Make Way for Baby!

I tell you, carrying a baby is a full-time job. Between eating right, exercising, relaxation breaks, talking to the womb, breathing exercises, and music-playing, it's a wonder the child has time to develop at all! Based on the work of Dr. Beatriz "Better Babies By Bach!" Manrique, this inexpensive tape shows viewers animated fetal development; offers nutrition, exercise, posture, breathing, and relaxation tips; and demonstrates stimulation techniques for the baby in the womb. By stroking and tapping your belly, playing taped music (yes, baroque is best!), repeating verbs in a loud-yet-patient voice, shining a flashlight on your belly, and responding to kicks, you will "optimize sensory development and enhance learning skills [and] form a bond of communication that will last a lifetime." But you can't do these things willy-nilly; you must perform them in an organized way, and this program explains the techniques and provides excellent general advice. However, I would have preferred to have the participants on screen do the baby-talking, rather than the narrator, and it might have been nice to include a sample of what baroque music sounds like. Despite these minor missteps, this is highly recommended, even if you already have other materials on this topic. Aud: P. (K. Glaser)