Critical Times in Child Development

Mother’s Day is such a special day, and it brings about so many emotions and dreams.  There are mothers around the world who wish, hope, and pray for similar things.  

Many mothers with newborns wish for more sleep, and for their baby to sleep throughout the night.  Many mothers hope their child will meet and exceed developmental milestones as they grow.  Many mothers also pray their child can achieve success in what they set out to do in life.  

What if there was a product that could be worn by mothers while their baby develops in utero?  Testimonials from mothers who used BabyPlus while pregnant demonstrate that the BabyPlus product can help with these mother wishes, hopes, and dreams. 

To read more about BabyPlus testimonials, please visit www.babyplus.com.

 

Internationally known super-model and BabyPlus mom, Niki Taylor, proudly participated in March of Dimes' March for Babies to help raise awareness and critical funds for healthier, stronger babies.

Taylor joined the March of Dimes in kicking off the walk in at Tropical Park in Miami, FL on the morning of Saturday, April 28^th.  The walk was close to the area where Taylor grew up.  She’s such a great mom and involved citizen. 

Herself a mother to a five month old son, a three year old daughter, and two very handsome 17 year old twin boys, Taylor connects with the cause and the need for people to sign up for the walk and fundraise. “I am proud to bring my own young ones out to be part of this event. Together we will walk for healthier babies, and for those born too soon and need our help.”   Taylor truly seems to care about the health and well-being of children.

Last fall Niki appeared on the hit TV show, The Doctors, discussing her favorite things for pregnancy and healthy living.  She mentioned The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System as one of her must have pregnancy items.  Taylor touted the benefits of using the system during her two most recent pregnancies. She said her daughter began good sleeping patterns early and was alert and calm from birth.  It’s terrific to see such a progressive mom who is educated on the important connection between early brain development and auditory stimulation. 

Babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks gestation) may be at risk for developmental problems that could persist throughout their lives, including problems with auditory attention, or the child’s ability to concentrate on and listen to sounds for an extended period of time, especially in a distracted environment.

An important study regarding prematurity was conducted by Emily Zimmerman, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Amir Lahav, ScD, PhD, focused on how premature infants respond to various sounds. The study may have the long-term potential to determine whether there is an early biomarker for ADHD, which typically isn’t detected until school age.  “Our findings show that there may be a window of opportunity to improve the physiological health of babies born prematurely using auditory simulation,” he said.

The research linked exposure to an audio recording of the mother’s heartbeat and her voice to a lower incidence of cardio-respiratory events in preterm infants. These infants typically experience high rates of adverse heart and lung events, such as apnea, a pause in breathing that lasts longer than 20 seconds, and bradycardia, slowing of the heart rate below 80 beats per minute. Researchers found that cardio-respiratory events occurred at a much lower frequency when the infants were exposed to maternal sound stimulation versus routine hospital noise and sounds.

“The results also suggest that there is a period of time when the infant’s auditory development is most intact that this intervention of maternal sound stimulation could be most effective,” Lahav said. “However, further research is needed.”

Are you participating in a walk for the March of  Dimes? We want to hear all about it! Tag us in your Facebook photos and tell us your story!  When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year.

The news seems to be buzzing right now about the fact that mothers should take omega-3 fatty acid during pregnancy for "brain development."  Using BabyPlus during the prenatal period enhances cognitive development.

We are all saying the same thing!

First, what exactly are omega-3s?  With a small amount of research I was able to learn that they are fatty acids that are good for you.  Your body can't produce them, so you need to get them another way.  How can we get omega-3s into our diet?  Most articles mention flaxseeds, walnuts, beans, some fish (such as salmon), olive oil  - even cod liver oil! (Please remember to first check with your health care provider to see what  he or she thinks.)

According to an archived article at webmd.com, "researchers found that infants born to mothers with higher blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at delivery had advanced levels of attention spans well into their second year of life. During the first six months of life, these infants were two months ahead of those babies whose mothers had lower DHA levels."  (two months ahead!)

A great site to learn more is  www.dha.net  - "a dedicated resource for new and expectant mothers, healthcare professionals and media, which focuses on two vital nutrients for a baby’s development: DHA omega-3 and AA omega-6."

The importance of the prenatal period has never been more clear - your baby is impacted for a lifetime by your choices now.  This is a critical time in the development of your child. 

