Since February is I Love to Read Month, I thought it would be fun to do a top ten on why it is important to read to your baby (children)! Plus Ella's Halo donated 785 books this month to area NICUs in the month of February from our Babies and Book book drive. Here are a couple of reasons we found were important to us during our NICU stay.
1. Reading to your baby in the NICU helps you to bond. It is often difficult to find the right ways to bond with your baby but reading to them is something so simple to help create the child/parent bond. This bonding is so important for you and also to help your little preemie continue to grow while in the NICU.
2. Reading can calm your baby, especially when they are fretful and restless. Hearing your voice and listening to your heartbeat is comforting and soothing to your baby. NICU life can be stressful so hearing their parents voice while reading brings your little preemie a sense of calmness.
3. Form a habit of reading to baby at the same time each day, or at least several times a week. Choose a time when you are both relaxed and not rushed. This habit will move with you once you are out of the NICU and into your lives at home as your child grows.
4. Reading to your baby can help pass the time. Many parents spend long hours in the NICU by their child's bedside. Pass the time by reading to your baby!
5. By reading early on to your child, you could be helping to develop their communication skills and learning skills. Not only are you reading but you could be teaching them skills to help them as they grow.
6. The NICU exposes preterm babies to high levels of noise, while fetus in utero only have the stimulation of their mother's voice. However, these little preemies are in isolettes and don't get to hear the smoothing voice of their mother unless it is directed into the tiny hole of the isolette. What better way to give your little baby the comforts of home then sitting next to them, softly reading a book to drown out the other NICU noises.
7. Reading is the best way to develop language skills. The baby absorbs the rhythm of your speech and learns to perceive individual sounds in the stream of words. The way you read a story is teaching your baby about language.
8. Dad can get involved too. Babies know their daddy's voices much like their mommy's so have dad join in on the action and grab his favorite book to read!
9. Ella's Halo donated 785 books to area NICUs. Now there is no reason not to find your favorite children's book while in the NICU and go read to your baby!
10. And last but not least, you are creating memories with your baby. Reading books to your child helps to create lasting positive memories of your time in the NICU. And can even continue to create memories as your child grows up.
Thank you to everyone who donated to our Babies and Book book drive this past holiday season. These are such fun items to donate to the NICU because we know they will be used right away by families and enjoyed!!
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