Musical Gifts for Newborns and Expectant Mothers to Make Their Spirits Bright

In the first few months of life, your baby will appreciate things that he or she can look at or listen to. Babies are quite nearsighted; in their first month they are only able to see clearly at approximately 12 inches. Objects that move slowly and produce soft, gentle sounds are generally the most appreciated by little ones. What nursery is complete without the sound of music?

Music has the power to stimulate, motivate and captivate US, while creating neural pathways in the brain. Even if your baby isn’t fussy or crying, using music and soft sounds as often as you can, will encourage a calm, peaceful and well-loved feeling.

There are many benefits associated with introducing and bringing the magic of music into your baby’s nursery:

Emotional well-being, both inside the womb and after birth
Accelerates language development
Inspires creativity and improvisation
Promotes eye-hand coordination
Strengthens communication and expression abilities
Benefits your child’s development, both inside the womb and after birth

As the Christmas holiday approaches, families are often stumped as to what to give to the newborn baby or expectant mom in their lives. Music is one of the simplest sensory gifts you can give. Here are just a few suggestions for a holiday gift!

Stuffed Sensory Toy

One of the benefits of a stuffed toy that plays some kind of sound is that it is quick to grab at 2 a.m. There are plenty of quality musical and sensory toys. Some of our favorites include: Mary Meyer’s sweet chocolate musical giraffe, which plays You Are My Sunshine. North American Bear Company has an adorable satin ears bunny, which has a removable music box and plays Braham’s’ Lullaby. For those who prefer no music, Cloud b Sleep’s sheep with four soothing nature sounds may be just what baby needs. The little lamb plays a mother’s heartbeat, spring showers, ocean surf and whale songs. We also like the Tiny Love Animal Friends Take Along Mobile that can be attached to baby carriers, car seats and strollers.

Musical Mobile

No nursery should be without a musical mobile or two. Having multiple musical mobiles allows mom and dad to change out the tune periodically. The mobile provides both visual and auditory stimulation for your baby. Newborns are quite nearsighted, only seeing about 12 inches away in the beginning. The brighter the colors, the more it is visually stimulating, teaching your baby to focus. Selecting a mobile that includes soft music will encourage and develop your baby’s hearing. Many mobiles play such popular lullabies as Brahms’ Lullaby, Rock-a-bye Baby and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and offer a wide range of themes to match to the nursery’s theme. One of our favorite mobiles is Carter’s safari mobile. The giraffe is the arm crib arm attachment, while the other jungle animals merrily dance to Brahms’ Lullaby.

Baby’s First Instrument

What could possibly be an instrument for a newborn? The rattle! Like its Moroccan cousin, the rattle makes a lively, soft noise. It and the squeaky toy will stimulate your baby through sight, sound and touch. While a newborn cannot hold a rattle or squeaky toy, he or she will respond to the soft sound, which is an important part of baby’s auditory development. Once babies learn to grasp objects, they are fascinated with how it makes a sound when they move or accidentally squeeze it, promoting development of eye-hand coordination. The “Guess How Much I Love You Loop Bunny Rattle” and many other rattles offer a grasping ring. The Lamaze wrist rattles and foot finder sets use Velcro to attach to the wrist or sock. Rattles and squeaky toys come in all different sizes, types and shapes.

MP3 Crib Player

Today’s technology has almost made CD’s a thing of the past. An MP3 Crib Player pre-loaded with lullabies and soft music is the perfect gift for your newborn. Lullabies from popular artists, such as Kenny Loggins and Madonna as well as self-publishing musicians can be downloaded from a multitude of sites, for example iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby. No nursery is complete without lullabies sweet!

Music Pregnancy Belt

Before the pregnancy music belt was invented, mothers-to-be everywhere were stretching headphones over their belly to share lullabies and soft music with the little one in their womb. That is until the pregnancy music belt was invented. The device first began selling in 2003 through Lullabelly in Denver, Colorado. Today, there are a several companies selling a variety of belt styles. The perfect musical gift for the mother-to-be is the pregnancy belt. Think about how music affects your mood. Is it any wonder that listening to music with your unborn child reduces stress and creates a wonderful connection and bonding experience with your little one? Less stress and bonding with baby is a good thing!

Lullaby CD’s

While lullaby songs can be downloaded from various sites, lullaby CD’s still make a great stocking stuffer for baby’s first Christmas or the expectant mom.

Plato once stated, “Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education, and children should be taught music before anything else.” There is little doubt that music is a powerful catalyst for healing, learning, creativity and development. Whether you are shopping for a baby shower or holiday gift, give the gift of music to that new baby or expectant mom in your life!

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