(Remember to be well-balanced and not to overdo anything!)

 

The educational system in Hong Kong is now known as one of the best in the world!  Education in Hong Kong has a similar system to that of the United Kingdom, also extremely competitive by global standards.  Many researchers and academicians feel the advantage of being educated in Hong Kong versus other countries throughout the world lies in the age learning is perceived to begin. Most parents in Hong Kong (and much of Asia) feel learning begins at conception instead of preschool.  This belief is based upon more than 50 years of national research and the experiences of thousands of parents.  Parents in Hong Kong believe that when it comes to brain development an early start is far better than later.    Out of Hong Kong are fabulous resources like Neuroacademi and Brill Kids.  Products such as The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System provide enriched auditory environments for the prenatal child are widely used by expectant moms in Hong Kong.  These mothers understand the amount of brain development going on in the womb.  They want to do all they can to ensure they take advantage of every opportunity each window of development offers.  Parents in Hong Kong have read the studies regarding the importance of early auditory stimulation and truly don’t want to miss this limited opportunity for better early brain development. 

Another popular trend being embraced by many families in Hong Kong is early reading. Many children in Hong Kong are reading by age three while four out of ten American 8-year olds can’t read proficiently.  Studies show that kids with the ability to read early also learn early.   A world of knowledge opens up for these children once they are able to read and later comprehend. 

Music lessons are also considered an important part of early learning and development.  The emphasis on education is not simply about rote knowledge and better test performance but more about helping children develop critical thinking skills at the first moment possible, in the womb.  This is truly a population who has embraced the idea of offering their children every advantage for better brain development from conception to university and beyond.  Also, popular in Hong Kong is an International Education featuring full language immersion from early preschool through University.   Foreign language immersion like music education has been proven to be a wonderful way to offer a child an enriched environment which encourages better critical thinking skills and intellectual capabilities. 

It’s often overwhelming for expectant or new parents to navigate the muddied waters especially in the wake of the recent negative campaign against early reading educational products in the US.  Early learning is being encouraged all over the world and many of these same products are purchased and used all over the world!  As an expectant mother and the current mom of two little boys I wanted to give my kids every advantage possible.  I read, I researched and I made informed decisions.  Yes, my boys are in music lessons and yes they were both enrolled in an International School by age 3.  I’m also giving my baby the benefit of auditory enrichment while in the womb just like so many moms all over the world.  I’m not pushing my children and I’m certainly not a “Tiger Mom”.  I’m just placing opportunities to learn and thrive before my kids. 

 People in the US have their kids on the soccer field by age 3 or in swimming lessons (all of which encourage and require financial investment on the part of the consumer).  We fully accept these commercialized practices in the United States, but where the rest of the world seems to be ahead of us continues to be in the development of the mind. “We know the baby brain, not the 6-year old brain, has special language capacities.” says Dr. Richard Gentry, the author of Raising Confident Readers, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write-from Baby to Age 7  Gentry also mentioned in and article for Psychology Today, “ Many researchers point to babies and toddlers likely beginning as right brain readers.  These sight readers pick up reading as easily as they pick up three languages if all three languages are spoken by their caregivers between birth and age 3.” 

All parents should take the time to do their own due diligence and look at research for and against anything they plan to do during pregnancy and early childhood.  As an educated soon to be mom of three, I personally prefer to look to the experiences of other parents and published research as my compass for what products I buy or try.   When it comes to my children I ask a lot of questions and do a lot of research then I go with my gut.  It usually steers me in the right direction.  

Giuliana and Bill Rancic are having a baby - via surrogate!

We are thrilled to learn that Giuliana and her husband Bill Rancic are expecting a baby via gestational surrogate!  We are confident they will want to know the tangible benefits of using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System during prenatal development of their baby.  They are sure to be 100% involved in their baby's development, and we know they will want to make sure their baby receives every possible benefit to the very best start in life.  

Giuliana and Bill Rancic are busy working parents, so they will be happy with the benefits that BabyPlus parents all over the world describe: BabyPlus babies nurse more readily, have an increased ability to self-soothe, are more interactive and responsive, and are more relaxed and alert at birth.   And, later in life, these children demonstrate earlier developmental milestones, improved school readiness, enhanced intellectual abilities, greater creativity and independence, and longer attention spans.

