Music to the belly - Belly Buds

Roughly around the same time as the mother starts feeling the kicks of the baby, his hearing develops.
Latest studies show that from that point onwards the baby starts to form the foundation to language.
Which is lot earlier than the studies before have predicted.

Apart from high interest to languages, I love music and come from a family, where we had even a separate music room. TV did not play as big role in my childhood home (with initially all the 3 channels we had) as music and the music room did.
My childhood house growing up had initially been a duplex, but when we moved in, it saw its transformation to a family house. The 2nd living room became a music room.

My mom's motto was: "There has to be music for every mood."
That motto was reflected in the big shelf full of LPs and the stereo, which were clearly the focus of the room. Otherwise the room was full of space to dance and then 2 "Fatboy" like huge cushions on the floor, which my mom had made by herself. I have lot more fun childhood memories from the music room than e.g. living room.

My mother taught me dancing in that room and we shared many bonding moments there while dancing, singing and laughing. She taught me to dance with my eyes closed. She encouraged me to let my soul sense the music. I remember seeing the music as variety of colors moving, when I closed my eyes and with her guidance I learned to dance to it.

Though my mother is not with us anymore on this side of the curtain, thanks to her approach teaching me to feel music, music has always played a role in my life. I have always had endless appetite to explore various genres & artists, in various languages. My first god-daughter and eldest nephew learned even to dance before learning to walk...because their music freak aunt taught them :) My nephew got 7 am disco lessons  before I dropped him off to day care, when I was helping out with daily logistics during some weeks when he was little.

When knowing about my pregnancy I started reading about studies on how music played during the pregnancy has a positive impact to the baby. Friend of mine in NYC recommended to get Belly Buds. She had enjoyed those during her pregnancy.

So, I got the deluxe version (dual cable, allows me to listen the music together with the baby) as the birthday present to myself on behalf of my husband and myself :) :)
I can only warmly recommend getting those. I have enjoyed jamming with the little guy so much. It is nice to feel each time that he reacts to music. The Belly Buds come with Pre birth and Post birth volume control, making sure that volume level does not go over the "healthy" level.

The recommendation (which in US is followed rather strictly) is after certain week always checking that latest at bed time one should feel at least 10 baby movements in one hour, aka kick count. There are all these tricks of drinking (sweet) juice or really icy cold beverage to get the baby moving, if he is otherwise lazy to move. Funny enough for our little guy those tricks have not worked so well but when he hears music...the jamming starts immediately :)

I have played variety music and made sure he gets to hear already, apart from English, also Finnish, Swedish, German, French and Spanish music.
Sibelius' Finlandia hymn is of course on the playlist too :)

Some interesting studies related to the topic:
https://auditoryneuroscience.com/topics/sounds-heard-unborn-babies-utero

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1501264/Dolphin-sounds-aid-brain-growth-in-unborn-child.html

http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20130102/babies-learn-womb

Book reference: This is your brain on Music - Daniel Levitin