When can Babies Hear in the Womb?

Imagine yourself in an ocean of mother earth, with your eyes closed. The first sense that awakens is sound. Because sounds travel four times faster in liquid, you will hear muffled melodies and rhythm of waves and other sounds. the first home of your child is the liquid of your womb. They grow all organs and finally as senses develop, they develop a sound. Like how we hear the ocean, they hear everything being transmitted to them through the liquid. The loudest and calmest sound is your heartbeat.

When Does a Foetus Start to Hear?

One of the constant questions one may have as a parent is, “What week can babies hear in the womb?” or “When can baby hear in utero?”.

A foetus starts hearing sound around 16-18 weeks. It starts to respond to sound around 25 weeks.

Development of Auditory Organs

So, it is by the third trimester that your baby in the womb can recognise sounds. That’s the 25- 26th week. Though they are fully developed to hear by the 16th week.

What Type of Sounds can Baby Hear inside The Womb?

As explained, babies hear sound through the liquid, and that’s muffled. they hear sounds of everything that functions around them on day to day basis: the mother eating food, having liquid, the sound of amino fluids, digestions, breathing, heartbeat in a mixed rhythm patterns. They also hear sounds from outside the womb. A sudden noise, music, talk. What they hear mostly is the melody and pattern of the sounds than the clarity of what it might be. Example: they can hear talking, but the words are muffled so they may hear muffled noise in a melodic form in which languages are set.

FAQs

1. Can I Play Music for My Unborn Baby?

Yes, you can. There is a strong belief that music increases the IQ of a baby in the womb. While no concrete evidence exists, there is no harm in playing music to a baby in your womb.

2. Can Loud Noises Damage Baby’s Sense of Hearing in The Womb?

Yes and No.

It is advised that pregnant women take precautions if they work or spend a good deal of time in noisy areas. Some that define noisy are traffic areas, the constant sound of machines, aeroplanes, loud music, markets. Though voices are muffled, and the baby is well protected inside, loud noises could damage the development of auditory organs of the baby. Wearing earplugs saves you, but the only way to protect the baby from such loudness is to stay away from it.

However, the good news is just a short exposure will not hurt the baby, stay away only if it makes you uncomfortable. But for the baby, a musical night, or a day out in the busy traffic will not be harmful.

3. Can My Baby Hear and Recognize My Voice in The Womb?

Yes. To them, among all human voices, they hear their mother’s voice distinctively. As the carrier of the womb, her voice is heard from within unlike others whose voices are external. Science believes this is one of the many that creates the bond between the mother and child.

4. What to do to Make Sure Your Baby’s Hearing Develops Naturally?

Though the baby is well cocooned in the womb, it is best to avoid consistent unpleasant loud noise or sound. This will ensure that no external hindrance obstructs the development of baby’s auditory senses.

A child is safe in the womb. Any sound that it receives is filtered, and the impact is less. But constant loud noises are carried to the womb and also, you cannot neglect that it stresses out the mother’s body. Best is to stay away from such noise and, play music or sing-song your words to your womb. After all, the reason hearing is a sense is because it senses through sound. So, let the womb sense all beautiful things made by mankind and nature alike, through its first recognition of sound.