Raising a Bilingual Baby: 5 Things to Do BEFORE Your Baby Is Born (Works for Trilingual Babies Too!)
- Ka Yee Meck
- Sep 22
- 5 min read
Expecting a baby and dreaming of raising them bilingual, trilingual, or even multilingual?
The truth is, you don’t have to wait until your little one arrives to get started. There are plenty of things you can do during pregnancy to set your child – and yourself – up for success.
In this post, I’ll share five powerful things you can do before your baby is born to lay the groundwork for a smooth multilingual parenting journey.
These are things I wish someone had told me back in 2016 when my husband and I began raising our children to be trilingual!
Table of Contents
A Little About Me
I’m Ka Yee – mum of two trilingual kids, Chartered Chinese-to-English translator, and language coach for parents raising bilingual or trilingual children. My book Bilingual and Trilingual Parenting 101 has helped thousands of families worldwide, and through my work I’ve seen firsthand just how valuable it is to prepare before your baby arrives.
When we began our journey back in 2016, my husband (who is Russian) and I (Chinese, raised in Hong Kong, speaking both Mandarin and Cantonese) knew we wanted to raise our kids trilingual – but we weren’t sure how.
Looking back, the steps I’m about to share would have saved us a lot of stress and confusion in those early months.
So, grab a notebook (and maybe a cup of tea with a biscuit) – let’s dive in!
1. Create Your Family Language Plan
First things first: make a plan.
It doesn’t need to be perfect or set in stone, but having clarity about which languages you want your child to acquire will help you stay focused when life gets hectic.
Some questions to consider:
Which languages will you prioritise (your “target languages”)?
Who will speak which language to the child?
Will you use One Parent One Language (OPOL), Minority Language at Home (ML@H), or a Time and Place strategy?
When I was pregnant, I knew nothing about these strategies. If you feel the same, don’t worry – I’ve created a free video course that walks you through the basics and even comes with a downloadable template to help you design a custom plan for your family.
(And if you’d prefer more guidance, I also offer a two-week coaching programme where we build your family’s plan together. )
2. Start Talking to Your Baby Now
Here’s one of the most common questions I get:
“When should I start speaking the target language to my child?”
The answer: from day one – and even before birth!
Research shows that by around 25 weeks of pregnancy, babies can hear sounds from outside the womb and can even begin to distinguish between languages.
So, start talking to your bump in your target language:
Tell your baby about your day.
Sing songs (they won’t judge your singing voice!).
Read books out loud.
Share your love and excitement about meeting them.
It may feel a bit silly at first, but you’re not just “talking to yourself.” You’re helping your baby get familiar with the sounds and rhythm of the language, while also strengthening your emotional bond.
And don’t forget – this isn’t just for mums. Dads can (and should!) do this too.
3. Prepare Your Home for Language Immersion
If you’re serious about raising a multilingual child, set up your home for success before the baby arrives.
Because let’s be honest: once the baby is here, you won’t have the time or energy to do much!
A few practical ideas to get started:
Label everyday household objects in your target language(s).
Put up posters, flashcards, or printouts.
Build a collection of bilingual picture books.
When I was pregnant, I visited a Russian family who had labelled everything in their home – sofa, table, fridge – in Russian. At the time I thought it was a bit intense, but looking back, I wish we had done the same!
Books, in particular, are a wonderful way to prepare. My sister and I created a bilingual picture book series introducing 120 everyday words in two languages, complete with beautiful illustrations and free downloadable audio guides. They’re designed especially for young families – check them out!
And yes, you might also consider digital tools like language apps or TV subscriptions, but for babies and toddlers, physical books and print are still unbeatable.
4. Start Your Own Language Prep
Pregnancy is also the perfect time to work on your own language skills.
There are a few scenarios where this matters:
Maybe you’re not fully fluent in the language you want to pass on.
Maybe you feel a bit rusty and want to refresh.
Or perhaps you and your partner have different first languages.
When I was expecting my first child, I decided to improve my Russian so I could follow conversations between my husband and our child. I booked weekly lessons on iTalki and brushed up with old textbooks. It made a big difference, and I know other parents (like Karl Baker, a British dad who learned Mandarin for his daughters) have done the same.
Even learning the basics of your partner’s language can go a long way. It sends a strong message to your child that languages are worth the effort – and allows you to join in more of their world.
I've made a whole video sharing tips for families like ours, where the parents have different first languages but still want to raise bilingual or multilingual children – check it out!
If you’re already fluent but want to improve, read books, watch films, or listen to podcasts in your target language. Consuming more content will keep your skills sharp and expand your vocabulary.
5. Make Friends with Families Doing the Same Thing
Finally, don’t do this alone. Find your tribe.
Raising a bilingual or trilingual child can sometimes feel isolating if no one around you understands what you’re doing. That’s why it’s so valuable to connect with other families who share your goals.
How to start:
Search Facebook for “[Language] families in [City].”
Attend cultural events/ explore community centres.
Join online multilingual parenting groups.
Being part of a community helps you stay motivated, and it normalises multilingualism for your child. When my kids hang out with other Chinese-speaking families, they realise it’s not “just mum” who speaks Chinese – it’s part of a bigger world.
And if you’re looking for a welcoming online community, come join us at the Multilingual Family Hub! Subscribe to my newsletter and YouTube channel to connect with like-minded parents.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it – five things you can do during pregnancy to prepare for raising a bilingual baby:
Create your family language plan
Start talking to your baby now
Prepare your home for language immersion
Brush up on your own language skills
Make friends with families on the same journey
Do these before your baby is born, and you’ll save yourself a lot of stress later on.
👉 Ready for the next step? Once your baby arrives, here are 9 tips for raising a bilingual baby from day 1: Watch here or check out the blog post!
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