Babbling with Bump, Baby and Beyond
Advice for parents-to-be on supporting language development.
Please read this short guide and use the links to help you understand:
- Why it’s important to talk with your baby/toddler
- Activity ideas to do with your bump, baby and beyond
Your baby
As your baby grows in the womb & beyond they are:
- learning all the time by listening to YOU and the world around them.
- hearing a variety of sounds, noises & words from 16 weeks.
Babies want to interact with other people. They do this before they start saying words.
Babies will learn language from people they spend a lot of time with.
Babies’ brains are ready to learn. Lots of a child’s language development happens in the first 2 years.
YOU will be your baby’s best toy!
YOU will be best at helping your baby understand and grow words!
Activity ideas
Click the links below for fun activities to try with your bump and then your baby/toddler as they grow:
Talk to your bump (your baby will recognise your voice from 27 weeks!)
Talking to your bump - what are the benefits? - BBC Tiny Happy People
Mini Conversations (serve & return so baby learns turns)
Face to face chat and play (baby can see and learn from you talking)
Babble back (copying your babies sounds so they keep babbling!)
When do babies start babbling and how to encourage them? - BBC Tiny Happy People
GET INTERACTIVE – how many interaction top tips can you do?
- Talk to your baby about anything and everything around you. From being outside to folding up the laundry! It can help your baby’s understanding.
- Copy back the same sounds your baby makes.
- Chat to your baby about what they’re interested in, then watch and wait for their ‘answer’.
- Turn off the tv and put down your phone to chat with your baby.
- Read books to your baby from the beginning!
- Talk about what your baby is doing – this might be when they are playing with toys or just relaxing with you!
- Give babies’ babble meaning – if it sounds like a word, say the word back.
- If your baby has some screen time, join them. Share screen time together and talk about what is on the screen.
Get dummy smart!
Long term (over 12 months) & overuse may impact speech.
Dummies and weaning: How and when to stop dummy use - BBC Tiny Happy People
Being aware of the potential risks and benefits to using a dummy can help you decide whether it’s needed or not. Your baby, your choice!
Benefits:
- Dummies can be useful in settling young babies
- Encourages strong sucking patterns, especially in premature babies.
- Their specific usefulness declines after about six months.
- Some studies have suggested that using a dummy lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, although more research is needed to confirm this.
Risks: There are several suggested disadvantages of dummy use. These include:
- Increased risk of middle ear infections
- Increased risk of dental problems and crooked teeth if used beyond age three.
- Making it harder for children to move their tongues to speak.
Tongue ties?
Many young children mis pronounce speech sounds as they learn whether or not they have tongue tie. If a child’s speech remains unclear aged 3 years old they may need a speech & language therapy assessment.
What next?
There are many useful websites with more information and activity ideas to help you support your child’s speech & language development.
The Balanced System tool will help you gather lots of advice together from various sources, including local and national websites.
The Balanced System® speech, language and communication pathway
For information on all areas of child development, milestones, tips and advice go to BBC Tiny Happy People:
If you would like to check the progress of your child’s speech & language development from 6 months onwards, the Progress Checker from the link below may be useful. This will also signpost you to other resources if your child needs support.
Child's Progress checker - Speech & Language UK (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
Communicating & talking skills :: Healthier Together (what0-18.nhs.uk)
Need more support?
If you have any specific questions or concerns relating to your child’s development, including speech & language milestones, please contact your Health Visitor.