Baby’s Hearing Development in Pregnancy

By 24–28 weeks of pregnancy, your baby’s hearing is fully functional. They can recognize your voice and other familiar sounds, even before birth. Here’s how hearing develops and why it is important.

1. Early Development

• The inner ear structures (cochlea and auditory nerves) begin forming by week 8–12.
  • By week 18–20, babies can detect vibrations and muffled sounds through the amniotic fluid.

2. Fully Functional Hearing (24–28 Weeks)

• By this stage, the baby’s ears are fully formed and connected to the brain.
  • The bones of the middle ear harden, improving sound conduction.
  • Babies can hear both external sounds and internal sounds from the mother’s body.

3. What the Baby Hears

• Mother’s Voice: The clearest and most consistent sound, transmitted through bone conduction.
  • Heartbeat and Blood Flow: Constant background sounds.
  • Digestive Sounds: Gurgling noises from the stomach and intestines.
  • External Sounds: Music, conversations, or noises outside the womb, though muffled.

4. Recognition & Memory

• Babies recognize their mother’s voice after birth, showing they learned it in the womb.
  • Newborns also prefer songs, stories, and languages they heard repeatedly during pregnancy.

5. Why It’s Important

• Hearing prepares the baby for bonding and communication after birth.
  • Talking, singing, or reading to your baby during pregnancy supports early brain development and emotional connection.

Summary

By 24–28 weeks, your baby’s hearing is well developed. They can hear your heartbeat, voice, and even external sounds, and will remember familiar voices and rhythms after birth.