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When can a baby hear inside the womb


When Can a Fetus Hear: Womb Development Timeline

When Can a Fetus Hear: Womb Development Timeline

Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — By Jessica Timmons on January 4, 2018

As pregnancy progresses, many women speak to the babies growing in their wombs. Some mothers-to-be sing lullabies or read stories. Others play classical music in an effort to boost brain development. Many encourage their partners to communicate with the baby too.

But when can your baby really begin to hear your voice, or any sound from inside or outside of your body? And what happens to hearing development during infancy and early childhood?

The early forming of what will become your baby’s eyes and ears begins in the second month of your pregnancy. That’s when the cells inside the developing embryo begin arranging themselves into what will become the face, brain, nose, eyes, and ears.

At roughly 9 weeks, little indentations in the side of your baby’s neck appear as the ears continue to form on both the inside and the outside. Eventually, these indentations will begin moving upward before developing into what you’ll recognize as your baby’s ears.

Around 18 weeks of pregnancy, your little one hears their very first sounds. By 24 weeks, those little ears are rapidly developing. Your baby’s sensitivity to sound will improve even more as the weeks pass.

The limited sounds your baby hears around this point in your pregnancy are noises you may not even notice. They are the sounds of your body. These include your beating heart, air moving in and out of your lungs, your growling stomach, and even the sound of blood moving through the umbilical cord.

As your baby grows, more sounds will become audible to them.

Around week 25 or 26, babies in the womb have been shown to respond to voices and noise. Recordings taken in the uterus reveal that noises from outside of the womb are muted by about half.

That’s because there’s no open air in the uterus. Your baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid and wrapped in the layers of your body. That means all noises from outside your body will be muffled.

The most significant sound your baby hears in the womb is your voice. In the third trimester, your baby can already recognize it. They will respond with an increased heart rate that suggests they are more alert when you’re speaking.

As for classical music, there’s no evidence that it will improve a baby’s IQ. But there’s no harm in playing music for your baby. In fact, you can continue with the normal sounds of your daily life as your pregnancy progresses.

While prolonged noise exposure may be linked to fetal hearing loss, its effects aren’t well-known. If you spend a lot of your time in an especially noisy environment, consider making changes during pregnancy to be safe. But the occasional noisy event shouldn’t pose a problem.

About 1 to 3 of every 1,000 babies will be born with hearing loss. Causes of hearing loss can include:

  • premature delivery
  • time in the neonatal intensive care unit
  • high bilirubin that requires a transfusion
  • certain medications
  • family history
  • frequent ear infections
  • meningitis
  • exposure to very loud sounds

Most children born with a hearing loss will be diagnosed through a screening test. Others will develop hearing loss later in childhood.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, you should learn what to expect as your baby grows. Understanding what is considered normal will help you determine if and when you should consult a doctor. Use the checklist below as a guide.

From birth to around 3 months, your baby should:

  • react to loud noise, including while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding
  • calm down or smile when you speak to them
  • recognize your voice
  • coo
  • have different types of crying to signal different needs

From 4 to 6 months, your baby should:

  • track you with their eyes
  • respond to changes in your tone
  • notice toys that make noise
  • notice music
  • make babbling and gurgling sounds
  • laugh

From 7 months to 1 year, your baby should:

  • play games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
  • turn in the direction of sounds
  • listen when you’re speaking to them
  • understand a few words (“water,” “mama,” “shoes”)
  • babble with noticeable groups of sounds
  • babble to get attention
  • communicate by waving or holding up their arms

Babies learn and develop at their own pace. But if you’re concerned that your baby isn’t meeting the milestones listed above in an appropriate time frame, consult with your doctor.

Last medically reviewed on January 5, 2018

  • Parenthood
  • Pregnancy
  • 2nd Trimester

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

  • Blackburn S. (2013). Maternal, fetal, and neonatal physiology. (4th ed.). Seattle, WA: Saunders.
  • Fetal development: Stages of growth. (2014).
    my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/7247-fetal-development-stages-of-growth
  • Hearing evaluation in children. (2016).
    kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&ps=107&cat_id=192&article_set=22902
  • Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Fetal development: The second trimester.
    mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/fetal-development/art-20046151
  • Pierson LL. (1996). Hazards of noise exposure on fetal hearing [Abstract]. DOI:
    10.1016/S0146-0005(96)80054-1
  • Your baby’s hearing and communicative development checklist. (2010).
    nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/silence.aspx

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Jan 5, 2018

By

Jessica Timmons

Edited By

Nizam Khan (TechSpace)

Medically Reviewed By

Debra Sullivan, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, COI

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Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — By Jessica Timmons on January 4, 2018

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Bonding with your baby during pregnancy

Bonding with your baby during pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content

5-minute read

Listen

You don't need to wait until your baby is born to bond with them. Pregnancy can be the perfect time to start forming an attachment with your baby, which is very important for their development once your baby has actually arrived.

What might babies experience in the womb?

Sound

At around week 18 of your pregnancy, your baby will begin to hear the sounds of your body, such as your heartbeat and your stomach rumbling. At 26 weeks, a baby may react to noises both inside and outside the mother’s body, and may be soothed by the sound of her voice.

