18 Weeks Pregnant: BabyPlus Prenatal Education System

You want to give your unborn baby a good start. You eat the right foods, get plenty of exercise and rest, take your vitamins, etc… But what about starting their education early? Many people play music or read to their baby, which is wonderful, but what else can you do for them?

The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System  ($149) was created by Dr. Brent Logan, a developmental psychologist who directs the Prenatal Institute in Seattle, WA. "Dr. Logan’s 25 years of research have demonstrated that prenatal stimulation using heartbeat-based sounds of increasing complexity is the most effective means of communicating with your developing child."

According to their website, the program is described as "a series of 16 scientifically designed sounds that resemble a mother’s heartbeat. The rhythm of the sounds increases incrementally as the pregnancy progresses. The BabyPlus sonic pattern introduces your child to a sequential learning process, built upon the natural rhythms of their own environment."

I found it very easy to use. You are supposed to use it twice a day for an hour at a time, which may be hard for some mommies (especially second time mommies like me) to find the time. I found that I was using it after Ben went to sleep and then right before bedtime. Sometimes I even strapped it on during Ben’s nap and relaxed myself. The heartbeat sound was very soothing.

Dr. Logan recommends you begin using it between weeks 18- 32 and continue for the remainder of your pregnancy. As of press time, I haven’t felt my baby moving yet, but the company says, "They (the babies) frequently respond with soft, repeated movements accompanying the rhythmic patterns. Mothers report this to be comforting, and have confirmed that their babies anticipate, recognize, and seem to enjoy this activity." 

As an educator, I applaud this device. I think we should do as much as possible to give our babies the best advantages even before they are born. This isn’t stories or music though. According to the website, "Our prenatal curriculum introduces your developing baby to learning in the only true language of the prenatal environment, the maternal heartbeat. The spoken word is too difficult for the developing child to understand and music is too complex."

Then they go on to say, "Your baby can very clearly hear these patterns. She/he learns to discriminate between the sound coming from the mother and those from BabyPlus. In other words, learning has begun. Your baby accelerates the rate at which he or she compares and contrasts information. This process builds your baby’s memory for greater capacity and function throughout life."

Celeb moms Gwen Stefani, Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe (she used the Baby Plus while pregnant with her second child) and Ali Landry are all fans. 

New Mom Trista Sutter was gifted with the BabyPlus at her shower. Before son Maxwell Alston was born, Trista Sutter, sent Carey Hart, BabyPlus’s Spokesperson a thank you note.

                Carey-
                Thank you so much for thinking of me & our soon-to-be new arrival in sending the
                BabyPlus Prenatal Education System. I have been using it for the past week and
                look forward to our baby benefiting from its use! Thanks again & all my best!
                        :) Trista Sutter"

The website really does addresses the question is it safe? Yes, it is 30 decibels less than the sound of the maternal heartbeat. The sounds of BabyPlus are between 45-60 decibels, a little louder than your refrigerator, but it is quieter than the air conditioner. The cloth pouch it sits in while strapped to your abdomen muffles it anyway.

I highly recommend using it during your pregnancy. Why not give your child every advantage you can?

To get the BabyPlus for yourself or a pregnant friend or relative, find a list of retailers here or click here to shop online.