[Catholic Mama]

I was reading Your Pregnancy Week by Week just now. I'm several weeks behind; I'm not sure how many weeks old my baby is anymore and I figure it's close to 30, at least, with a November 20 due date.

I just read about how if I'm around sudden, loud noises or around noise so loud that I feel the need to shout, it could be damaging my baby's hearing. I had to laugh because my third child, second son, one of this baby's older brothers is my loudest child. Even when I'm sitting right next to him, it sounds like he's shouting at me until I remind him to quiet down. Often during the day he'll start yelling just for fun, and if I don't yell at him, he won't hear me. And then there's my other son, who doesn't answer even when I yell (the first few times)..and we live in a big house so when he's upstairs and I'm downstairs, or he's in the living room and I'm in the kitchen, etc. and I yell to him, it can take a few more yells before he hears me, acknowledges me, and answers/comes to me. So if I endure all this noise without even leaving the house, much less going to a concert (the example the book gave), what is that doing to my baby's hearing? I'm not that worried about it, just wanted to share - I know I'm not the only one here having my fifth baby and I doubt all your other children are quiet.

Sort of related, I told Mom I'm not very worried about my baby sleeping after she's born (after the first few weeks) because she'll be so used to her older siblings' noise that she'll probably sleep through it better than me! I've heard stories about babies with lots of siblings doing that, anyway.

 

[stardogs]

I'm hoping the same holds true for us and sleeping through dogs barking. We have 4 here and it can get rather noisy periodically, but I figure since the little guy has been hearing them, my clients' dogs, and dogs at various dog sport trials for his whole gestation he should be pretty well desensitized by now.

 

[Catholic Mama]

I hope so, for your sake stardogs!

Another loud thing I'm around at least once a week is the blender. When I use it, even with my arms extended, it's still fairly close to my unborn daughter. She didn't start kicking while I blended this morning's smoothie, so either she stayed asleep or her arms and feet were still and she was crying, which I couldn't feel.

I remember reading - maybe when I was pregnant with my 1st 10 years ago - that babies cry in the womb, and after that I thought about it whenever I heard a loud sound.

 

[Fox-fern]

Wow, never knew they could cry in there! I guess I always imagined them all comfy & happy all the time, but now that I say it, it sounds unrealistic. I just noticed yesterday baby jumped when the drying rack made a loud clang when I folded it.

 

[stardogs]

Yea, my little guy doesn't seem to startle much, at least obviously, at this point. Perhaps we are on track with desensitization LOL