Baby Study

I am a part of a study that is determining whether the baby can remember a nursery rhyme and recognize my voice while in the womb. We were approached at the doctors office at the end of the last check up. It seems like a neat study to be part of. We went to Shands (the hospital) this past weekend and I was recorded reciting two different unfamiliar nursery rhymes, 3 times each. They also have a recording of an unfamiliar woman reciting the same nursery rhymes. They then play the 4 different recordings and see the baby's reaction. My belly was hooked up to a fetal monitor that listens and records the baby's heartbeat and any movements. This time was to get baseline data for the baby's reactions. My part is to recite one of the 2 rhymes twice a day 3 times in a row. The idea is that eventually the baby will be able to distinguish between the familiar and unfamiliar rhyme, and me and the other woman. Each time I go in, they will hook me up to the fetal monitor, play the recordings and see what the baby does. They say by 34 weeks, the baby will know my voice and the nursery rhyme I have been saying everyday. I will go back at 32 weeks for the next session.
We are excited to be a part of the study because it's another opportunity to hear the baby. I don't really get to listen as they have me listening to some music really loudly. It's so I won't have any reactions that might affect the baby's reaction when I hear my voice. After the first session, they told me that the baby was hiccuping throughout the whole session and the baby kicked pretty much the whole time. It was neat for Stephen to hear. They have also offered to give us a tour of labor and delivery at the hospital. We will probably get the tour at our next visit. They have given us free parking passes for the hospital's garage that we are saving for people to use when they come and visit in the hospital. At the end of the study they are also giving us a gift card to Target. Stephen thinks he is going to use it to buy a video game, but I had to break it to him that after the baby is born he will not be playing many video games anymore! He's cute, isn't he?!