when can baby hear in the womb

A baby can start to hear sounds in the womb around 18 weeks of pregnancy. At this stage, the baby hears internal sounds such as the mother's heartbeat and breathing. By about 24 to 26 weeks, the baby's ears are more developed and they become sensitive to sounds from both inside and outside the womb, including the mother's voice. From around 27 weeks onward in the third trimester, the baby can clearly hear and even recognize voices and noises, though sounds from outside are muffled by the amniotic fluid and body tissues. The mother's voice is the clearest and most significant sound for the baby in the womb, and babies have been shown to respond to it by changes in heart rate and movement.