Unborn baby's hearing

[sarah.t]

I am pregnant and have read that my baby can hear sounds from the outside world as well as noises within my body. I am intrigued to know whether when I listen to music through headphones the baby can also sense this? Do you think the noise has to be directly adjacent to baby (whether inside or outside) and my ears are too remote, or do the sound vibrations somehow manage to transmit all the way down to baby too?

[Emma-J]

Hi there, I am also pregnant (6 months) and wondered the same thing, after looking I found that they probably would not hear anything directly in you ears like music through headphones, they can only hear outside noises etc.

Hope that helps.
EJ

[CLOWN TICKLE]

When my wife was expecting our daughter she went to a classical music concert, our daughter moved in time to the music, nessan dorma was the music and the same thing happe5ned at firework night

[OBonio]

The sound goes through your skin and amniotic fluid to his/her ears. Headphones wouldn't be loud enough for that.

Another point of fact is they generally hear the father's voice first as it is deeper. Deeper sounds travel better through matter (like skin, amniotic fluid etc).

[spaced]

...yes and tests have proved that if a child (after birth) can be calmed during crying and stress by playing music it has heard over and over before it was born. I saw documentary on this.

mother kept playing the same album over and over during the baby was in her womb. Once the baby was born and a little older, when it cried they played the same album and the child stopped crying instantly. if they played something different, it would continue to cry. Amazing!

[rampart]

spaced, we did the same thing. I don't know if it really helped or not, but we played some classical music during the pregancy and in the delivery room.

When my daughter was born, she was crying and I spoke in a soothing voice to her and she looked right at me - I assume she recognised my voice.

[gessoo]

My son used to move violently to music from about 19 weeks into pregnancy - so much so that it was painful and wore me out. He particularly liked rock music and has ended up being a musician!

I remember going to a New Years Eve party at five months pregnant and having to go and lay down because he was 'dancing' so much.

[PhilBy]

Hey gesso snap!! Our son was actually conceived to rock music and I guess he must of got it every day since.... He has just bought himself a new Gibson studio and boy can he play it :-) He is off to Uni this year to continue with his music studies and will be first from either families to get that far >>>> Well proud dad and a big + for Rock Music

[Poppy]

I've just had my first baby and used to play 'Classic FM for babies' CD when he was in the womb. He responds to it more than any other music now he's 'out'! It's remarkable- he most certainly recognises it. Do spend time talking to him/her because they really do recognise your voice!

[MangoPete]

I did a paper on the human user interface. I found papers and books on the subject say that unborn babies as young as 12 weeks respond to their mothers and partners voice. There is a book you can get from Amazon " The Secrfet Life of the unborn child " whcih goes into this in depth . It is an american christian biased book but it does have some facinating info as do others.
Living /speaking listening to other languages music etc can be heard and it apparently makes a difference.
It is facinating. Though unable to see properly unborn babies shield their eyes to bright lights shone onto mums tum. Bless.
Have a wonder time with your babies and remember to buy AND READ The Experience of Child birth by Sheila Kitzinger..if you can get it.