Not many people know just how much an unborn baby can feel and hear during the nine months that he or she is in his or her mother's womb; and when they start learning, they find it hard to believe. Towards the end of the third trimester, the baby has developed enough that they can leave the womb.
There have been many cases of babies being born a few weeks or even a month early, that grew up to be normal in every sense of the word. However, the physicians in such cases have to take very good care of these babies because they are often more fragile compared to those born after 39 weeks.
Soon-to-be mothers must take extra precaution not to make the baby uncomfortable because it's possible for them to stress the unborn baby. A soon-to-be first-time mom might think of doing everything she ever wanted before her baby arrives, and in the process cause a baby to be uncomfortable.
Therefore, it's important for an expectant mother, along with the people around her, to know that her unborn baby can feel almost everything she feels, and she should try her best to keep her baby in a good mood. Here's a list of 20 things an unborn baby does not enjoy during pregnancy.
20 Mommy Soaking In A Hot Bathtub
When a baby is in the womb, he or she is usually in an environment that meets everything they, including the perfect temperature. Therefore, when a mother decides to soak herself in hot water, the temperature inside the womb is sure to get uncomfortably high for the baby.
Exposing the unborn baby to extremely high temperatures can lead to the baby developing issues, especially during the first trimester when his or her organs are still developing. Soaking in a hot bathtub can also lower the mother's blood pressure, and this is sure to affect the flow of blood to her baby. Furthermore, low blood pressure can make the mom feel nauseated or dizzy.
19 Loud And Noisy Environments
An unborn baby's ears start to develop when he or she is around 8 weeks, though they will start to function from 18 weeks. At 25 weeks, the baby can recognize his or her mother's voice, as well as other sounds the mom usually exposes herself to. Therefore, it is important for moms to stay away from loud noises because such sounds easily startle the unborn baby.
Also, changing from a quiet and calm environment to a noisy one is very uncomfortable for the little one, despite the fact that he or she may only hear muffled noises while in the womb. Loud noises can even make the baby cry in utero. Moms who get into environments where there are loud noises will notice their babies moving around in the womb, but they can easily remedy the situation by moving to a quiet location.
18 When Mom Is Under A Lot Of Stress
Most, if not all things moms feel, their unborn babies feel it too. It is normal for moms to go through some stressful situations when they are pregnant, especially in relation to their changing bodies and uncontrollable emotions. Feeling stressed occasionally may not be too problematic; however, when moms are constantly under a lot of stress, their bodies produce a hormone that makes them drowsy and weak, which also causes the baby to get stressed.
Stress can make mothers-to-be lose their appetite, to develop headaches, or to have trouble sleeping. In isolated cases, stress can even cause the mom to go into premature labor. Therefore, it is very important for a mom-to-be to try and avoid all forms of stress and to spend as much time relaxing as possible.
17 Shining Bright Light On To The Belly
An unborn baby's eyes start to develop from the fourth week of pregnancy, which is a really cool thing. By the eighth week, the structure of the eye is usually even more complex because the retina - the part of the eye that processes light - has begun to form. By the sixteenth week, the unborn baby's eyes can detect light, and by the twenty-sixth week, the eyes are fully formed and are able to respond to light intensities.
An unborn baby is usually most comfortable in the darkness of the womb since he or she is already used to it. Therefore, when someone shines a bright light onto a mother's belly, the baby will feel uneasy and start to move around.
16 Mommy Eating Spicy Food
Professionals often advise moms not to eat spicy foods while pregnant because unborn babies can actually taste the things their mothers eat. Babies develop taste buds around the 16th week when they start swallowing the amniotic fluid. The food moms eat finds its way to the amniotic fluid, and this means that the unborn baby can taste the different elements that give foods their unique taste.
Although the taste or flavor will not be as distinct to the unborn baby as it will be to the mother, the baby will still be able to taste it. When a soon-to-be mom eats spicy foods, the unborn baby can start to move in an unusual way, an indication that he or she is not comfortable with what the mom is eating. Furthermore, spicy foods have a reputation of giving unborn babies hiccups.
15 When Mom Tosses And Turns A lot
During the last trimester, moms usually get very uncomfortable in their own bodies. This is because their growing bump does not allow them to find a comfortable position to sleep or rest for long periods. Additionally, expectant mothers may also experience back pains, leg cramps, heartburn, or nausea, which are all sure to cause them to toss and turn all night.
