Well, reality may not be that exaggerated, but using music for prenatal education is indeed an interesting idea. Today, let's talk about this topic and add a bit of humor to avoid making this article as dull as a prenatal check-up report.

First of all, I have to admit that prenatal education sounds quite mystical. A little life that hasn't even been born yet, and you expect it to understand Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" or Jay Chou's "Nunchucks"? However, scientists say that a fetus's hearing begins to develop in the middle of pregnancy, and by the later stages, it can even distinguish between the mother's voice and external sounds. Doesn't that mean you can take the opportunity to instill some musical taste in it, so it doesn't only know how to listen to brainwashing songs like "Little Apple" after it's born? So, prenatal music isn't completely unfounded; at least theoretically, it holds water.

So what are the benefits of using music for prenatal education? It is said to make the fetus smarter, calmer, and even turn into a musical genius after birth. Just think, if you play Mozart every day during your pregnancy, will the child pick up a violin and play "Minuet in G" as soon as it's born? Of course, it could also be that you played too much hip-hop, and the child comes out with a natural sense of rhythm, walking as if it's dancing on the street. But don't get too excited; experts also say these benefits are only "possible." You might work hard to play a bunch of classical music, and in the end, the child is only interested in music for square dancing, dragging you to dance to "The Most Dazzling Folk Style."

Choosing music is a technical job. You can't just randomly open a music app, hit "shuffle," and let the fetus listen to "Canon" one moment and "Drunk Alone" the next; that picture is too beautiful to imagine. Some say classical music is the first choice because the melodies are gentle, and the rhythms are steady, making it relaxing to listen to, even the fetus might think, "Wow, this world is so advanced." For example, works by Bach, Mozart, and Chopin are said to stimulate fetal brain development. But I wonder, if Mozart knew his music was being used to lull fetuses to sleep, would he crawl out of his coffin to protest, "This is art, not a lullaby!"

Not everyone likes classical music; some expectant mothers find it too hypnotic and end up falling asleep themselves, so the fetus probably doesn't react much. Thus, some have started trying pop music, like playing some upbeat English songs, such as "Yesterday Once More," or Chinese classics like "The Moon Represents My Heart." I have a friend who is particularly funny; she played "Love for Sale" for her baby every day during her pregnancy, and as soon as the child was born and heard this song, it grinned, making her husband suspect that the child was born with an innate understanding of "love economics." Some even go further and play rock music, claiming they want to cultivate the child's rebellious spirit to prevent it from being bullied for being too well-behaved later on. I can imagine the fetus in the womb listening to heavy metal, bouncing to the beat, and the mother probably thinks it's such vigorous fetal movement that she needs to go to the hospital.

But speaking of which, choosing music also depends on the expectant mother's preferences. You can't force a mother who loves heavy metal to listen to "The Blue Danube"; she might go crazy and smash the speakers. The key to prenatal education is that the mother is happy because the fetus's emotions are connected to the mother. Just think, if the mother is playing music she hates while gritting her teeth thinking, "This is all for your good," the fetus probably won't be happy either; it might be rolling its eyes in the womb, thinking, "Can we change the song? I'm about to throw up."

The way music is played is also very important. Some say that directly placing headphones on the belly is the best way, as the fetus can hear clearly. However, every time I think of this image, I find it amusing: a pregnant woman with a big belly, headphone wires tangled everywhere, looking like a mobile speaker. Others simply use their phones to play music out loud or even sing directly to the belly. I know a soon-to-be dad who specially learned the song "The Best Mom in the World" and passionately sang it to his wife's belly every night, but halfway through, his wife couldn't take it anymore and said, "With your off-key voice, the child will be so scared it will be born early!" So, prenatal education, if the technique isn't good, don't force it; otherwise, the child might be "tortured" by you before it's even born.

Speaking of singing, I think this might be the most down-to-earth way of prenatal education. After all, not every expectant mother has high-end audio equipment at home, nor can everyone stand listening to hours of piano music every day. Singing yourself is great; it's cost-effective and allows you to express your feelings. You can sing nursery rhymes, like "Two Tigers," which are simple and joyful, and the fetus might even hum along. Of course, if you have a good voice, you can challenge yourself with "Tibetan Plateau," but be careful not to attract the neighbors to knock on your door to complain. As for the soon-to-be dads, don't be shy; you can join the choir. Who knows, when the child is born, it might feel particularly close when it hears the father's voice, thinking, "This voice sounds familiar; I heard it off-key every day when I was little."

Some might ask, how long should prenatal music be played to be effective? Is ten minutes a day enough? Or should it be played 24 hours non-stop, like a fetal music radio station? Actually, it's not that exaggerated; experts suggest about one to two hours a day is sufficient, played in several sessions, so it doesn't feel like a marathon concert. After all, the fetus also needs to rest; you can't bombard it with sound waves all day long, or it might protest, "Mom, I want to stop listening!" And if the time is too long, the expectant mother herself might not be able to stand it; listening to the same song every day, she might end up hearing Mozart in a square dance style.

Another question is, can the fetus really "understand" music? No one can say for sure, as it can't talk or write music reviews. However, some studies suggest that fetuses do respond to rhythm and pitch; for example, when they hear soothing music, their heart rate slows down, and when they hear intense music, they might move more vigorously. So theoretically, if you play "Symphony No. 5," the fetus might really think, "Wow, fate is knocking; I need to get ready to be born." But don't take it too seriously; it might just simply think, "This sound is so loud; I'll kick a couple of times to protest."