As Giuliana and Bill research all things prenatal - we know they will be asking themselves - doesn't it make sense that if the negatives can impact your child forever, so can the positives?  Everything that is enriching should start early - and early means the critical times in child development - while you are still pregnant.  Fetal development occurs in stages.  Begin using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System during the 18th week of your pregnancy or later and you will benefit your baby's development in profound ways.

Remember -anything you do as an expectant mother during pregnancy lasts a lifetime for your child!  So, anything your surrogate does will also impact your child for their entire lifetime.

BabyPlus wishes Giuliana and Bill Rancic, their surrogate, and their baby the very best!

If you’re an expectant parent interested in prenatal brain development, then this will be one of the most important articles you’ll ever read.

Here’s why…  I’m going to share with you the fascinating link between providing an enriched auditory environment during your pregnancy and the significantly enhanced development of your child’s mind.

From the moment we see a positive result on a pregnancy test; we begin to navigate the complicated world of being a parent. Almost immediately, the barrage of advertising messages and opinions from well-meaning friends and family can often cause confusion about what is best for our baby.   I am doing what I did throughout my first two pregnancies; getting educated about what will make a difference and then going with my gut!  Pregnancy (though it seems to drag on forever) is a relatively short period in your baby’s long life of learning and development.  Take the time to look at the latest research about early cognition and prenatal brain development. 

We know so much more now about prenatal brain development than ever before.  It’s really exciting to be armed with powerful information about things like DHA and the importance of an enriched prenatal auditory environment.  No matter how you choose to communicate with your baby, after week 18 he’ll be listening and likely hungry for more.  Babies with an enriched nurturing auditory environment often show an increased ability to self-soothe and are more responsive at birth.  Later, parents of these same children report to have improved school readiness and longer attention spans.   

Fetal Brain Development

Experience is an essential component of prenatal brain development.   A prenatal child's specific experiences determine which connections are strengthened and expanded, and which connections are eliminated. 

• Connections that are used repeatedly become stronger. 
• Connections that are not used are eventually lost to pruning. 
• Repetition is important because it provides the child with multiple opportunities to strengthen connections and enhance prenatal brain development.

It also is important that experiences be enriching. A prenatal child should have regular opportunities to experience sounds that are new and different. These experiences should be challenging, but not overwhelming, just a step beyond what he can already do.  Your womb truly is the perfect classroom! A developmentally appropriate set of sounds that introduce patterns of rhythm to the baby similar to the maternal heartbeat are most likely to make the biggest impact on his/her prenatal brain development...  As a baby discriminates the simple rhythmic sounds from those of his mother, auditory learning begins.

The human brain begins forming very early in prenatal life (just three weeks after conception), but in many ways, brain development is a lifelong project. That is because the same events that shape the brain during development are also responsible for storing information—new skills and memories—throughout life. The major difference between prenatal brain development in the womb versus learning at a later age is a matter of degree: the brain is far more impressionable (neuroscientists use the term plastic) in early life than in maturity. This plasticity has both a positive and a negative side. On the positive side, it means that young children's brains are more open to learning and enriching influences.

Bilingualism in Babies Starts in the Womb

A recent joint study from Canadian and French researchers finds infants born to bilingual mother’s exhibit different language preferences than infants born to moms who speak only one language.  Bilingualism has been linked to a variety of positive cognitive benefits, including early ready, better critical think skills and longer attention spans.  Now we know what the baby experiences in his prenatal environment truly matters to the prenatal brain development in this small window of opportunity.  The study was published in the January 29, 2010, journal  Psychological Science.  Many expectant parents are not bilingual or have a preference for only one language thus never exposing baby to this important auditory enrichment.  The one consistently heard sound in the prenatal environment 24 hours 7 days a week is the mom’s heart beat.  Based on more than 23 years of scientific research the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System provides a patented curriculum that introduces a developing baby to learning in the only true and consistent language of the prenatal environment, a language based on the maternal heartbeat.  Studies show that a fetus does recognize the maternal heartbeat and can differentiate progressive versions of that sound.  Much like early language immersion, the simple, naturally derived lessons are the most effective at strengthening a lifetime of strong learning.  This early advantage during prenatal brain development means children will be able to absorb and appreciate far more of their environment than if they had not received this prenatal enrichment.  This might also be a fabulous time to turn your car into a “university on wheels” and begin a language course.  I am a big fan of Rosetta stone but there are many great options on the market. 

