Talking to your baby while he or she is still inside you could be benefiting your little one more than you know. A recent study has shown that they not only hear you, but are already able to begin memorizing songs or speech, and learning language.

The research, published in the journal Acta Paediatrica, claimed that babies begin to absorb language from inside the womb at as early as 26 weeks. Just a few hours after birth, babies will be able to distinguish between their mother’s native tongue and foreign languages.

These findings point to the importance for moms to give their babies a foundation for language development by beginning to talk and interact during the third trimester of pregnancy, as well as immediately after birth.

Natural Approach

Learning from a mother’s voice, tone and pronunciation happens naturally for babies, who are sensitive to any stimuli, particularly mom’s voice, which is amplified within her body. In order to best facilitate the development of a fetus’ language skills, it is recommended for mothers to take a natural approach by speaking with her voice, rather than putting earphones on the baby bump and playing music or language tapes.

Speak Often Before and Immediately After Birth

Researchers have found that the brain of a newborn often showed an enhanced reaction to specific words heard while in the womb, and were better able to process and detect any changes to the word thereafter. Parents should be aware, particularly during the final trimester, that the fetus is continuously hearing and learning from them, as well as the outside world, and should speak often to the baby and to each other both during and after birth. 

Maintain A Calm, Relaxing Environment

It is also suggested for expectant moms to maintain a calm, stress free environment by talking to their baby in a soothing, relaxing way, and avoid screaming, yelling or any violent language.

Have Confidence

Speak with confidence even when no one else is around. Expectant moms should have confidence that their baby is making some sense of the sounds she is making, and that she is helping the development of her baby’s language skills as grow older.