Speaking of fetal movement, I think this might be the funniest byproduct of prenatal music. Some expectant mothers say that every time they play music, the baby in their belly becomes particularly active, as if it's having a party. For example, when they play "Gangnam Style," the fetus kicks its legs to the rhythm, and the expectant mother jokes, "This child will definitely be a master of the horse dance in the future." Others play sad songs, and the fetus remains still, making the mother panic, thinking something is wrong, only to later find out the child might have just fallen asleep or simply doesn't like that tune. So, prenatal music can also serve as a "fetal emotion detector," to see what it likes and what it doesn't.

Of course, prenatal music isn't a cure-all. Some superstitiously believe that as long as they listen to classical music during pregnancy, the child's IQ will soar to 150, becoming the next Einstein. It's best to take such statements lightly and not take them too seriously. A child's intelligence is related to genetics, living environment, and education; you can't rely solely on a few pieces of music. Besides, if it were that simple, all mothers around the world would be playing Mozart, and the Earth would become a planet full of geniuses running around. Ordinary people would then become a rare species, and walking down the street, they'd be looked down upon: "Your mom didn't play 'Clair de Lune' when she was pregnant with you, did she?"

Some are also worried that prenatal music might have side effects. For example, what if the wrong song is played, and the child's personality becomes too strange after birth? I've heard a joke about a mother who listened to horror movie soundtracks during her pregnancy, and as a result, the child cried loudly at the sound of wind after birth, making the whole family think he was born afraid of ghosts. In fact, most of these worries are unfounded; the fetus isn't a recording device and won't imprint every song you play into its DNA. However, to be safe, it's best not to play too bizarre music, like "Friday the 13th," to avoid the child becoming inexplicably anxious every Friday after birth.

At this point, I suddenly thought that prenatal music could also be a family entertainment project. Just think, expectant dads and moms picking songs together, listening to music, and chatting about whether their child will inherit their musical genes; isn't that much more interesting than watching TV? Plus, it can also enhance their relationship. For example, if the expectant dad plays a romantic love song and sings it to the belly for the mom, she might be so moved, and the fetus is probably applauding in the womb, thinking, "Dad is so loving!" Of course, the premise is that dad doesn't sing off-key; otherwise, this romantic scene might turn into a comedy.

Some might say that while prenatal music sounds good, won't it be too expensive to buy equipment and albums? Actually, there's no need to make it so complicated. Nowadays, a simple search online yields free prenatal music resources, ranging from classical to pop, and even ready-made playlists. If you're too lazy to search, just open your phone and play some songs you like; after all, the fetus won't complain about copyright infringement. But if you really want something high-end, you can buy a prenatal music speaker; it's said that such devices transmit sound more clearly, but they can be a bit pricey, and you have to watch out for your dog chewing it as a toy.

Speaking of dogs, I suddenly thought, could prenatal music also affect other family members? For example, if you play soothing tunes, the fetus might be quite happy, but the family cat could be sleeping soundly, not even reacting when a mouse runs in. And the soon-to-be dad might also start snoring while listening, turning prenatal education into a family hypnosis conference. So, when playing music, it's best to choose a time when everyone is awake, to avoid turning prenatal education into a "family nap plan."

In fact, the most important thing about prenatal music is not to put too much pressure on yourself. Some expectant mothers take it too seriously, insisting on following every step as the experts say, playing music at fixed times, and even taking notes to observe fetal movements, making it feel like a research project. As a result, when the child is born, it still cries and fusses, not turning into a musical genius, and the mother feels like she wasted her efforts. In fact, there's no need to be so serious; prenatal education is originally just a way to add some fun, so just enjoy it. When you play music, if you feel comfortable, the fetus will probably enjoy it too, and that's enough. After all, once the child is born, you have plenty of time to teach it to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," and there's no need to force it to pass music school while still in the womb.

Another interesting phenomenon is that some children really do respond to prenatal music after they are born. For example, some mothers say that when they listened to "Lullaby" during pregnancy, their child would immediately calm down as soon as this song was played after birth, as if returning to a familiar "old place." Others played "Sweet Honey," and when the child grew up, it would be particularly happy upon hearing Teresa Teng's voice, making the mother suspect that the fetus had fallen in love with this diva during pregnancy. These stories sound quite heartwarming, but they could also be coincidences; after all, everything is new to the child after birth, and it might just simply like the melody, unrelated to prenatal education.

At this point, I think the greatest joy of prenatal music might lie in that sense of anticipation. You play the song, touch your belly, and imagine what the little guy inside is doing, wondering if it's also secretly humming along. This feeling is more precious than any concert. Plus, when the child grows up, you can boast to it, "You know, before you were born, I played Beethoven for you!" If the child replies, "Then why didn't I become a musician?" you can just smile and say, "That's because you inherited your dad's off-key singing."

So, using music for prenatal education may not necessarily cultivate a genius, but it can definitely add a lot of fun to the pregnancy. You can treat it as an experiment, trying different pieces and seeing how the fetus reacts, while also giving yourself something to do to avoid just counting the days until birth. Who knows, one day while you're playing a song, the fetus suddenly kicks, as if saying, "Mom, I like this song; play it again!" At that moment, you'll feel that it was all worth it.

As for how to operate it specifically, it's up to you. If you want something high-end, buy the equipment; if you want something simple, sing yourself; if you want convenience, just play from your phone. After all, the fetus won't be picky. As long as you're happy, the child will naturally benefit from it. After all, prenatal education is all about joy, right? So, expectant mothers, pick up your "prenatal education microphone" and start singing!