We are thrilled to be featured in the February, 2009 issue of Pregnancy Magazine as a co-sponsor of Alison Sweeney's Beverly Hills baby shower.

Check out pages 71-76 to see the article "Everyone Loves Ali" by Abigail Tuller.  You will read about Alison Sweeney's wonderful shower for her second baby, a little girl, with all the gifts being donated to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. 

According to the article, Alison is a "big fan of the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System."  And, why wouldn't she be?  The idea of prenatal education is becoming more and more mainstream.  Learning in the womb is not new.  Impacting early brain development during your pregnancy is profoundly possible.  Using the mother's heartbeat sounds during the critical period in prenatal development will benefit your baby for a lifetime.  Alison Sweeney knows this - and now you do, too!

Click on the BabyPlus logo to go to our website to learnt more about our patented prenatal learning curriculum.

 The time to make the impact is now!

You will not have a chance again to impact your baby's development in such a profound way.  We know so much about the prenatal environment, so we must do everything we can to make sure our developing baby has all the opportunities available to her.

Most people believe pregnancy lasts a long time.  Well, I believe time flies when you are trying to create this wonderful little person.  We say many times a day that providing our beneficial curriculum of a mother's heartbeat during fetal development is crucial.

Take the time to visit our website and learn more about learning in the womb, why the mother's heartbeat sounds are significant, and early brain development.

We have received yet another email from a satisfied BabyPlus mom...this is actually the second time she has contacted us with a positive email.....

"My 7 month old is already standing on her own and starting to take her first steps. She's a pro at walking holding on to things and holding on with one hand. She's been crawling for months and climbs staircases and anything else she can climb. She clearly says Daddy, Mama and I believe she now understands which one of us is who by calling us as Mama or Daddy. She is absolutely amazing and I reallly do believe a lot of it has to do with Baby Plus."

Clearly, this baby experienced the benefits of this incredible learning opportunity during early brain development - actually the most critical time in the stages of fetal development.  Hearing the curriculum of the mother's heartbeat sounds during the stages of fetal development is the reason this education system is so effective.  The simplicity of the sounds is the key!

As always, we thank our many, many parent supporters!  Keep sending these stories to us!  We LOVE hearing about your babies!

I have a new idea for blogging today - the topic is ......blogging!

The BabyPlus Company began our blogging initiative as a tool to educate expectant mothers about the stages of fetal development, early brain development during pregnancy, and the benefits of infant stimulation using our patented curriculum of a mother's heartbeat sounds.  We have found that many parents-to-be visit our website as a direct result of Internet research of learning in the womb. 

Our goal with blogging is that we want to provide information that is relevant to you.  Please let us know if you have questions for us to answer.  We want to provide the best and most current information we can about our prenatal care curriculum.  We are happy to blog about topics you are intrested in learning more about.

We hope you get to know us - the people "behind the scenes" - and that we are forming a bit of a relationship with you.  We are blogging for you!

Please click on the logo below to go to the BabyPlus website today.

Fruit and Vegetables - AND BabyPlus
 
I am sitting at my computer eating fruit for lunch, and I always think about how things I do apply to BabyPlus...... so today's thoughts are about the impact of what we do during the stages of pregnancy.  We try to eat well and take care of the fetal environment nutritiously........so we need to take care of the fetal environment during critical times in early brain development.  You don’t have to "give up" all the foods you love when you’re pregnant -  you just need make sure that most of your choices are healthy ones.  Try to mix things up a bit - that way you will be getting your nutrients without getting bored with your choices.  I love fruits and vegetables, so this was not hard for me! Prenatal care is essential in the short term and the long term.  Remember - everything you do now - while pregnant - will impact your child for a lifetime!

Click on the BabyPlus logo to go directly to our website to learn more about the impact you can have on your developing baby!

So, what exactly are the critical periods in child development? 

Some people are surprised to learn that the first one is the PRENATAL period, not infancy.  So, the stages of fetal development are truly critical to your developing baby.

The prenatal period is the time from conception to birth. It is a time of tremendous growth-from a single cell to an organism, complete with a brain and behavioral capabilities, produced in approximately a nine-month period.  So - the very first critical period in child development is when you are pregnant - and this is when learning begins!

During this first critical period, why not use the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System?  This simple set of educational sounds (mommy's heartbeat) is a curriculum developed from over 30 years of clinical research.  BabyPlus parents report that, at birth and infancy, babies more readily nurse, have an increased ability to self-soothe, are more interactive and responsive, and are more interactive and alert at birth.

BabyPlus parents also report that, later in life, BabyPlus babies demonstrate earlier developmental milestones, improved school readiness, enhanced intellectual abilities, greater creativity and independence, and longer attention spans.

