Fetal Senses Development and How to Communicate with the Fetus

Pregnancy is the moment every couple who wants to have a child in their family most waiting for. A child can make a family feel more alive, dynamic and complete. A child creates a whole new nuance in a family, a more alive two-way communication which initially only between a husband and a wife, now becomes among parents and the child. Communication is an important way to educate a child in becoming the expected human being.

Communicating with a child can be started from very early stage, moreover, since he/she is a fetus. Concerning parents can communicate with a fetus while the baby is still in the womb; this will create a closer bond and become an unforgettable pleasant experience.  

There several ways of communication parents can do with their baby in the womb, certainly by understanding the stages of senses growth and development in order to build a proper communication.

Sense of Touch

Sense of touch starts to develop before week 8. When the fetus moves and the hand or foot palms showed up in the mother’s bump, touch them, and give your soft feeling and love, so that the baby can feel the parents’ tender emotion, love and care. The love and care the fetus feels from the parents will give your baby a peaceful state of mind.

Sense of Hearing

Sense of hearing starts to develop at week 8 and finishes the configuration at week 24. This sense is also supported by amniotic fluid which is a good medium for the transmission of the sound.

The fetus will start to hear the sound of the blood stream through placenta, heart beat and the sound of air in intestines. The fetus will also reacts to loud sounds, even more the baby can jump in shock.

At week 25, the fetus can hear and recognize the voice of family members such as the father and the mother. Communicate with the fetus although it’s only one way; sing a song, read a book or talk to your baby to build a closer bond and to make your baby used to your voice.

When a parent gets angry, the baby will react the same way; soft music calms down the baby.

Sense of Taste

Sense of taste in fetus will develop at week 13-15. At this age, a baby can taste bitterness and sweetness. The fetus will drink and swallow the amniotic fluid if it tasted sweet. However, if the fluid is bitter, the baby will struggle and spit it out and will stop consuming it.

Sense of Smell

Sense of smell will develop at week 11-15. When this sense, a fetus can smell the amniotic fluid which is similar to the mother’s smell. Therefore when the baby is born, in only few hours the baby will know and recognize who’s the mother using this sense of smell.

Sense of Sight

Since the beginning of pregnancy up to week 26, the fetus’ eyes will always be closed to produce retina. However, the retina of a fetus at week 16 will be able to detect light bea

At week 27, the fetus will open the eyes and look around her/him for the first time. The eyes can capture the light exposed in the mother’s womb both natural/sun or artificial/lamp lights. The baby’s brain also reacts to blinking lights.

 

Thus, a fetus can react to various stimulations from outside and inside of the mother’s body. Therefore, it is important to take care of the place to live and neighborhood, mother’s behavior and speech. Everything a mother sees or hears, whether it’s happiness, anger, sadness or joy, certainly will affect the baby’s growth and development. We should not presume that a fetus does not have a feeling and allow ourselves step out of the boundaries. Besides, make use of the fetus uniqueness fully; give the baby earliest possible education and good influence little by little with high enthusiasm to support the growth and development of the baby’s physical and mental health.