From which month does the baby start recognizing the mother's voice?

At around week 14 of pregnancy, a fetus has developed the structures of an ear enough to detect limited sounds. By week 24, a fetus turn his/her head in response to voices and noises. The sound processing parts of a fetus’ brain become active in the third trimester. And research indicates that during the last 10 weeks of pregnancy, a fetus listens to what the mother is saying and can understand it well enough to retain memories of them after birth. During pregnancy, the clearest voice that a fetus hears is the mother’s. And studies have shown that a fetus’ heart rate increases upon hearing the mother’s voice. Sound transmits well enough, reverberating through the mother’s bones and the rest of her body, through the abdomen. According to cognitive neuroscientist Eino Partanen of the University of Helsinki, "If you put your hand over your mouth and speak, that's very similar to the situation the fetus is in...You can hear the rhythm of speech, rhythm of music, and so on.” So read out loud to your baby, sing songs, even carry on a conversation (for instance, simply relay to your baby what you’re doing: “I’m going to eat this sandwich. You’d like that, huh?”). Dads, you can also read out loud, sing, converse with your baby. Research has shown that newborns react differently to sounds that were repeated regularly during the third trimester compared to babies who never heard those sounds at all while in the womb. Research also indicates that deeper, lower sounds are easier for the baby to hear than high-pitched sounds. But take note: noise, when it’s loud, prolonged and repeated, has the possibility to cause developmental damage or hearing loss in a fetus. So make sure to stay within a quiet, calm environment. Sources: - http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/08/babies-learn-recognize-words-womb - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/9779146/Babies-listen-to-their-mothers-voice-in-the-womb-research-suggests.html - http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/fetal-hearing/