Every parent should provide this curriculum opportunity for their baby while in the womb. 

We know so much now!

Click on our "Buy Now" logo to immediately provide this educational benefit to your developing baby!

Buying BabyPlus at a "brick and mortar" store.

The BabyPlus is a wise investment to use during the critical periods in child development.  Keep in mind that fetal development is a critical time for the development of your child.  The measurement used to be 0-3 years of age.  The measurement now is prenatal to 3 years of age.  Moms must now do everything possible while pregnant.

Early brain development during pregnancy can be impacted by our curriculum (the simple sound of YOUR heartbeat).  Simply using this innovative product two times a days will impact your baby in ways you will notice both a birth and later in life.

Sometimes, we have customers who want to see our product before they purchase it.  Please click on the picture to see a list of retailers by state.  Remember - call the store before you make the trip!   

A question that has been asked a lot lately in Customer Service is concerning the volume of the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System and if it is too loud for the baby.  Here are our findings:

"The sound level to the baby is strictly controlled for both pitch and volume.  Dr. Logan spent many years studying the normal environment of the developing baby, and BabyPlus® is carefully designed to present sounds to the prenatal infant at a very safe but audible level.  The baby hears the sounds of the mother's heartbeat at approximately 95 decibels, as loud as a rock band, constantly.   Moreover, normal sounds in a mother's environment--television, loud remarks, traffic--reach the fetus at volumes similar to that of her heartbeat yet the baby still sleeps through it most of the time, even though its brain is monitoring the sound.  BabyPlus is designed to produce an external sound of about 105 decibels, which is then reduced by 30-35 decibels as it is filtered through the mother's abdominal wall, reaching the unborn infant at 70-75 decibels, well below the sound level of the mother's blood--which is present every minute, 24 hours per day.  BabyPlus therefore has a scientifically engineered sound ceiling which is always less that the natural sonic environment of the womb.  More than 70,000 families worldwide have attested to its safety and effectiveness. Over stimulation does not occur because the sound is so familiar to the developing baby. The tones are natural, and the sound level is safe.  Of the 70,000 BabyPlus children born to date, there has never been a case of hearing damage--or any other detrimental effect from the product."

In other words, the prenatal environment is louder to the baby than BabyPlus, so the volume is safe for your baby.

 Can I Use My BabyPlus More Than Two Times a Day?

There is no real benefit to using the BabyPlus more than twice a day.  The earliest studies showed that Babyplus is most effective at two or more hours of usage per day, although over this minimum did not produce substantially greater results.


The sound level to the baby is strictly controlled for both pitch and volume.  Dr. Brent Logan spent 25 years studying the normal environment of the developing baby, and BabyPlus is carefully designed to present sounds for the prenatal infant at a very safe but audible level.  The baby hears the sounds of its mother's heartbeat at approximately 95 decibels, as loud as a rock band, constantly.   Moreover, normal sounds in a mother's environment--television,radio, loud remarks, traffic--reach the fetus at volumes similar to that of her heartbeat yet the baby still sleeps through this noise most of the time, even though its brain is always monitoring these sounds.  BabyPlus is designed to produce an external sound of about  90 to 95  decibels, which is then reduced by 30-35 decibels as it is filtered through the mother's abdominal wall, reaching the unborn infant at  60-65 decibels, well below the sound level of the mother's blood.  BabyPlus therefore has a scientifically engineered sound ceiling which is always less that the natural sonic environment of the womb.  More than 100,000 families worldwide have attested to its safety and effectiveness.  Overstimulation does not occur because, like the maternal bloodpulse, this sound is so familiar to the developing baby.  The tones are natural, and the sound level is appropriate.  Of all BabyPlus children born to date, there has never been a case of hearing damage--or any other detrimental effect from the product.

Things have been hopping here at BabyPlus!  We have a new Director of Retail Sales who brings many new and exciting ideas. 

Julie has an extensive background in retail sales as well as international business experience.  She is continuing her education in neuroscience, which gives her a great understanding of the science behind the concept of a prenatal curriculum and the importance of early brain development during pregnancy.  Her enthusiasm and positive nature is catching, and we are looking forward to the growth and development that she brings to the company. 

We are excited to welcome Julie as a new addition to the BabyPlus family!

What an interesting article Dr. Logan sent me. It echo’s the message of BabyPlus with the rhythmic sounds heard with the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System and the first words a baby utters.

Why 'Mama' and 'Dada' are baby's first words

Study: Many cultures' words for mom and pop feature repeating sounds

MSNBC LiveScience, Aug. 27, 2008

A baby's first words are often "mama" and "dada," much to the delight of parents. Now scientists think they know why.

