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.

BabyPlus parents report about the benefits of using the BabyPlus:

Babies at birth and infancy:
more readily nurse
display an increased ability to self-soothe
are more interactive and responsive
are more relaxed and alert at birth

And, later in life demonstrate:
earlier developmental milestones
improved school readiness
enhanced intellectual abilities
great creativity and independence
longer attention spans

Using the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System's simple and safe lessons during the stages of pregnancy can show these tangible benefits and more. 

Joyful Time

The BabyPlus Company is lucky to be able to participate in the truly joyful time of a pregnancy.  We hear from expectant parents often; we love being a part of your lives.  Every parent wants to make sure they are giving the best prenatal care available to their child.  Your amazing concern and love for your child is so evident with every phone call and email you send us.  We believe in the benefits of infant stimulation during the stages of pregnancy, and clearly, so do you!  Think of the bond you are already establishing with your baby!

The real question is, "Why wouldn't you use BabyPlus?"

The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System is safe, scientifically validated, and the benefits are remarkable. The benefits are a baby who more readily nurses, has an increased ability to self-soothe, is more interactive and responsive, and is more relaxed and alert at birth.  In order to give your child every advantage, you take care of your health while you're pregnant - eating right, taking prenatal vitamins, avoiding alcohol, etc. Basically, you commit to taking care of the physical environment of your developing baby. 

The great news is - you can also begin taking care of your baby's early cognitive development.  The scientific research community is in agreement with your natural instincts.  Why not start educating your child as early as possible - with an age-appropriate curriculum for the stages through pregnancy - based on your own heartbeat? 

Click on the picture to see some of the research behind the use of baby stimulation week by week during pregnancy.

Working in Customer Service, one of the most common questions I get asked is "How many days do I listen to each BabyPlus lesson?"  The usage schedule can sometimes be confusing. Each lesson is to be used an equal number of days, with the exception of lesson 16, which will be longer or shorter depending on the actual day you deliver.

The chart is to be used just once to determine your schedule. For example, if you are in your 20th week of pregnancy when you start the BabyPlus, you will use each lesson twice a day for 9 days.

You will use Lesson #1 twice a day for 9 days. Then you will start Lesson #2 and use it twice a day for 9 days. Then you will start Lesson #3 and use it twice a day for 9 days, and continue through each lesson twice a day for 9 days.

On the 16th lesson, you may go for more or less than 9 days depending on when you deliver. Just continue with lesson 16 until you deliver.

Click on the link below for additional information on the usage chart (Question 12) and using BabyPlus.

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.

If this is your first pregnancy, I know that you are concerned about your infant's development.  Prenatal care is so important to not only your baby's infancy but to his health and welfare throughout his life.  One element of prenatal care should be the use of BabyPlus.  One mother of a BabyPlus child wrote recently on BabyCenter.com about her child's early benefits and her baby's development after birth.

It seems to live up to its claims!
As promised, my daughter (25 months) was born with her eyes wide open, relaxed, not crying, and nursed well in spite of being a few weeks early. Early on, many people commented on how alert she is, and now they comment on how friendly, happy, and verbally advanced she seems to be. My mother works with an early childhood education program and gave me developmental charts that professionals use, and my daughter seems to be off the charts cognitively and verbally, and somewhat ahead emotionally as well. We haven't really been pushing hard to teach her things, but she knows at least 10 colors, several shapes, and about half the alphabet and the numbers 1-9 on sight. She can count to 12 solidly, and sometimes tries to get up to about 20, is up to 4 word phrases, and engages in lots of pretend play. She doesn't get upset very easily, and if she is upset, she recovers very quickly. I don't know how much of this is just her nature, but when I read the descriptions on the BabyPlus website, I have to believe it had something to do with it. My only word of caution is that it was louder than I expected which was a little annoying and made be worry a bit about the volume for my daughter, but her hearing is just fine!
Michelle, mom of one, happy customer, Hawaii

Born Learning - Already!