An unborn baby can feel uncomfortable when his or her mom is constantly tossing and turning. When the mom does not maintain a good resting position for a while, the unborn baby will also be restless. Moms experiencing such discomforts should ensure they are active during the day because a worn out mom-to-be falls asleep faster.
14 Not Having Enough Space
When babies are growing in the womb, they soon get so big that the space within the womb becomes too small and it gets very uncomfortable for them. They usually change positions and stretch out in order to find a comfortable position. Some moms experience a condition where the uterus does not expand the way it should. Such moms often have to give birth pre-term to avoid squeezing the baby even more.
Babies create space by squeezing their mother’s organs, with the most affected organ being the bladder. This is why pregnant women are always feeling the urge to rush to the bathroom on a regular basis. Some soon-to-be mom's bladders can get so compressed that they can barely hold urine for short periods.
13 When Mom Goes Without Eating For Long Periods
During pregnancy, a mother's nutrition is very important. What they eat, when they eat it, and how much food they eat has a huge impact on their baby’s growth. Pregnant mothers should never go for long periods without eating because when they get hungry, the growing baby usually gets hungry as well and he or she does not receive the nutrition they require to grow.
When the unborn baby is hungry, he or she will tend to kick and move around in an unusual manner to alert his or her mother that they are hungry. If the mother is used to skipping meals and not eating frequently, the baby can carry such traits even after they are born. Moms should make sure they eat whenever their bodies communicate they need food.
12 When Mommy Is Laughing Heartily
When a woman is pregnant, almost everything she does affects the unborn baby's comfort, even things we all consider simple and very normal. For example, not many expectant mothers know that enjoying a good laugh can cause the unborn baby to be very uncomfortable. When a soon-to-be mom laughs, her stomach moves in and out, an action that can cause the baby to bounce up and down.
This laughter affects a baby’s emotions as well as his or her movements. Although laughing is good for pregnant mothers since it helps them breathe better and have a pleasant mood, the baby may not appreciate it as much. However, a few babies will enjoy bouncing up and down.
11 When Someone Pokes Mom's Belly
When a baby is growing in the womb, he or she moves around, kicks, and even stretches out, in order for him or her to find a comfortable resting position. Although feeling and at times even seeing the movements is fascinating, the movements can sometimes cause pain or discomfort to the mom. Some soon-to-be moms poke the belly to see if the baby will stop moving, while at other times they may gently poke the baby to see how he or she will react if he or she has not moved for long periods.
Depending on the little one’s mood, the unborn baby can either hate it or love it. Some will respond to the poke by kicking some more or by moving around as if they want to play, while others will move away as a sign that they do not want to be disturbed.
10 When Something Startles Them
All of a soon-to-be mom's movements and experiences affect the unborn baby in the womb. Therefore, when they hear loud sounds or when their mom jumps or changes positions suddenly, the unborn baby is sure to be startled. In the same way, grownups don’t like to be startled, babies don't find the feeling pleasant as well.
Startling an unborn baby is arguably more frightening compared to a grownup because the unborn baby is constantly in a dark womb and his or her eyes are still developing. Therefore, even the sudden movements that the mom cannot prevent such as sneezing can be very startling, though since they do not occur frequently the baby can bear with them. A startled baby will often move away from where they feel the danger is coming from.
9 When Mommy Is Anxious Or Nervous
It is okay and normal for pregnant mothers to feel anxious or nervous every now and again. However, extreme and continuous levels of anxiety may affect the growing bump. Anxiety can cause a shift in hormones, which can pass through the placenta into the baby making them anxious as well. Watching scary movies can make pregnant women anxious.
In some prolonged cases, anxious and worried mothers tend to pass that trait to their babies and end up having infants who are more likely to be anxious and have colic issues. Anxiety and nervousness may be difficult to control but moms-to-be should look for pleasant things to do to ease the anxiety and relieve the hormones.
8 Bumpy Car Rides
Bumpy car rides are similar to moms laughing heartily; the only difference is that the bumpy car rides are usually longer and more severe. When a car is moving on a bumpy road, both mom and the baby feel the impact of the uneven road the car is riding on. Some moms-to-be believe that when they go for the bumpiest of rides they will encourage the baby to want to come out, especially when they are overdue.