When it comes to IQ  - environment matters

You have probably heard the phrase nature versus nurture. It tends to pop up whenever we gain some new insight into prenatal brain development. Has some aspect of personality or intelligence come about as a result of genes and part of our inborn nature? Or because of the influence of parents, teachers, or other aspects of the environment that nurtured us?  The answer is both. 

In a study published in 2008 UCLA researchers found about 85 percent of the variation in white matter in the parietal lobe, which is involved in mathematics, logic, and visual-spatial skills, can be attributed to genetics. Only about 45 percent of the variation in the temporal lobe, which plays a central role in learning and memory, appears to be inherited.  This is the same part of the brain most impacted by an enriched auditory environment early in prenatal brain development.  Being armed with this knowledge is empowering to expectant parents all over the world.  A well-organized brain has well-functioning myelin, in which water can be seen clearly moving along specific paths. "Diffusion imaging gives a picture of how intact your brain connections are," says Paul Thompson, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who lead the study. 

Fetal Response to outside stimuli

Another important study came from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hua Chiew Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand.  The study focused on the fetal response to outside stimuli and assessed the capacity of the fetus’ memory and learning in various senses.  Researchers trained 120 pregnant mothers to practice the prenatal activity of auditory enrichment.  They used a heartbeat sound, music and rhythmic patting and rocking. The below results provide further reinforcement that giving baby an enriched auditory environment before birth really can make a difference in prenatal brain development:

 The clinical data and the evaluation sheet for analysis of fetal response and learning to prenatal activity were assessed in term of always, frequent, sometime, seldom and never response. The outcome of these samples demonstrated that 87.5% of experimental infants can recognize maternal voice and 70% recognize to prenatal music. They calm down significantly when giving a prenatal music, heart beat sound, rhythmic patting and rocking pattern which they ever received during in utero. This suggests that fetus can learn variety of sensory stimuli even before birth and these previous experiences they received in utero during this important prenatal brain development period may influence postnatal learning and perception. Experimental infants have a capacity of turning to voice only at 4.6 days in average while the general population turn to voice at 3.2 month. This means that they have a faster auditory development and learning than general population. In addition, they can be conditioned by kicking back when they were pat in 64.9%. The results confirm our belief that fetus have a capacity of conditional learning during the prenatal brain development stage. The study also showed better performance in relation between mother and child after participated the prenatal activity. These findings suggest that prenatal activity here may be introduced to routine prenatal care and may be an effective way to enhance mother and child attachment, as well as promote infant's intelligent and emotional development.

Dr. Susan Ludington-Hoe states in her book How to Have a Smarter Baby, “Infant stimulation accelerates a baby’s mental ability and increases a child’s skills in finding ways to stimulate himself.”

More evidence prenatal brain development can be impacted by environment

In a study designed to create an enriched environment for prenates by minimizing environmental stressors and substituting a positive, stimulating milieu, researchers designed a program that would reduce maternal stress with visualization and relaxation exercises, encourage mother-child bonding through prenatal communication and interaction exercises, and pleasantly stimulate prenatal auditory, tactile, visual and vestibular processes. Results from 150 pregnant women in the enrichment program compared to 100 pregnant women in a control group showed that infant head circumference, as an analog of prenatal brain development in the enriched group was significantly larger than that of the control group. Moreover, most dimensions on the Denver assessment scales showed earlier acquisition of gross and fine motor skills, language, and personal-social development by the enriched group compared to sample norms of Bangkok children.  Dr. Panthuraamphorn's research in creating positive and stimulating prenatal environments spans a number of studies with colleagues Dawiep Dookchitra and Manit Sanmaneechai who were co-researchers in a 1995 study focusing on auditory stimulation

DHA in Pregnancy: Should you Supplement?

DHA (or docosahexaenoic acid) an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil helps build your baby’s brain, nervous system, and eyes.  “Omega -3s are a specific type of fate that our body needs but cannot make,” says Melinda Johnson, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.  A baby in utero needs to get these fats from its mother for better prenatal brain development.  Researchers at the School of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia found that two years after birth, the children whose mothers had received a high dose of fish oil in the 2^nd half of pregnancy, one of the important stages in prenatal brain development, had higher scores in tests of their hand-eye coordination.  Another interesting study from the University of Oslo in Norway, found four year olds scored better on IQ tests if their mothers took DHA supplements during pregnancy.  .

