# Talking to your unborn baby- about what? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 11, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-your-unborn-baby-about-what/624828 "2012-06-11T16:47:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-your-unborn-baby-about-what/624828/41 "2012-06-12T13:15:41Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > You think they’re going to start listening at eighteen? Of course. They have to listen at least a little to tell you you’re wrong about everything. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-your-unborn-baby-about-what/624828/42 "2012-06-12T14:08:01Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Just remember that they work better if the kid sees someone reading them, as opposed to being decorative items that grubby baby hands should never approach. No problem there in our house. Our vast collection of books are for reading, not for decoration. I’ve heard of people being able to read while breastfeeding, and am hoping I can do that. I realize I probably won’t be reading astrophysics books, but I like to read something, even when I’m too wiped out to do anything else. The astrophysics books can wait. There’s a cute story about Mr. Neville, astrophysics books, and little kids. I was sitting in our living room, reading _[The Five Ages of the Universe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Ages_of_the_Universe)_ while waiting for my sister and her family to show up. They did, and I put down the book. My younger niece, then about 20 months old, got interested in this book, and picked it up to look at it. Mr. Neville sat on the floor with her and looked for pictures in the book. It’s not the kind of book that has pictures that you would think would interest a 20-month-old. He did find one diagram illustrating hydrogen fusion, and was explaining to her that this was fusion. It was very cute, him saying “This is fusion” in that high-pitched voice that people use to talk to babies and young kids. I know, I should be explaining fusion to our baby now, in that voice. So far, I’ve made do with singing along with _Why Does The Sun Shine_ by They Might Be Giants on my iPod. > [@Quercus](#): > > You think they’re going to start listening at eighteen? I thought it happened sometime in their twenties, after they graduate college, get a job, and are living on their own. That’s when _my_ parents stopped being the clueless wonders of the world and started being pretty smart after all. Though they’re still pretty clueless when it comes to computers. I’m sure there will be something in the late 2020s that my daughter will know all about and that I will be clueless about, though. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-your-unborn-baby-about-what/624828/43 "2012-06-12T14:51:44Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > You think they’re going to start listening at eighteen? No, they just go off to college and you lose the illusion that they’re listening to you. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-your-unborn-baby-about-what/624828/44 "2012-06-12T17:01:44Z")
I never talked specifically to my unborn baby, although I would respond to her kicking her favorite spot. Incidentally, I was convinced that her foot was wedged outside of my ribs on my right side. When she came out her foot was twisted up more than it should be. The doctor said it was positional and I knew exactly where that foot had been for at least a month. It is totally a normal foot now. But that’s what I talked to my fetus about, if anything. Now I narrate lots of stuff as we do it, like diaper changes and massages. She’s 7 weeks old and is chatting back now and it’s awesome! However every time I read what “they” say to do or what other people do I feel inadequate. Most recently I read that every day mom carries baby around the house and points stuff out and names it. I felt like a bad mom for a while for not doing that. Also she’s not really interested in reading books, so we don’t. Bad mom. I’ll try later with the books. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-your-unborn-baby-about-what/624828/45 "2012-06-12T18:03:56Z")
I’m currently breastfeeding one of my babies. You can even use the computer and nurse at the same time! Language development is helped by talking to them, and even more by responding and echoing baby-noise back. That comes later, and is fun. It’s called vocal tennis. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-your-unborn-baby-about-what/624828/46 "2012-06-12T18:22:49Z")
> [@Lissla\_Lissar](#): > > I’m currently breastfeeding one of my babies. You can even use the computer and nurse at the same time! That’s good. > [@](#): > > Language development is helped by talking to them, and even more by responding and echoing baby-noise back. That comes later, and is fun. It’s called vocal tennis. Does that work about like meowing back at Luna when she meows at me? Mr. Neville’s cousin has two little girls, and cats. Mr. Neville says the older girl can meow very well. I’m sure our baby will pick that up, too, living in a house with a Siamese mix. > [@Zjestika](#): > > I never talked specifically to my unborn baby, although I would respond to her kicking her favorite spot. Oh good, it’s not just mine that has a favorite spot to kick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-your-unborn-baby-about-what/624828.md?page=2)