Prenatal Stimulation: Techniques and Benefits

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist María Alejandra Castro Arbeláez.

Written by Leticia María Fernández Gutiérrez

Last update: 27 December, 2022

One of the best moments of pregnancy is when you first feel your baby. Did you know that there are techniques you can use to stimulate your baby? Don’t miss a thing about prenatal stimulation and its many benefits.

Feeling the first kick is usually one of the key moments for any pregnant woman. You go from knowing that your baby is in there to fully feeling it. From that moment on, you will not fail to notice him, and his movements, although sometimes uncomfortable, will bring you peace.

Prenatal stimulation is based on the idea of stimulating the baby’s different senses as they develop. Thus, you strengthen your child’s motor skills, emotions and sensory abilities while creating moments of intimacy between the two of you.

It is recommended to be consistent in these stimulation exercises in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. But some, such as tactile stimulation, can begin almost from the beginning of the pregnancy.

Benefits of prenatal stimulation

The benefits of practicing prenatal stimulation are many. Pregnancy can be very long, but if you take advantage of each day to do the right exercises, the time will pass without a second thought.

Here are some reasons that will convince you to include prenatal stimulation techniques into your daily life.

• They help you connect directly with your baby. You will find that what you do directly stimulates your baby, and you will feel a deep connection with him.
• They favor the development of the baby’s senses. Each exercise is focused on a sense and its specific development, so it helps each one to be stimulated in the most appropriate way.
• They give you peace of mind. Noticing how your baby reacts to each exercise significantly lowers your levels of concern about his health. He is there and you can feel him.

Prenatal stimulation techniques

The following prenatal stimulation exercises are each related to a sense, so it is best that you alternate the exercises each day.

In this way, neither you nor your baby will get bored with the practice. Remember that the more you enjoy it, the more your baby will enjoy it.

Visual stimulation. After approximately the fourth month, your baby will be able to enjoy his sense of sight, reacting to visual stimuli.

• Let the sun fall directly on your belly. The light will enter smoothly through all the layers until it reaches the baby.
• Make different games with flashlights, turning them on or off to attract your baby’s attention and elicit his response.

Auditory stimulation. These exercises will be more effective at week 14, but you can do them from the beginning of your pregnancy.

• Talk to your baby. Do not stop talking to him. Your voice is the best stimulus he can receive.
• Play soft music to reassure him.
• Walk in nature. The sounds that nature provides are stimuli for your baby.
• Play with different instruments. Solo piano melodies or soft percussion with flamenco drums can provoke different reactions in your baby.

Tactile stimulation. The importance of soothing caresses begins in the mother’s womb, especially after the sixth or seventh week.

• Experiment with different textures on your skin, like a feather or a brush.
• Pet your belly, using fingers alternately or all at the same time.
• Massage your tummy. By using different degrees of pressure, your baby will react.
• Respond to the baby’s movements. When he moves, put pressure on the area where he is fidgeting. It will be the perfect interaction between the two of you.

Motor stimulation. The baby will move as you change position, so try changing your posture. By week 10, he will already begin to take notice.

• Prenatal yoga is very good for this type of stimulation.
• Try different postures at home. Try changing sides on the bed or lowering your belly as you stand.

Eating certain foods, such as chocolate, can also make your baby respond. However, do not abuse these foods, since it is not advisable to activate their movement to the max.