Is it worth trying to stimulate my babys development in utero?
It depends on whom you talk to. Some experts feel that because your baby can hear and respond to sounds from around week 23 of your pregnancy, he may be capable of being stimulated into early learning. This happens by playing music to him, reading stories to him or just talking to him. Other experts feel that your baby already has his work cut out, growing and developing inside you, without being rushed into being intelligent as well. The truth probably lies somewhere inbetween. The psychological idea of “moderate discrepancy” may help to make sense of both opinions. Moderate discrepancy is the idea that babies enjoy life most and learn more quickly when they are given something to do, see, or hear which is just a little bit different from something they have already done, seen or heard. Too much change is either frightening or baffling; too little change is boring or frustrating. Development in utero probably works on the same principle. The fact is that in utero, babies are used to a