How much DHA do you need?

Your brain is made up of about 60% omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil. And your baby's brain is about 70% of these acids. But studies show, you're probably deficient in them. In fact, most Westerners don't get enough of these important nutrients. According to the Journal of Perinatal Medicine, pregnant or lactating women need 200 mg of DHA a day.  Researchers are still evaluating the best possible sources for DHA.  Readily available sources are salmon, sardines, walnuts, eggs and milk.  If you would rather take a DHA supplement many researchers suggest you go for the one derived from algae rather than fish oil. (Then you will be getting your DHA just as the fish do; their source is marine algae.) Look for high levels of DHA. This is the "building block" of your child's prenatal brain development and is found in omega 3 fatty acids. Nevertheless, not all fish oil blends have a high amount of this important nutrient. The bottle will tell you how much DHA is in the product. Remember always consult with your obstetrician before making any changes to your prenatal routine. 

Prenatal auditory enrichment and DHA -  a winning combination for prenatal brain development

Prenatal learning and auditory enrichment is as vital to prenatal brain development as a prenatal vitamin is to enriching a baby’s physical development.  The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System offers developmental benefits that last a lifetime.  Moms everywhere are singing the praises of this prenatal system.  Celebrity moms like Nicole Richie and Gwen Stefani, just to name a few, have worn BabyPlus Prenatal Systems during pregnancy.  It is universal when a mom finds something that works for her she tells all of her friends.  It is the one thing women from every corner of the world have in common; we all want what is best for our children.  The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System is the only product of its kind on the market.   The system offers parents the opportunity to give their baby a head start while at the same time bonding with baby in a meaningful way.

 

A recent survey shows BabyPlus babies reach cognitive and developmental milestones ahead of recorded averages.  A survey of more than 350 BabyPlus parents indicates the majority of BabyPlus babies are calm and alert at birth. The survey also shows babies of parents, who used the BabyPlus educational system during pregnancy, sleep through the night, say their first words and take their first steps earlier than recorded averages for those milestones. In this first formal survey of BabyPlus parents, 84 percent of respondents said their baby was calm at birth and 96 percent said their baby was alert at birth.  In reaching their earliest developmental milestones, 68 percent of respondents said their children were sleeping more than six ours in a row by the age of three months compared to a four month average for infants; 48 percent reported their child said their first word by the age of six months compared to an average age of nine months; and 76 percent said their children took first steps before the age of 12 months compared to the a 12-15 month average.  In addition 98 percent of respondents described their baby as having an overall good disposition.   

 

 

 

Attitudes are shifting! 

Common sense about the prenatal environment is here!

Everyone understands the negatives of the prenatal environment in fetal development.  We know that when a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will pay the price — in mental and physical deficiencies — for his or her entire life.  Fetal alcohol syndrome will impact a baby physically and developmentally forever.

What about the positives?

Doesn't it make sense that if the negatives can impact your child forever, so can the positives?  Everything that is enriching should start early - and early means the critical times in child development - while you are still pregnant.  Fetal development occurs in stages.  Begin using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System during the 18th week of your pregnancy or later and you will benefit your baby's development in profound ways.

 

Remember -anything you do as an expectant mother and during pregnancy lasts a lifetime for your child!

In fact, you don't even have to be born!

BabyPlus is based on more than 25 years of scientific research.  More is known today than ever before about the prenatal environment.  We know the negative effects can last a lifetime - but what about the positive effects? 

Take some time to think about the positive impact you can make during the critical period in prenatal development.

Our prenatal curriculum introduces your developing baby to learning in the only true language of the prenatal environment - the maternal heartbeat. The spoken word is too difficult for the developing child to understand and music is too complex.

However, scientifically conducted studies show that the prenatal child recognizes the maternal heartbeat and can learn to differentiate progressively more rhythmic patterns of that sound. 

That is why BabyPlus uses the mother's heartbeat sounds during the stages of fetal development to encourage learning in the womb.

Take some time to think about the positive impact you can during the critical period in prenatal development. 

Visit www.babyplus.com to learn more!

