Twenty ways to say 'I love you' to your future baby

 Fed, protected, and surrounded by warmth: this is how your baby grows while preparing to be born. Heavenly. How to make your stay in your womb even more pleasant?

There is no need to wait for the baby to be born to tell him how much we love him. The bond with our child begins during pregnancy, and even before, when we start dreaming about him.

These are the 20 ways we have come up with to declare our love for the child who is on the way. I'm sure you can think of many more.

1: Big sister messages

Or the brother. The older ones, especially when they are two years old or older, touch their mother's belly without shyness and forcefully. “Hello, baby!” they say, running a hand over the skin of the belly. When they do so, the fetus receives the echo of a high-pitched voice and also registers the sound of its siblings' voices. She will recognize them immediately when she comes into the world.

2: Problems at work?

Have you gotten angry at work? Have you argued with your partner? Stress during pregnancy does not do the baby any good, but it cannot be avoided: pregnancy does not take place in isolation from normal life. There are new and consoling discoveries by prenatal psychologists who assure that the fetus is a particularly conciliatory being. He immediately perceives the mother's torrent of sensations and with it, the level of adrenaline in the blood, but tranquility and reconciliation erase the less pleasant experiences in which the baby also participates from the womb. And harmony at any price is not worth it, because the brain only learns to overcome less pleasant impressions through emotional ups and downs.

3: Mimo-Aroma

If you've eaten at an Indian or Vietnamese restaurant and tried something spicy, your baby will also be delighted: about an hour later, strong aromas, such as curry, “season” the amniotic fluid. The spice molecules transit through the umbilical cord and reach the body of the fetus directly. And soon your skin gives up some of this aroma to the amniotic fluid. Just a little, but noticeable to the baby, who enjoys that sensation.

Around the 20th week of gestation, olfactory cells have already formed in the nasal mucosa, the receptors for aromas. Added to this is the abundance of flavors that the fetus can capture with its tongue and palate, around three times more than an adult gourmet! That entire gustatory apparatus is now just waiting to be stimulated.

4: Mom's hand

You're sitting in a meeting, totally focused on your work, and suddenly your little one is noticed! Automatically, you caress your tummy in the area where the baby has pushed. Even if you do not believe in natural medicine, through your hand you transmit a flow of energy to the fetus, which feels your closeness and affection. And there is nothing more important for the little one than you.

5: Dad, present with the ultrasounds

Seeing the baby is possible with an ultrasound. The most beautiful thing is to see it together. Already in the first moments, when the future father cannot feel anything from the outside, a strong bond with his baby emerges through the monitor, so it will become less strange for him to talk to his partner's belly.

6: Sleepless night

When you lie down to sleep, your baby is usually especially alert, because the placenta has very good blood circulation at that time, which gives the baby energy. So your rest wakes him up and encourages him to move. If you want to sleep, don't get angry, because you will stay awake. It is best to lie on your side, supporting your back and belly against some pillows and placing another small one between your knees. Hot milk with honey, a lullaby, and good thoughts are the best solution so that you both sleep soon.

7: Mom's free time

In the first pregnancy, the time is usually taken up mostly by work, which steals a lot of energy while the belly grows. In the second, your first child's curiosity about the changes you are experiencing leaves you less time to quietly enjoy your state. Naturally, it doesn't hurt the fetus to not receive constant attention, but the moments in which he can monopolize his mother's thoughts and feelings are good for him.

How is it achieved? In yoga, for example, or in childbirth preparation courses, it is possible to establish a lot of calm contact with the baby and the little one feels this: their movements frequently increase and if not, they calm down completely.

8: Music with harmony

Playing Mozart's music is never bad, fetuses like classical music. But if you are not a fan of this musical style, you can also play Elvis music for your baby. He will love his “Love Me Tender”, or any calm pop music that you enjoy. The baby will not perceive the music itself as well, since the sound of your heart, your blood circulation, and digestive movements drown out most outside sounds. At most, only a tenth of the sound reaches the fetus. The important thing is above all that you relax, as it will considerably improve blood flow to the placenta.

