I’ve been wondering a lot recently about when this baby will be able to hear me. Adam and I talk to this baby all the time, and we stroke the spot on my belly where we imagine our baby is lying, but lately I’ve just been desperate to know when I can talk to it and know that it’s listening.
And so I did what I always do when I have a pregnancy question like that: I googled it.
Basically, the answer seems to be somewhere between 19-22 weeks (about 6 weeks to go), but in the process of finding that answer I stumbled across this article:
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the whooshing sound your baby hears in your womb is, to them, louder than a vacuum cleaner! However, most experts do agree that your baby can be startled by loud, unexpected noises – research has found that these jarring disruptions can change your baby’s heart rate, movements or even prompt them to empty their bladders, according to WebMD. Many pregnant women have reported a fetal jerk or kick at the sound of a backfiring car or slamming door.
This being said, it’s also been found that a fetus’ heart rate often slows when they hear mom talking. So there’s a good chance baby not only hears you, but recognizes your voice and finds comfort in it. While it appears that the fetus can pick up specific speech patterns, it’s unlikely that it can pinpoint words – rather, it’s the tone that resonates with them, particularly low frequency sounds like dad’s voice.
And I stopped reading, because I couldn’t see through the tears running down my face. My baby, before it ever meets me or feels my touch, will know me as mommy and be comforted by the sound of my voice.
I’m in awe of that, and we are so in love with this precious baby.
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