DC 2007-05-07, In The Womb 子宫日记 16

She is likely to be turned head down in the womb, getting ready for birth. For the mother, this change could be marked by some painful kicks straight to her ribs. The type of music a baby is exposed to can alter her mood. Fast music stimulates and excites her. Music that is closest to the natural sounds and rhythms of the human voice, such as classical or choral music, has a sedating calming effect. If she hears the same music over and over again, she may even be able to remember it. At 33 weeks just over 8 months, the fetus may recognize a particular piece of music and even jump in time to it.

Some scientists argue that there is very little difference between the brain of a newborn baby and that of a 33-week-old fetus. Well, once it seemed that the mental development of a baby began at birth. Now it appears that birth could be a relatively insignificant event in developmental terms. She may have to support herself after birth, but as for the process of thinking, learning and remembering she has already been hard at it for 3 months, and her brain will continue to grow at the same rate for the next year.

The final phase of pregnancy is a demanding one for the mother. Many women feel uncomfortable during the last couple of months. The weight of the baby together with pressure on the spine and the battle for space can all cause her back and legs to ache. She may be feeling anxious about the birth and is likely to be short of breath as her lungs struggle to absorb 20 percent more oxygen than normal.

One of the many things revealed by the 4-D scans is the fact that babies have rapid-eye-movement sleep. This is a period of sleep when the eyes flicker around behind the eyelids. Later in life, this is an indication of dreaming. This gentle flicker of an eye could be a sign that the fetus, still with a month to go before being born, is already dreaming. There was so little life experience. It's hard to imagine what she's dreaming about, perhaps playing with her feet or maybe the gurgling of her mother's stomach.

In just over 8 months, the brain has grown approximately 100 billion neurons with 100 trillion connections. The brain and head have grown as big as they can in the womb, yet they are still small enough to squeeze through the mother's pelvis. The fetus can survive if born any time from about 35 weeks without much medical help. Although the longer she stays inside, the healthier she will be at birth. The mother is probably growing increasingly uncomfortable. Having begun as a single cell her baby is now heavy and cramped. She is also a considerable drain on her mother and putting on fat as using up more resources than the mother can provide. It's time to emerge.