The outside noise your baby hears inside the uterus is about half the volume we hear. However, unborn babies may still startle and cry if exposed to a sudden loud noise.

Language development

After 32 weeks, your baby may start to recognise certain vowel sounds from your language. Some research suggests that very early language development may begin before birth.

Memory

As well as remembering certain sounds from their mother’s language, babies may remember certain music played to them in the womb.

Sight

Unborn babies’ retinas are developed at 20 weeks, and they open their eyes and can see light from 22 weeks. However, babies’ eyes continue to develop after they are born.

Sensation

After around 18 weeks, babies like to sleep in the womb while their mother is awake, since movement can rock them to sleep. They can feel pain at 22 weeks, and at 26 weeks they can move in response to a hand being rubbed on the mother’s belly.

Ways to bond with your baby during pregnancy

Here are some things that might help you and your baby to start forming an attachment before birth.

  • Talk and sing to your baby, knowing he or she can hear you.
  • Gently touch and rub your belly, or massage it.
  • Respond to your baby’s kicks. In the last trimester, you can gently push against the baby or rub your belly where the kick occurred and see if there is a response.
  • Play music to your baby. Music that mimics a heartbeat of around 60 beats per minute, such as lullabies, is useful. You can also search online for relaxing or calming music.
  • Give yourself time to reflect, go for a walk or have a warm bath and think about the baby. You may like to write a diary or stories to the baby about what you are experiencing.
  • Have an ultrasound. Seeing your baby moving inside the womb can be a poignant experience for parents, and can help them to bond with the baby since it can suddenly seem ‘real’.
  • Relax, look after yourself and try not to stress. Evidence shows that if a mother feels less stressed during her pregnancy, the health outcome for the baby is better. Your partner or a close friend may be helpful if you need someone to talk to.

How dads and caregivers can bond with the baby

If you are the baby’s father or other significant caregiver, here are some things you can do to help you become attached to the unborn baby.

  • Massage the baby bump if the baby’s mother is happy for you to do so.
  • Feel the baby kicking as often as you can.
  • Attend ultrasound appointments with the mother.
  • If you’re planning to be a support person at the birth, go to the prenatal classes, as well. Understand and discuss the birth plan with the baby’s mother and meet the maternity team. The more confidence you have in the pregnancy and birth process, the easier it will be for you to bond with the baby.
  • Read and talk with the baby so they get used to your voice.
  • Talk to other parents. Share your thoughts and feelings, and allow them to share theirs about their pregnancy and birth experience.

Older siblings can bond too

By preparing your toddler or child for the upcoming birth, you can help them to bond with the baby. This may involve talking to them about the baby, reading stories about pregnancy and babies, allowing them to touch your belly to feel the baby kicking, and preparing a gift together for the baby.

You could involve your child in preparation for the birth by taking them shopping for baby supplies or setting up the nursery. Your child may also like to put a piece of their art on the wall of the baby’s room.

Your feelings and the baby

You may find that instead of being excited about the birth of your baby, you are feeling stressed and confused. Your feelings during pregnancy can affect the baby too. For example, if you are feeling stressed, the baby’s heart rate will respond to this and potentially increase.

Talk to someone about your feelings and ask questions when you see your maternity team. Try to increase your support network and meet other expectant mums to share your experiences. Try to look after your own health and wellbeing, and make sure you get enough rest and relaxation.

If you have had a mental health issue before, or you are experiencing feelings that differ from those you usually have, you should visit your doctor as soon as you can. A range of treatments can help, including psychological therapy and certain antidepressants that can be used safely during pregnancy for moderate to severe depression. Your doctor will tell you which ones are safe or suggest another way to help you.

If you were already taking an antidepressant before you became pregnant, your doctor may advise you to stay on the antidepressant. You and your doctor may decide this is the most effective way to help your baby get the best start in life and it may give you the best chance of bonding with your baby.

Where to go for help

  • Talk to your doctor, child health nurse or midwife.
  • Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 to speak with a maternal child health nurse.
  • Find a parenting helpline that suits you here.
  • Call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Sources:
Beyond Blue (Pregnancy and parents - depression), Beyond Blue (Pregnancy and parents - emotional health and wellbeing), Centre for Community Child Health (The First Thousand Days - an evidence paper), Raising Children Network (Pregnancy week by week - second trimester), NSW Ministry of Health (Having a baby), Centre of Perinatal Excellence (Bonding with your baby), Virtual Medical Centre (Bonding with your baby during pregnancy), Women's and Children's Health Network (Attachment – babies, young children and their parents), Developmental Psychobiology (Maternal stress responses and anxiety during pregnancy - effects on fetal heart rate), Raising Children Network (Can you spoil a baby?), Raising Children Network (Bonding and attachment: newborns), Acta Paediatrica (Language experienced in utero affects vowel perception after birth: a two country study), Baby Centre (10 ways to bond with your baby bump)

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Last reviewed: February 2021


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Bonding With Your Baby During Pregnancy | HealthEngine Blog

Bonding with a baby during pregnancy refers to a process through which a pregnant woman experiences feelings and emotions for her foetus, interacts with her foetus and develops a maternal identity during pregnancy.