9: Enjoy breakfast together

At night you don't eat anything, but the flow of food to your baby continues, which is why you tend to be so hungry in the morning. From the 20th week of pregnancy onwards, it is advisable that you enjoy a copious breakfast, imagining that you are also feeding your little one. With that in mind, have the right thing: a milkshake, for example, instead of coffee.

10: Uno, dos, cha-cha-cha

Dance what you like! Rumba and cha-cha-chá are especially good for hip mobility, but any other style will also appeal to your baby because it rocks you to a nice rhythm and speeds up your heartbeat. That pumps a lot of oxygen to your baby and, if you also raise your arms and rotate your hips while you dance, you are giving him space.

11: Celebrate how you like

Do you sing better than ever? Do a couple of verses from that Christmas carol come to mind? Go ahead! When singing you breathe deeply automatically and expand your chest, stimulating the baby. He likes anything that has to do with celebrations: a pleasant voice, the feeling of being with family, and even a delicious meal, which the little one perceives.

12: A delicious meal for you is good for the little one.

Pamper yourself and trust your appetite, which will surely ask for lighter food. An excess of calories does not particularly nourish your child and affects your metabolism, which transmits fewer nutrients to the placenta.

13: Mom's swim time

Water makes movement easier and when swimming, the baby's weight is a third lighter, which makes swimming during pregnancy very pleasant. Your legs move much better without weight and the gentle pressure of the water on your now weaker blood vessels helps blood circulation. The belly sinks into the water with the help of an elongated float placed under the arms (otherwise it would not be possible). A position that leaves more room for the baby in its private pool.

14: Foot massage for mom

Foot reflexology can be very stimulating. If the right place is stimulated, the abdomen warms, which is a boost of energy for your baby. If your partner likes it, they can learn this technique, but they can also simply caress and massage your feet. The sesame oil in the masseuse's hands reinforces the heat effect.

15: Legs up!

The legs must resist a lot, at the end of pregnancy we weigh around 15 kilos more, so they must be unloaded and for this, it is best to place them high, something pleasant for you and your baby. When you lie down like this, the blood does not flow to the legs, but rather it allows more oxygen and food to flow to the baby.

16: Mom's nap

There is no need to lie down for another hour: 20 minutes on the couch or on two extended chairs in the office give the baby a boost of energy, something especially important from the 20th week of gestation when the uterus is already pressing on other organs. When you lie down, the area relaxes and the placenta receives more blood flow, which means more strength for your baby.

17: Dreaming about dad and mom

On a Sunday morning, lying with your partner in bed, warm and cozy, half awake. Your hands joined on the belly. You close your eyes and dream together. What will everything be like in a year? How will everything be with the crib in the room? And with the child by the hand? With a little person who says “mom” or “dad”? Your baby will surely feel caressed by your loving thoughts.

18: The visit to the midwife

Take advantage of the midwife's check-ups to raise all your concerns and fears. This balances the mood and the level of adrenaline in the blood is lower, something relaxing for the baby.

20: Sunlight

From the 25th week of pregnancy, the fetus opens its eyes and develops visual nerves, while the brain regions that contain the capacity for vision wait for food. Although the baby only receives about one percent of the light, inside the womb it is not dark, but rather like a room with thick curtains drawn on a sunny day. That is why it is advisable to take advantage of the sun and place your naked belly in the light. Great for the baby if you wear a bikini when it's hot, although you already know to avoid long exposures to direct sun!

21: Climbing stairs

Babies love to be rocked from the beginning. Between the 12th and 14th week of pregnancy, the inner ear begins to react to rhythmic movements, which triggers the stimulus in the brain and activates regions responsible for well-being and tranquility. Naturally, the baby sways with each of your movements, so you can cheer her up if you take the stairs instead of taking the elevator since she intensely feels the swaying.

22: Response to cartwheels: Your child feels that you are thinking about him

The first movements of the child are described by expectant mothers as a soap bubble in the belly, the flutter of a butterfly's wings, or something similar. This is around the 20th week of gestation. If you are expecting your second child, you will surely feel the baby sooner. And even when the joy for the baby at first was not so great, all women reconcile with their state as soon as they feel their baby. What arrives on the outside only as a small tremor, inside is a somersault. Your baby will also feel that you are thinking about him.