Developing Those Senses
Your baby will not only develop his senses long before birth, he'll also start to use them. Learn the when and how of each of those five amazing senses
Taste
His first taste buds appear around the second or third month, along with some early taste perception. This sense will become more refined around your third trimester. A lot of his taste decisions later on will be influenced by the flavours he is experiencing in your prenatal diet. If you choose to breastfeed, your baby will recognize and be comforted by those flavours in your breast milk.
Vision
Your baby's sense of sight is a complex one that develops rapidly over time. He may become sensitive to light around Week 16, but his fuzzy vision won't become sharp and clear until after birth.
Touch
Between Months 2 and 5, he'll start to be able to sense touch. The sensitivity starts with his mouth, and spreads quickly to his whole body. Before long, he'll get to know the feeling of his body and his environment, by brushing up against the uterine wall.
Hearing
About the time you begin to feel your baby move, he'll be starting to get to know your voice. He can hear your heartbeat and the sounds your stomach makes. By Week 24, his hearing will be well-established.
Smell
He'll be able to smell around Week 28, and his talents will improve in your third trimester. Recognizing smells is another way he can make sense of the world around him, before and after birth.