The constant moving and shaking will definitely make the baby uncomfortable and because it is prolonged, the baby can even get sick because of all the back and forth movements. The amniotic fluid will protect them from any ill effects but it will not prevent the movement. Mothers should avoid such rides as much as possible.
7 Putting An Ice Pack On The Belly
Just like soaking in a hot bathtub or going to the sauna, babies do not respond well to drastic cold temperatures. It is common to have some soon-to-be moms putting an ice pack on their bellies to attempt to cool down their unborn babies when the outside temperatures are blistering hot. The ice might not always play the intended role of cooling down the womb gently since the baby has several layers of protection.
However, the unborn baby will definitely notice the change in temperature and might feel very uncomfortable. The unborn babies often respond by moving away from the cold spots, while others start to kick or move around. Mothers who have to do this should wrap the ice pack with a towel to avoid the sudden drop in temperature in that area.
6 One-On-One Time During The Last Trimester
When a mother is in her last trimester and decides to have alone time with her husband, the unborn baby may be uncomfortable because of what happens to mom’s abdominal muscles.. During intercourse, moms tighten their abdominal muscles, which in turn reduces the baby's space capacity, squeezing them more and more.
They already do not have enough space in there, so this action is sure to make them a bit uncomfortable. In addition, because in the third trimester an egg can occasionally drop, mothers run the risk of getting pregnant while still being pregnant. They also risk losing the second baby when the first ones’ labor begins.
5 When Mom Is Sad
Moms should do their best to avoid getting too sad or depressed while pregnant because these two emotions affect the baby negatively. A pregnant woman’s body undergoes many hormonal changes that can affect her emotions. She can be sad one minute and happy the next. Occasional sadness does not have an adverse impact on the unborn baby, but prolonged sadness can lead the mom to depression.
Unborn babies feel their mother’s sadness through the pregnancy hormones, which pass on to them. The unborn baby will also become sad or experience depression, and this can cause them to cry because that’s the only way they express their feelings. Depression can also affect them after birth when they grow up.
4 When They Cry In The Womb
Some people might find it hard to believe or even understand that a baby can cry while still in the womb, but it happens. Unborn babies can often become uncomfortable or unhappy, and they express their displeasure by crying silently while still in the womb. The baby can start crying as early as the 28th week when he or she has developed all of the senses.
Babies learn to express their emotions while in the womb, the same way they can smile in the ultrasound pictures, they can cry as well. In one study, a video ultrasound recording showed a baby startled in response to noise and displayed crying behavior. Constant crying in the womb can lead to developmental issues.
3 Food That Tastes Bad
The same way adults have food preferences; unborn babies also have such food preferences. Babies are able to taste what their mothers eat because the food is absorbed into the amniotic fluid where the baby is able to taste it as early as 20 weeks.
Most babies usually adopt their mother’s tastes after delivery, especially if their mothers preferred to eat certain kinds of foods when they were pregnant. A baby may end up loving or hating a particular kind of food after birth because of their ability to taste. However, it's very hard for mothers to know which foods their babies dislike and which ones they like while they're still in the womb.
2 Distress During Labor
Labor is always a foreign experience to babies and it might affect some of them negatively. Some mothers experience short while others have prolonged labor, with most soon-to-be moms preferring the former. Low oxygen during labor can cause distress to an unborn baby because it can lead the baby's heart rate to decrease or become abnormally short.
When babies are distressed, they sometimes have a bowel movement while in the womb, which can result in the baby swallowing the poop together with the amniotic fluid, the mother will have to undergo an emergency C-section. This procedure is important to remove the baby quickly and safely.
1 When Mom Over Stimulates Them
Overstimulation occurs when the soon-to-be mom goes to an area where the unborn baby will experience loud noises and sensations or activities that are too intense for him or her to cope with. Loud noises and drastic movements are just a few things that can overly stimulate an unborn baby that is still in the womb because it makes him or her fussy and restless.
For example, when physicians are conducting ultrasounds, some babies may dislike the pressure of the transducer on the belly and often flinch in utero. In addition, when an unborn baby gets to taste spicy foods, experience bright lights, hears loud noises, or become anxious, he or she will become stressed and resort to crying.