Your journey during pregnancy

Moms to be, are you aware of whats going on inside your tummy during those 9 months of pregnancy?

Here’s a sneak peek…

The first and strongest sensation in utero is the sense of touch. By 12 weeks post conception, baby’s entire body is able to perceive the sensation of touch. In the womb the baby receives only deep pressure from the uterine wall. As the baby moves within the uterus, they receive information about their body and its position. The temperature is neutral and comfortable.

At 28 weeks post conception baby’s hearing has fully developed. However all the sound from the outside world reaches the baby’s ears at a lower frequency. Some noises that the baby hears constantly are the mother’s heartbeat as well as the movement of the fluids which surround them.

In the womb it is quite dark, thus baby’s sight is not well established at birth.

Baby’s sense of movement and gravity is developed at 5 months in utero. Amniotic fluid decreases the effect of gravity to a large extent and the baby feels a floating /rocking sensation. By 28 weeks baby’s sense of taste and smell starts to develop, by the third trimester the baby is able to taste the food their mother eats and is able to smell scents from the external environment.

This was a snippet of information to help you understand what baby’s world is like when they are in your tummy.. 🙂 Its important to make their transition into the world more comfortable as baby will adapt best with an external environment that matches their previous utero environment.

Tips on how to make the transition smoother will be in the next blog post, followed by what you should expect from your baby each month and how to stimulate and encourage age appropriate development.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to share.

Read Rashika’s second blog post: Baby friendly environment

About Author: 

Rashika Singh completed her Bachelor of Sciences in Occupational Therapy at Wits in 2011. She  is currently employed at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto where she works as  a Paediatric Occupational Therapist. She is also a locum therapist at Talk Sense OT in Bryanston.  She is currently completing her qualification in sensory integration.

She is passionate about kids and ensures her therapy is child and family centered and of course fun  and playful. On a more personal note Rashika is a 26 years old and lives in Sandton, Johannesburg. She loves,  travel, dance and fashion and beauty.

Image credit: Baby centre and Rashika Singh.