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!

BabyPlus Relaxes Prenatal Baby

I got a call from an expectant friend of mine who is experiencing a high-risk pregnancy.  She is 32 weeks pregnant and had been using BabyPlus regularly.  As her pregnancy progressed, she was put on bed rest, and then put on a Trabutaline pump, and had to wear a heart monitor for 2 hours a day.  With all that she was occupied with, she was frustrated and quit using BabyPlus.  For the next two weeks she said the baby had started getting really active, moving constantly, kicking very hard, and it became quite uncomfortable for her.  She thought back to BabyPlus, and figured maybe it might soothe the baby and maybe she could get some rest.  She started back with BabyPlus, and after a few days, she called me to say that BabyPlus had an amazing effect on the baby.  She said she went back to her schedule, using BabyPlus when she would lay down for a nap, and she said the baby fell asleep right away.  She said not only would he fall asleep, but said he was much more calm for the rest of the day, his kicking and movements became more playful and not as aggressive.  She credits BabyPlus.  Link to our website for more information about the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System. http://www.babyplus.com/

Watch for future information from your “Feet on the Street”. 

One way to insure the proper development of your prenatal child’s physical as well as brain development is with proper nutrition during all stages of your pregnancy. You can't start too early. Your baby's brain development begins early in the pregnancy and continues until delivery and beyond.  Here is a recipe I used while I was pregnant and has been a favorite for my whole family ever since.

This broccoli cheese soup is made with fresh broccoli. 

Ingredients:   

·         1 bunch broccoli, about 1 1/4 pounds, washed and trimmed

·         2 cups sliced onions

·         5 tablespoons butter or margarine

·         7 cups chicken broth, divided

·         1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled

·         1/4 cup flour

·         2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

·         1/8 teaspoon pepper

·         1 cup milk

·         2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preparation:        

Cut florets off broccoli and divide into small sections. Simmer in lightly salted water for 2 minutes; drain and immerse in cold water to stop cooking then set aside.

Cut stalks into small pieces; place in a large saucepan. Add sliced onions and 3 tablespoons of butter to saucepan; sauté over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups chicken broth and oregano to the saucepan; simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully process hot mixture in batches in a blender until smooth. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan; stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Stir in mustard and pepper. Gradually stir in processed mixture and remaining 4 cups of chicken broth. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture begins to bubble. Add milk and cheese; stir until smooth and cheese is melted. Add remaining broccoli florets and heat through. Broccoli cheese soup serves 8.

You can cut this recipe in half. This soup is better the next day.

We receive emails and testimonials from grateful parents weekly.  They share the stories of how their children have benefitted from the baby stimulation provided by BabyPlus during the critical period in prenatal development.  The main goal of the BabyPlus Company has always been education.  With over 30 years of PhD scientific research behind us, we know that using the mother's heartbeat sounds during the pregnancy trimesters with help create an environment to strengthen all that is being developed in the womb. 

 The idea is so simple - yet AMAZING! 

Learning in the womb.  Pretty simple.  BabyPlus "kick starts" learning in the womb.  The results are noticeable immediately after birth, and the effects last a lifetime.  Usage of the BabyPlus during critical times in child development is important because you are giving your baby even more of a "head start." 

Prenatal development facts are very consistent.  Stimulate your baby week by week during your pregnancy, using the Babyplus (which is the mother's heartbeat sounds), and see a baby who more readily nurses, self-soothes, and reaches pediatric milestones earlier. 

BabyPlus is a great baby gift! 

Considering that you use the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System during the critical times in child development, who wouldn't want to give this gift to any child? 

Read any article on prenatal development, and you will see that the benefits of learning in the womb can last a lifetime.  Whether this is a first time pregnancy or not, the prenatal development research all says the same thing.  Think about the research - every child development assessment tool will measure what has happened up to that point in a child's development.  The current research strongly indicates that the womb is so important when a baby is developing.  Give a baby a gift that lasts a lifetime!