When do babies start hearing in the womb?

As an expectant mother, you definitely wonder if your baby can hear inside the womb. Therefore, in the following post, A Date With Baby team has covered the most interesting topics for moms-to-be about when their baby starts to hear you and whether you should read to your baby.

Can Babies Hear Inside The Womb

A Little About The Development Of Babies’ Hearing

In the second month of pregnancy, your baby’s eyes and ears begin to develop. That’s when the embryonic cells start forming the face, brain, nose, eyes, and ears. Around 9 weeks, your baby’s neck develops tiny indentations as the ears develop on both sides. These indentations will gradually move up, becoming your baby’s ears.

Hearing within the womb helps your kid recognize specific noises they hear over and over again. After birth, familiar music, literature, and even your voice may soothe them.

Remember that you can’t teach anything to your baby till they’re born. You can only introduce them to specific music or literature. That means you don’t have to wait till you’re holding them in your arms before reading aloud or introducing them to your favourite music. Singing to your tummy may look silly to others, but it actually does accomplish something. It’s also important for both of you to be calm and content, which music is known to be a great influencer of.

You should know, however, 1 to 6 babies out of 1,000 suffer childhood hearing problems. All infants should be screened for hearing loss so they may get early intervention or therapy by 6 months. In fact, soon after birth in Canada, you will receive an appointment with an audiologist who will do just that.

When Can Babies Hear In The Womb?

Your baby will start to hear his very first sounds around 18 weeks of pregnancy. Those little ears are quickly growing by the time they reach 24 weeks. As the weeks pass, your baby’s sensitivity to sound will develop even more.

The few sounds your baby hears at this stage in your pregnancy are likely ones you aren’t aware of. They’re the noises that come from your body. Your heartbeat, air going in and out of your lungs, a rumbling stomach, and even the sound of blood flowing through the umbilical cord are all examples of these sounds.

Can A Fetus Recognize Mother's Voice?

When it comes to when your baby hears you, then you should know that more noises will become apparent to your baby as they get older. Babies in the womb have been proven to react to sounds and noise around week 25 or 26, so you can really speak to your baby. Noises from outside of the womb are muffled by approximately 50%, according to recordings made in the uterus.

This is due to the lack of free air in the uterus. Amniotic fluid surrounds your baby, which is encased in the layers of your body tissues. All sounds coming from outside your body will be muted as a result.

Your voice is the most important sound your baby will hear inside the womb. Your baby may already identify the mother’s voice in the third trimester. When you talk, they will react with an elevated heart rate, indicating that they are more awake.

Yours is, predictably, the purest voice your baby can hear. The majority of noises your baby hears go through the air and then into your uterus. Your voice, on the other hand, resonates through your body and bones, amplifying the sound.

The heart rate of a fetus rises when it hears its mother’s voice, according to a study, so your baby is more attentive when you talk.

As a consequence, talking to your developing baby is a wonderful idea.  In addition, studies show that babies hear and know what their mothers say after birth. Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that babies are capable of detecting tiny changes as well as processing complicated information.

Should I Read To My Baby?

Reading to your kid has several advantages that will help them for the rest of their lives. The sooner you start, the more you’ll be able to assist them to improve their language abilities. They’ll begin to recognize books, the tales they tell, and the images they include as they become older.

Every day, reading to your baby offers you a unique opportunity to connect with her. No matter what age your baby is, bedtime is a wonderful time to start a reading habit. Use funny voices and comical expressions, particularly as your kid grows older, to make the experience memorable for both of you.

You’ll also be teaching your child a good habit at an early age by reading to them. This implies they’re more likely to have a lifetime passion for studying and reading.

Loud Sounds and Developing Babies

Many mothers are worried that very loud noises, such as a loud concert or a rowdy night out with friends, may harm their baby’s hearing. In the vast majority of situations, these one-time events will have no effect on your baby’s hearing.

Although the consequences of continuous noise on hearing loss are unknown, loud, prolonged, and repetitive noise has the potential to induce developmental harm or hearing loss in a developing infant.

Working in a loud industry for eight or more hours a day, for example, might have a negative effect on a baby’s hearing.

Also read:

When can you hear a baby’s heartbeat with Doppler?

Is loud music in car while pregnant bad?

What Music Should I Listen to While Pregnant for Baby Brain Development?

3D Ultrasound - A Date With Baby

We hope that you found these tips helpful and are looking forward to your 3D ultrasound appointment. In the meantime, we will be happy to guide you as to when it is best to come for your private 3D ultrasound scan. Contact us to discuss!
If you would like more information about booking a 3D Ultrasound in 18 weeks or get answers to any questions related to this blog post topic please contact us.
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