tunes.
