This Is why you should talk to your baby in the womb

There may be a lot of people in this part of the world who think it a waste of precious time and energy (not to mention ridiculous) talking to a baby lying cosy in the womb without a way of knowing if he or she has heard any of it. Not so for Flávio Dantas and his wife Tarsila Batista. Flávio may have waited a few months to get a confirmation from his beloved baby girl, but that doesn't diminish the effect and significance of that beautiful moment when his daughter Antonella smiled at him the first time she heard his voice. 

Was it just chance?

Tarsila worked two jobs until her daughter was born. One as an attendant in a kiosk and the other as a cook. While her husband Flávio is a soldier of the Brazilian navy. Coincindetally, Antonella was born on August 11th in Rio de Janeiro, which is also Father's Day in Brazil. She weighed a little over 3.1kg at the time of birth.

Coming across the story for the first time, you may be tempted to label it a coincidence but it is far from that. According to what Antonella's mother told SóNotíciaBoa, the baby was lying on top of her, but as soon as the father spoke she opened her eyes and smiled. 

"They put her on top of me sleeping and as soon as he spoke to her, Antonella opened her eyes and smiled," she said.

Tarsila attributes this wonderful occurrence to Flávio, who never stopped stroking her belly and speaking to the baby while she was pregnant with little Antonella. 

“He always told her that he loved her so much. Good morning when I went to work, arrived good afternoon, said I’d always be there, kept stroking my belly…and amazingly it always seems at the same time every day she started to move.”

If you're still in doubt, Flávio didn't just say anything that came to mind to have gotten such a warm reaction from his little girl. He repeated the phrase she was used to hearing when she was still in her mother's womb. As expected, Flávio couldn't contain his joy. He said, “I thought I knew what a feeling of true love was until I looked at that most sincere smile in the world…it was [there] that I could be sure what love is.”

Why you should talk to your baby in the womb

Apart from the fact that you may get rewarded with a wonderful moment like the one that passed between Flávio and Antonella, here are a few other benefits of talking to your baby in the womb.

• To put it simply, it helps the baby learn to pick up on words and learn a language faster in general, developing their social skills. 

• Your voice reassures your baby that he or she is safe in there. The womb can be a lonely place. Even we as adults crave the familiar when we find ourselves in unusual places. 
• As both parents talk to the baby, he or she begins to learn how to differentiate sounds. This exercise helps the baby's brain to develop further. 

To connect better with the baby in the womb, pick a unisex name that you will address the baby by. This creates a temporary identity that will help your connection with the baby. 

Read more: The 3-minute rule to create stronger bonds with kids according to a psychologist

Source: Gript