All parents know that learning actually begins before your child goes to school.  New findings indicate that learning really begins in the womb. 

Everyone knows that baby development after birth is important.  However, the research now confirms that the critical period in prenatal development - especially early brain development - is impacted week by week during pregnancy.  Using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System - a simple set of sounds similar to the mother's heartbeat - helps during the stages of prenatal development.

Don't wait to begin teaching your baby after he or she is born - help them to be born already learning!

Learn more about BabyPlus by clicking on the BabyPlus system!

And Piers Morgan's got a baby on the way!

Piers Morgan and his wife Celia Walden are expecting their first child together.  Piers himself "tweeted" the news that Celia is about four months pregnant.

This is the perfect time for Piers and Celia to learn about the benefits of using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System. 

Once they share the news with loved ones and friends, they are sure to read articles on prenatal development.  Most expectant parents want to know everything they can about the critical period in prenatal development - specifically prenatal learning. 

Piers and Celia lead busy lives, so they will likely be interested to know the benefits of using BabyPlus.  Parents report that BabyPlus babies more readily nurse, have an increased ability to self-soothe, are more interactive and responsive, and are relaxed and alert at birth. 

Being a busy working parent, Piers will want to know about the BabyPlus curriculum and how the mother's heartbeat sounds have a positive impact on infant sleeping schedules.

BabyPlus wishes Piers Morgan, Celia, and their baby the very best!

Dr. Beth Lucy Wellman was a pioneer in the very earliest research of the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children.  She spent years researching the nature vs. nurture question and was one of the first to indicate that the environment of a child was extremely impactful.

We agree!

A healthy prenatal environment is critical to the development of your baby.  At BabyPlus, we recommend taking care of all the prenatal needs of your developing baby - including nutrition, exercise (in moderation), adequate rest, and, of course - using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System.

So, who was Dr. Beth Lucy Wellman?  One of the very first to realize the importance of how environment impacts development.

Visit www.babyplus.com to learn more about how YOU can have a positive impact on your baby's development.

Attitudes are shifting! 

Common sense about the prenatal environment is here!

Everyone understands the negatives of the prenatal environment on fetal development.  We know that when a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will pay the price — in mental and physical deficiencies — for his or her entire life.  Fetal alcohol syndrome will impact a baby physically and developmentally forever.

What about the positives?

Doesn't it make sense that if the negatives can impact your child forever, so can the positives?  Everything that is enriching should start early - and early means the critical times in child development - while you are still pregnant.  Fetal development occurs in stages.  Begin using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System during the 18th week of your pregnancy (or later!) and you will benefit your baby's development in profound ways.

Remember -anything you do as an expectant mother and during pregnancy lasts a lifetime for your child!

The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System includes a comfort pouch.  You put your system in the pouch to wear during these critical times in child development. 

Your baby hears the sounds similar to a mother's heartbeat sounds. 

This is how learning begins! 

Jewel and Ty Murray need BabyPlus - and here is why...

Jewel and Ty Murray will be welcoming their first baby.  These two very busy parents-to-be who are sure to want a baby who nurses well, has great sleep habits, and is a self-soother.

If Jewel uses the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System, she is sure to see the tangible benefits many, many other BabyPlus parents have described.  

BabyPlus is used during the stages of fetal development.  During early brain development in pregnancy, this simple set of sounds based on a mother's heartbeat will impact baby's development after birth.  Over 150,000+ BabyPlus parents all over the world have used BabyPlus during the critical period in prenatal development.

Best wishes to Jewel and Ty Murray for a happy and healthy pregnancy!

You just say the nicest things about BabyPlus! 

I am so happy you are seeing the benefits of this prenatal learning opportunity and giving your baby the early advantage of an enriched mind during your pregnancy.

Oh, by the way, I though you might want to know what nice things some other people have said about BabyPlus:

"I’m writing about to you in regards to your wonderful product! I am so glad I choose to be a BabyPlus mom."

"Honestly the Baby Plus Education system works so well that we have passed it around to 3 other mothers in the family, they all agree..."

" I give BabyPlus the credit it deserves. Great job, it was worth the money to us. We would recommend it to all."

"I have a degree in Child Development and I own a private school educating children from birth to primary grades.  At 15 months she had COMPLETED all of her 2 year milestones.  Now, at seventeen months she knows the names of all 80 children at our school.  I will continue to recommend Baby Plus to every expectant mother I meet."

