Even when you’re doing everything you can to keep your baby safe and growing, it’s easy to feel a little disconnected. Beyond the kicks and an ultrasound photo, it’s hard to really wrap your mind around the fact that there is a little baby in there!

We’ve put together a few ideas to help you mindfully connect with your baby.

Journal.

Take a few minutes every day or week to write down a few memories to share with the baby later—write about events that happened that week, how you’re feeling or preparations you’ve made for the baby’s arrival. You can also write your baby little letters.

And don’t forget to include photos of your growing belly! ?

Read to him.

Your baby can start to hear sounds around the 18th week of your pregnancy, so he’ll love listening to the soothing sound of your voice reading him a story. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading to your baby every day—how fun would it be to start now?

Here are some of our favorites.

Meditate, pray or connect with quiet time.

Take a few moments every day to take solace from the world and be alone with your baby. Prenatal meditation has wonderful health benefits for you, and has even been found to influence babies’ behavior after they are born!

If you need some help getting started on meditating, our birth class includes a variety of relaxation guides for you.

If you’d like, you can also spend time praying for your baby. For religious mamas, this act can cultivate a deep sense of meaning both to baby and a higher power.

If meditation or prayer isn’t your thing, just spend some intentional time in silence every day imagining and sending loving vibes to baby.

Aim for 15 minutes a day spent without distractions—no phone, no TV, just you, hands on your belly, connecting with your little one and envisioning life with your baby.

Listen to music or sing.

Music has long been used to relieve stress and provide comfort, so why not incorporate it into your baby’s (and your) life now?

You can sing to her (remember, she can hear you) or dance with her to your favorite tune. It takes a few times to get past feeling awkward singing to your belly, but remember that she thinks your voice is the most beautiful thing she’s ever heard.

I sang to my belly daily, and that same song is now our nighttime lullaby.

Get crafty.

Whether you’re an expert knitter or fumble with a glue stick, find a way to express your creativity and make some art! Artistic expression can be very soothing, and how sweet would it be to make something for your baby? Make a scrapbook, decorate a onesie or maybe paint something to go in the baby’s room.

Head over to Pinterest for a little inspiration—but don’t worry about the final outcome too much. Your baby will think it’s a masterpiece no matter what.

Treat yourself.

Do something really nice for yourself and your baby. When you feel good, she feels good! Get a prenatal massage, take an indulgently long nap, or just get in bed with a good book. And do it with zero guilt. Research finds that relaxing during your pregnancy improves your overall health. Enjoy the Zen, mama!

Appreciate your own amazingness.

Your baby thinks you are the greatest thing ever (he’s right). Spend some time loving yourself as much as your baby loves you. Appreciate all the things your body is doing to grow your baby. Admire your gorgeous, glowing reflection in the mirror. Those confident self-love vibes will transfer to your baby, and you’ll both benefit from the good feels.

Having a hard time getting started on this one? Check out our guide here!