According to Healthline at 18 weeks or so your baby’s ears are able to start hearing some sounds, by about 26 weeks the baby will start to respond to sounds and voices. Studies show the sound is muted by about 50%, but they can hear. So talk to your baby, read books, and sing to them. Feel the baby’s movements. Do they react to some sounds more than others? When does baby move the most and when does baby sleep? When your baby is born, they will recognize your voices and feel very comforted in what is a very unfamiliar world. If you sing the song or read the book to them after they are born they will recognize it and will often calm, they will turn towards recognizable voices. In some ways the baby knows you more than you know them!
You might have a picture in your head of what it will be like that minute when you first see your baby. You might think you will instantly fall in love and feel a strong connection, but that doesn’t always happen. During labor and birth, both parents might have lost sleep. labor and birth might have been really quick or might have been very long. Things might not have gone the way you had hoped or maybe they did. Either way, it can be hard. Even though birthing your baby was what you were working towards, there is still a bit of a shock when that baby finally makes an appearance. They might not look like what you pictured. They don’t come out all pink and cute; instead they are a bluish purple until they start breathing air. The head might be misshapen and they might be covered with gunk and blood and uck. You might even be a bit irritated with what this baby has put you through. You might be completely exhausted and a little in shock. All those are completely normal feelings.
We don’t always feel an instant connection with strangers we meet. We take some time, talk to the person, perhaps watch how they interact with others. As we get to know them over time, can develop a bond and form a connection. The weeks after your baby is born they will change and you will get to know their needs and their personalities and as you do the bond and love will come. Be kind and patient to yourself. There are so many great adventures and fun ahead as your baby grows and changes! Enjoy Virginia
Preparing for Birth and Beyond, LLC 