Some people are born to rock; other prefers to be left the fuck alone. Pretty soon even the mother’s womb won’t garantee you the peace of mind you’re entitled to. Thanks to some hippie scientists, parents around the world will now be able to pollute their embryo’s mind with their shitty records collections. But who the hell would want Justin Bieber or Drake blasting out of their lady parts? The answer is: pregnant women, apparently. [3] Spanish gynecology clinic Institut Marquès wants to tap into the fetal-music market with Babypod, a speaker that expecting mothers insert into their vaginas a la tampons to play songs for their unborn babies. [1] This Babypod develish device connects to a smartphone and plays music directly in the vagina, which is the only way for a fetus to hear unmuffled sounds, the company says. There has been plenty of research on the effect of sound on foetuses, and evidence suggests that unborn babies do respond to music in the womb. There are already multiple speakers available on the market (“prenatal speakers”) which are fitted around a pregnant woman’s stomach. [4] The babypod is obviously more stylish than giant headphones wrapped around your belly. [1] This may be an unconventional twist on those scenes in films where the baby bump is played music through headphones, but according to Babypod, the layers of soft tissue distort the music played through the abdomen and the sound that reaches the unborn baby is muffled – so this leaves the vagina as the most obvious solution. [3] Babypod was conceived after a study by Institut Marquès demonstrated that fetuses can hear and react to sounds at 16 weeks. It’s still up for debate whether babies in utero actually benefit from listening to your smartphone playlist, though Babypod claims its device “stimulates the vocalization of babies before birth through music and encourages their neural development.” “Music stimulates language learning,” says Pallarès. “Gynaecologists were used to seeing the foetus as a passive subject, but now with Babypod, we’ve seen that we can wake them up and make the sessions shorter by inducing foetal movements.” “We were pleasantly surprised to see the excitement of parents during ultrasound sessions and to see the spectacular images of the face, tongue and mouth movements of their babies,” he adds. “Most patients decided to repeat the experience and we were surprised by the flood of requests to participate.” [3] Babypod reassures customers that the vibrations of the device do not adversely affect a foetus – “this is why sex toys are allowed in pregnancy”. [4] By engaging these neurons, the researchers write that the Babypod helps babies learn to communicate while still inside the womb. Along with encouraging neurological development, this device could help to diagnose prenatal deafness in babies if the fetus shows no reactions to the musical stimulus. And, the researchers write that the Babypod can help to reduce stress for expecting mothers by sharing in the relaxing, educational moments. [5] Beside driving the fetus completely nuts, it may also encourage grooving and shaking, though that’s just a guess. [1] The sound intensity is 54 decibels, the equivalent of a “hushed tone.” The device plugs into the headphone jack on a smartphone, and there is another audio input on top of the Babypod connector for mothers who wish to listen to the music as well, according to the site. [2] Babypod has been gynaecological approved by the Institut Marquès in Barcelona and the company promises that the £90,94 device is safe for both baby and mother. [3]
The small, silicone speaker is inserted like a tampon and plays music directly to the fetus, promoting early attempts at vocalization. The Babypod allows the baby to hear sounds without the barrier created by the abdominal wall
It seems like users are pleased with the product. One Babypod customer wrote on the site: “Exciting and beautiful. For me it has meant the first bonding with my baby. With the music the baby seemed to be dancing, moving arms, legs and head. Marvellous.” [2] Around Christmas, the clinic posted a YouTube video of Spanish singer Soraya giving “the first concert for fetuses ever held in the world.” Singer Soraya Arnelas performed for an audience of pregnant women using Babypods. There’s no word on whether she sang “Baby, it’s Cold Outside.” [1] In the video, several women are seen with chords from the Babypods stretching from their clothing to a smartphone. The Babypod app, available for Android smartphones, allows users to listen to free music and record messages, in place of playing their own music. [2]