"We are trying for baby #2 and will surely be using our Baby Plus during this future pregnancy as well!"

"Your product is incredible!"

The first half of the final Harry Potter movie is out Friday.  My kids are so excited and have been waiting months for the midnight showing.

J.K. Rowling is the perfect example of persevering in something you believe in, even when others do not believe.  The first Harry Potter film was released nine years ago today, but her journey of getting there was not easy.  Her manuscript was rejected by twelve publishing companies before it was accepted and the rest is history!

The idea of prenatal learning is slowly being accepted into mainstream pregnancy.  We have persevered and stood fast beside the fact that we strongly believe that something as simple as a mother's heartbeat can make such an impact in a baby's development.  It is widely accepted that eating right and taking care of yourself during pregnancy makes a difference, so why wouldn't something that strengthens cognitive development be as acceptable?  

We believe prenatal learning will eventually be a common term used during pregnancy, and we will continue to encourage the usage of BabyPlus with all pregnant moms!

Everyone understands the negatives of the prenatal environment on fetal development.  We know that when a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will pay the price — in mental and physical deficiencies — for his or her entire life.  Fetal alcohol syndrome will impact a baby physically and developmentally forever.

So...........what about the positives?

Doesn't it make sense that if the negatives can impact your child forever, so can the positives?  Everything that is enriching should start early - and early means the critical times in child development - while you are still pregnant.  Fetal development occurs in stages.  Begin using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System during the 18th week of your pregnancy or later and you will benefit your baby's development in profound ways.

Remember -anything you do as an expectant mother and during pregnancy lasts a lifetime for your child!

Seventeen years ago this month, Mattel and Fisher Price Toys companies merged.  My favorite toys growing up were Barbies and Little People and seeing these toys in the store brings back many happy memories.

Toys are such an integral part of a child's development.  Kids are learning while they play.  Age-appropriate toys are important as well - you wouldn't give a metal erector set to a one-year-old.  You would start off with soft, squishy blocks.  After that, you could give him or her foam blocks and eventually you could introduce wooden or plastic pieces.  You start with the simple and basic before moving to the next level. 

This philosophy is the idea behind BabyPlus, which uses age-appropriate sounds during critical stages of fetal development.  By introducing simple sounds relevant to your baby's environment--your heartbeat--you will be able to strengthen cognitive development.  You will be able to move on to more complex sounds, such as music, after your little one is born. 

Much like a prenatal vitamin encourages strong physical development in your baby, BabyPlus encourages strong cognitive development during pregnancy.  You can find out more details at www.babyplus.com and read other families' experiences.

All parents know that learning actually begins before your child goes to school.  Learning really begins in the womb.  Everyone knows that baby development after birth is important.  However, the research now confirms that the critical period in prenatal development - especially early brain development - is impacted week by week in pregnancy.  Using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System - a simple set of sounds similar to the mother's heartbeat - helps during the stages of prenatal development.

Don't wait to begin teaching your baby after he or she is born - help them to be born already learning!

Learn more about BabyPlus by clicking on the BabyPlus system!

I say it all the time - we LOVE LOVE LOVE getting pictures of "our" BabyPlus babies.

The two darlings have a four year old sibling, so this BabyPlus mom knows the benefits of using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System.

We have many sets of multiples whose parents used BabyPlus during pregnancy.  The feedback we receive from these parents consistently indicates that their babies are exhibiting the tangible benefits of using the BabyPlus curriculum.

"Our" parents of multiples have seen the same benefits (better sleeping, nursing, self soothing, school readiness, etc.) as the mothers of single babies.  Frequently, twins are born early, and the mothers of babies who were not full term have seen amazing results.  We have had mothers of premature babies report that their babies are reaching their milestones based on their birth age, as opposed to gestational age.  They have also reported shorter hospital stays when compared to other premature babies.

BabyPlus is a series of 16 Lessons based on the mother's heartbeat.  Used during the critical period in prenatal development, this innovative prenatal care curriculum will provide your baby (or babies!) with an appropriate amount of stimulation.  The benefits of infant stimulation are many - read any article on prenatal development and you will learn that baby development after birth is directly impacted by what happens in the day by day pregnancy.

Learn more about the stages of fetal development and the positive impact of BabyPlus!