Hearing in Utero

Nine months of pregnancy puts the expectant mother on alert mode as she works to nourish her child during the period. Some maternity specialists claim that the baby can start reacting to various sounds as early as 5 to 6 months. Still, it pays to know what the fetus actually hears while inside the mother’s tummy.

Fetuses start developing audio perception capabilities at 20 weeks old, with the ears completing its structural development in 24 weeks. Studies have shown that an environment with a sound level quieter than 70 decibels is optimal for the baby’s relaxation and eases the mother’s stress. However, sudden loud noises, such as a slamming door or a nearby explosion, may trigger strenuous movements in the child. At the same time, the internal sounds in the body, such as the mother’s heartbeat, may seem too loud for him or her.

The voices of the parents, on the other hand, help provide a calming effect on the fetus. Even if the baby cannot actually recognize words, the tone and speech patterns create the positive effect on him or her. Some pediatricians claim that a lack of aural stimulation hampers certain elements of the baby’s development; thus, the importance of the mother striking a balance between nurturing in a secure environment and going out to experience natural surroundings and talking to the baby about them. 

Interesting Facts about Fetal Development

It’s amazing how babies develop from a mere group of cells to an actual human being in a span of just nine months. Indeed, nothing embodies the miracle of life better than giving birth to a baby.

While the child in the womb may be growing out of sight, many interesting thing happen between a baby’s conception and his or her delivery. Here are a few interesting fetal development facts you might not know about:

What Happens during the Different Stages of Prenatal Development?

Prenatal or fetal development is the process taking place within a mother's womb. This is basically the time when the baby is being developed, happening after conception and before birth. Doctors often use the prenatal period to do check-ups on both the development of the child and the mother's well-being to ensure the safety of both during this time until pregnancy. Medical experts even divided the the prenatal process into different stages to ensure that proper care is being given to both mother and child during its proper time.

The Germinal Stage: From The Child's Conception

When the father's sperm cell and mother's egg cell unite, the resulting cell, the zygote, travels down to the fallopian tube where germination takes place. Germination of the zygote essentially is when the cell divides itself, forming more cells and differentiating themselves from one another, resulting in the eventual formation of the placenta and the embryo, the premature baby. The embryo travels into the uterus where it attaches to one of its walls and receives nutrients from its mother until its birth. The whole germinal stage happens twenty-four hours after conception and lasts for one to three weeks.

The Embryonic Stage: From Cell to Child

The embryonic period usually is the time when the baby's features are formed. The cell division that took place in the germinal stage of the fallopian tube continues in the uterus, where the different cells form the different systems of a human baby. From its outer features like the head, hands and feet, to its inner organs like the heart and brain, the baby's development becomes distinct. The embryo is already developing into a human. This stage takes place after the third week and may last until the eighth week after conception.

The Fetal Stage: From Development to Growth

This phase takes place from the eight week until birth. The embryo develops further into a fetus with its growth becoming quite visible, as seen with the mother's womb becoming larger. The fetal stage is the longest stage of prenatal development since aside from the changes happening to the baby, the development of its organs has already reached its climax. The brain of the child is already responding and the heart, beating. Reproductive organs are also developed during this stage, determining the gender of the baby. The growth of the child continues until its ninth month, which is typically when pregnancy ends and the child is born.

Womb Learning: Increasing your Baby’s Brain Power

Many experts all over the world agree that an unborn baby can receive and respond to sensory information inside the uterus. In as early as 23 weeks, a baby can hear sounds and react to your voice—proven signs of auditory engagement. A large number of studies show that playing music, reading stories, or simply talking to your baby are already learning experiences.

Education During Fetal Development

A lot of parents would consider it ideal to be involved with their kids every step of the way. Now, it’s possible to be involved even during fetal development, which happens right after the moment of conception.

What’s Happening in There? The Main Stages of Prenatal Development

Congratulations! You are now an expectant Mom. As you wait for your bouncing baby to be born, have you ever wondered how things go inside your belly? Well, it actually is important to know how your pregnancy moves on from conception to birth – so that proper care is administered. Since there are a lot of development stages, here is a much simpler version of the process.

First 10 Weeks:

Known as the fetal development stage, this period includes the formation of major organs including the brain, lungs, and the gastrointestinal tract. Limbs also begin to become visible as little buds protruding out of the fetus’ body. During this stage, the fetus doesn’t appear to look human yet.

Week 11-21:

Known as the gestation period, the 11th-21st weeks see the further development of physical features like the face, limbs and even the first senses – most notably, hearing. Yes, your baby can hear you talking to him whenever you do. Also, the baby’s genitals can now be differentiated by ultrasound, which allows for early gender detection. However, if you want a little bit of surprise, you can always tell your doctor to withhold the news of your baby’s sex until delivery.

Week 22-32:

During this stage, the bones, muscles, limbs and major organs have already developed. The eyes can now open and close – which can lead to amazing images on a 3D ultrasound where the baby seems to “look around” him. Developed muscles now allow him to move independently, and the respiratory tract is now ready to perform gas exchanges. In other words, the baby has begun to appear more human.

Week 33-42:

The final ten weeks of prenatal development prepares your baby for his big day. At this stage, all his limbs, major organs, and distinguishing physical features are developed. He also now has a headful of hair. Being an expectant Mom is considered one of the best feelings in the world.

A healthy baby is both a gift and a responsibility – it is your duty to guide, nurture and make him appreciate the world he will live in.