Beyond the obvious - Mommy and Daddy are around a lot and babies are drawn to them languages in many cultures have apparently made the task easy by creating words for mothers and fathers that feature patterns of repeating sounds, a new study suggests.

To arrive at this finding, brain scans were made of 22 newborns (age 2 days to 3 days) while they listened to recordings of made-up words. They heard words that end in repeating syllables, such as "mubaba" and "penana," as well as words without them, such as "mubage" and "penaku."

Brain activity increased in the babies' temporal and left frontal areas whenever the repetitious words were played. Words with non-adjacent repetitions ("bamuba" or "napena") elicited no distinctive responses from the brain. 

Recent studies show that babies who learn two or more languages at once actually perform better at certain tasks.

This suggests "mama" and "dada" (or "papa") are well-chosen words to teach a baby, and it also indicates that the ability to more easily recognize these sorts of repetitive sounds is hard-wired in the human brain.

The research, led by University of British Columbia post-doctoral fellow Judit Gervain, was published online this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"It's probably no coincidence that many languages around the world have repetitious syllables in their 'child words,'" Gervain said, citing "papa" in Italian and "tata" (grandpa) in Hungarian as examples.

"The language center of most right-handed adults is located on the left side of the brain," Gervain said. "This is consistent with our finding with newborn babies and supports our belief humans are born with abilities that allow us to perceive and learn our mother tongue systematically and

efficiently."

"The brain areas that are responsible for language in an adult do not 'learn' how to process language during development, but rather, they are specialized - at least in part - to process language from the start."

How amazing is that? 

Hey Dad-to-be! Pregnancy isn't just for women. If your woman is pregnant there is a lot you can do. I know you have been reading a bunch of articles on Prenatal development, baby stimulation and fetal development. You have seen everything there is about Critical period in prenatal development, having a smart baby and fetal brain development.

But what do you know about taking care of your new mom-to-be? Let me tell you that a happy mom-to-be = a healthy mom-to-be = a healthy baby. And you can do something about it. In the next several blogs I will tell you how you can pamper the mom-to-be in your life.

The Pampering Dad-To-Be Massage

The healthiest and safest time to begin having pregnancy massages is in your second trimester. Lying on your back is  not a good idea after the 20th week of pregnancy, so the position that works best is to have your mom-to-be straddle a chair, with the back facing her front. This works especially well if you place the chair in front of a table, and then stack one or two pillows over the back, allowing them to spill out on to the tabletop. This will enable her to lean forward during the massage and rest her head.

Now, lubricate your hands with either high-quality commercial massage oil, or one you make yourself. This can be done by combining a few drops of a relaxing essential oil, such as lavender or chamomile, with a carrier oil such as sweet almond or jojoba. Be sure to warm the oil by pouring a small amount into your hands and rubbing them together. This is an important step, since cold oil causes muscles to tense, causing her to feel stressed.

Now, place your hands on her lower back just below the waistline, and slowly begin sliding up her back on either side of her spine. Never massage directly on the backbone, or over the spinal column. As you reach her shoulders your hands should slowly move across the upper back, then down the opposite side of the spine, to the starting point. This up-and down motion should continue for at least several minutes, until the muscles of her back start to warm and relaxed.

Your can then begin applying gentle pressure to any area of her back where she is feeling pain -- using the heel of your hand or the pads of your fingers, bearing down slightly and continuing to move in a circular motion. The operative word here, however, is "gentle." The point of massage is to relax and soothe muscles, so a rubdown should never hurt. If it does, you are is pressing too hard -- so ask her if she experiencing discomfort.

Your massage finishes with a repeat of the up-and-down motion that started the back rub, done for a several more minutes. You should then wrap her body in a soft blanket or beach towel, to keep muscles warm. Have her remain in her massage position for five to 10 minutes.

The massage can be as short as 10 minutes, or as long as 60 minutes; it's not a good idea to go beyond that time limit, no matter how great it feels. During her second trimester, you can give her a massage once a week; during the third trimester, you can increase massages to twice weekly or more if needed. Again, never give her a massage during the first trimester, even by a professional therapist

Go green if you are pregnant or are thinking about getting pregnant. I’m talking about eating more green! It’s important not only for fetal brain development but also for mom’s health. The fact is, healthy prenatal development is up to you. What you do and eat will directly affect the development of your baby in every stage of fetal development. If you continue a healthy diet after your baby is born, you will enjoy better breast feeding and a healthier you.

Healthy Spinach-Stuffed Sole Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 tsp oregano leaves, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb sole fillets or other white fish
2 Tbsp sherry
4 oz (1 C) part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated
as needed nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 ºF.

2. Coat 10- by 6-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Heat oil in skillet and sauté mushrooms for about 3 minutes or until tender.

