The bond you create with your baby begins long before they’re born. And as your baby grows in your womb, sound becomes one of those connection points. Not only will your baby hear sounds, but they can start to recognize voices and even respond by moving or kicking.
But what can your baby hear and when can they hear it?
Read on to learn more about how a baby’s hearing develops in the uterus and how sound can affect them, as well as noises you should try to avoid while pregnant.
The first sounds a baby hears in the womb will be mom’s
Your baby will hit milestone after milestone during their nine months in the womb. By week five of your pregnancy, their heart is beating. By week 12, all of their major organs are formed. By week 18, their internal auditory system should be almost fully developed. And by week 25, their outer ear will have reached its final position, but both the inner and the outer ear will continue to develop throughout pregnancy.
When can your baby hear your voice in the womb?
At around 18 weeks, which is in the second trimester, babies are only able to hear lower frequency sounds from inside the body, including your voice and heartbeat. These sounds are often compared to being underwater, because they’re muffled by tissues and amniotic fluid.
And as early as 22 weeks of pregnancy, your baby may start reacting to mom’s voice in the womb by moving their arms, legs and head.
When can baby hear other voices and sounds in the womb?
Your baby may be able to hear their dad or other parent, or other outside sounds around the same time as they hear you. But since those sounds are completely outside the womb, the baby might not have as strong of a reaction.
By 26-28 weeks gestation, your baby should be able to hear voices from outside the uterus more clearly. By the time they hit 30 weeks, their hearing will be more sensitive, and they’ll be able to discern different frequencies.
Around full term (9 months), their auditory system should be developed enough to hear speech and music. Also, your baby will eventually be able to distinguish their other parent’s voice from a stranger’s voice. And if your family speaks frequently to the baby during later stages of pregnancy, the baby will be able to recognize their voices at or shortly after birth.
Hearing music in the womb may be good for your baby’s development
There are a lot of benefits to listening to music. It can help reduce stress and improve sleep, and studies have even shown that it’s good for your baby’s development.
Playing music for your baby during pregnancy can help regulate their heart rate after they’re born, which may help them sleep. But it can also result in a number of long-term developmental benefits, including:
- Increased brain development – Music may help your baby’s brain develop before birth, and there’s evidence to suggest music will continue to positively influence your baby’s cognition and ability to sort out sounds later in life.
- Enhanced language processing – Music may help your baby mimic speech patterns and sound frequencies, which can help your baby process and acquire language earlier on.
- Improved memory – When you play songs repetitively, there’s a better chance your baby will recognize the tunes outside of the womb, getting their memory off to an early start with repeated stimuli.
What to know about loud noises during pregnancy
Since your baby can hear in the womb, you might worry about their exposure to loud noises. At the very least, loud noises can cause your baby to startle or jump. But it’s possible that very loud noises, especially with prolonged exposure, can permanently damage a baby’s hearing.
While the sounds are muffled, they can still be damaging. Here are steps you can take to protect your baby’s hearing:
- If you work in a job with a lot of noise, avoid spending long periods of time in environments that are louder than 85 decibels (the volume when needing to raise your voice) and completely avoid environments above 115 decibels (the volume of an operating chainsaw) while pregnant.
- Avoid low-frequency sounds, like rumbles and vibrations. These travel through the body more easily than high frequencies and could negatively affect your growing baby.
- Don’t lean up against anything generating low-frequency sounds or vibrations, like speakers. If you’re near something emitting these types of noises while you’re pregnant, move as far away from them as possible.
- When playing music for your baby, there’s no need to put headphones or speakers close to your belly. If the baby can hear your voice, they can hear music.
Want to learn more about your baby’s development in the womb? Talk with an expert.
Even if your baby is meeting all of their prenatal milestones, it’s normal to have concerns. Speak with your doctor at your prenatal appointments. They can talk with you about how your baby is developing and answer any questions you may have about their growth.