4. Add spinach and continue cooking for about 1 minute or until spinach is barely wilted. Remove from heat and drain liquid into prepared baking dish.

5. Add oregano and garlic to drained sautéed vegetables. Stir to mix ingredients.

6. Divide vegetable mixture evenly among fillets and place in center of each.

7. Roll each fillet around mixture and place seam-side down in prepared baking dish.

8. Sprinkle with sherry, then grated mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15–20 minutes slotted spoon.

Yield: 4 servings   Serving size: 1 filet roll

Folic acid it the nutrient to remember if you are pregnant or are thinking about getting pregnant. It is crucial for fetal brain development. You can’t start too soon adding more Folic Acid to your diet. The fact is that healthy prenatal development is up to you. What you do and eat will directly affect the development of your baby in every stage of fetal development. If you can keep track of your diet week by week during your pregnancy you can insure a healthy pregnancy and a happy baby.

Try this easy recipe alone or as a side to a grilled chicken breast.

Lentils and Rice

Ingredients

3/4 cup lentils, washed and sorted
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine everything except 1/2 a cup of the Swiss cheese in a bowl. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish, cover, and bake at 350 degrees F for about two hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover and top with the remaining cheese. Bake another five minutes.


click on the bowl of rice to read more about pregnancy and nutrition

Using BabyPlus during pregnancy provides a wonderful bonding opportunity for mother and baby.

In the prenatal period, the brain is at its most receptive stage of learning. By enriching the auditory environment during this crucial period, independent studies have shown that a child's long term learning capacities are improved.

This early advantage means children will be able to absorb and appreciate far more of their environment than if they had not received prenatal enrichment. BabyPlus children have an intellectual, social, creative, and emotional advantage from the time they are born.

 Your womb...the perfect classroom...

You take a prenatal vitamin every day to enrich your child's earliest physical development.

Your child's brain development begins during these prenatal months, too.

Now is the time for the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System.  Click on the picture to learn more about prenatal care, our prenatal care curriculum, and, most importantly, prenatal development facts.

Why I Love to Blog About BabyPlus!

Well, the reasons are MANY. 

First, the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System is an amazing educational tool for your unborn child.  As a teacher (in my previous life!), I know the importance of giving your child the best possible tools for success in life.  The prenatal time is actually very critical.  Everyone knows the value of good health and taking a vitamin; now, the idea of early brain development is really becoming more widely accepted.

Second, I love talking about the exciting time of pregnancy.  This special time in the life of mom, dad, and baby will be treasured forever.  We have found that using the prenatal care curriculum actually aids in bonding with your baby.  Week by week, through the stages of your pregnancy, you might notice your baby "anticipating" the lessons.  This is your very first communication with your baby!  Thrilling!

Third, I wore the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System with one of my own children, so I have a first hand view of the tangible benefits of using this educational curriculum.  She is now 8 years old - not really a baby anymore - and I am still amazed with her vocabulary, gross motor skills, school capabilities, reading skills...the list could go on and on (of course, because she is my child, after all!).

Fourth, who doesn't want to talk about babies????  I get to do it all day long, and I love it!  Every joyous phone call and email makes me smile.  I love your willingness to share the stories of your beautiful children.

Fifth, this company is all about family values, education, and prenatal care.  From the owner to all the co-workers, this is a team.  We all work together to impart the important scientific news that your baby is receptive to learning prenatally.

I am so lucky to come to work every day!

 How Do the BabyPlus Sounds Educate My Baby?

The unborn child receives very little stimulation in the uterus. The only sound that it can clearly discern is the maternal heartbeat. By providing the infant with sounds which closely mimic the maternal heartbeat, but which vary in subtly increasing ways, your baby's brain learns one of the most basic skills of all - discrimination - before she/he is even born.  Repetition is good because it creates a memory.  So, the repetitive sounds of the lessons (the maternal heartbeat) is being compared to your own heartbeat - and learning has begun!

As we continue our discussion on the benefits of Folic Acid to the developing fetus' brain, we learn that many fruits and vegetables are high in folic acid. Early brain development during pregnancy can be greatly affected by the addition or lack of this critical nutrient. It's easy to include these foods in your diet. Fruits high in folic acid include strawberries, oranges and other citrus fruits, tomatoes, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, raspberries, avocados, bananas and watermelon.

Try this simple but tasty recipe to help insure healthy fetal development. Click on the picture to visit the March of Dimes website to learn more about the importance of Folic Acid

Simply Salad 
Combine halved strawberries with chunks of other folic-acid-rich fruits, such as bananas, oranges, and melons.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts.  Serve with a dressing of plain yogurt seasoned with a little thawed frozen orange juice concentrate.