Meconium is a newborn's first poop. This sticky, thick, dark green poop is made up of cells, protein, fats, and intestinal secretions, like bile. Babies typically pass meconium (mih-KOH-nee-em) in the first few hours and days after birth. But some babies pass meconium while still in the womb during late pregnancy.
If a baby has pooped in the womb, and meconium is present in the amniotic fluid, they may need medical attention right after birth to prevent health problems. Medical care may involve resuscitation treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit.
While babies most often hold out on pooping until they're born, they are certainly active urinators in the womb. In fact, your baby's pee activity goes into overdrive between 13 and 16 weeks' gestation, when their kidneys are fully formed.
Up to 20 percent of babies poop in the womb, and while this behavior is usually not cause for concern, some infants will inhale poop-stained amniotic fluid.
The answer is, YES. Babies start to pee inside the amniotic sac around week eight, though urine production really picks up between weeks 13 and 16. They start drinking this mix of pee and amniotic fluid around week 12. By week 20 most of the amniotic fluid is urine.
You and Your Baby's Emotional Connection
Research has shown that, during pregnancy, your baby feels what you feel—and with the same intensity. That means if you're crying, your baby feels the same emotion, as if it's their own.
It's the lens of a baby's eye. Twenty-three weeks into pregnancy, or 21 weeks after conception, a baby begins to have rapid eye movements. A baby's eyelids begin to open at 28 weeks into pregnancy, or 26 weeks after conception.
The outside noise your baby hears inside the uterus is about half the volume we hear. However, unborn babies may still startle and cry if exposed to a sudden loud noise.
By 10–12 weeks of gestation, developing babies begin taking “practice” breaths. But these breaths provide them with no oxygen, and only refill the lungs with more amniotic fluid. Because it's normal for a fetus's lungs to be filled with fluid, a fetus can't drown in the womb.
Crying directly after birth
When babies are delivered, they are exposed to cold air and a new environment, so that often makes them cry right away. This cry will expand the baby's lungs and expel amniotic fluid and mucus. The baby's first official cry shows that the lungs are working properly.
What to know about digestive system development. A baby's digestive system starts to form in the womb at just 5 weeks and continues to mature through the third trimester. They start absorbing nutrients from their mother right away through the umbilical cord and placenta.
If your uterus contracts due to orgasm, obstetrician Dr. Kim Langdon tells Romper that “the baby will not likely notice it.” However, she does explain that if your water has broken, “there is less amniotic fluid and so a contraction may be felt,” although having sex after your water has broken isn't recommended.
A double pregnancy, or superfetation, is extremely rare — in fact, there aren't even stats on how often it happens — but it's scientifically possible. We're not saying you should worry about it happening to you, just that you can't say that it's impossible.
If a pregnant woman's water breaks and she sees dark green stains or streaks in the fluid, she should tell her doctor right away. This is a sign that meconium is in the amniotic fluid.
Some scientists even believe that fetuses dream while they're sleeping. Just like babies after birth, they probably dream about what they know: the sensations they feel in the womb.
In most cases, your healthcare provider will want to deliver your baby within 48 hours of your water breaking, although the timing can vary depending on your medical history and how many weeks you are in pregnancy.
Water causes the perineum to become more elastic and relaxed, reducing the incidence and severity of tearing and the need for an episiotomy and stitches. As the laboring woman relaxes physically, she is able to relax mentally with a greater ability to focus on the birth process.
Studies have shown that infants as young as one month-old sense when a parent is depressed or angry and are affected by the parent's mood. Understanding that even infants are affected by adult emotions can help parents do their best in supporting their child's healthy development.
At around 18 weeks of pregnancy, your unborn baby will start being able to hear sounds in your body like your heartbeat. At 27 to 29 weeks (6 to 7 months), they can hear some sounds outside your body too, like your voice. By the time they are full term, they will be able to hear at about the same level as an adult.
Five of the women who had described increased fetal movement with hunger (26.3%) described a notable period of quieting following a meal which they interpreted as their baby being sated and content. The remaining two described a continuation of the increased activity after eating that had been noted with hunger.
Massage your partner's belly
Baby may start to know when their father is touching mom's belly. Babies can sense touch from anyone, but they can also sense when touch (and voice) is familiar. And by 24 weeks into pregnancy, dad can usually feel baby kick – but the exact time varies.
Research shows that unborn babies can recognize their mother's (and possibly their father's) voice starting at 32 weeks.
Some moms report that a short burst of exercise (like jogging in place) is enough to wake up their baby in the womb. Shine a flashlight on your tummy. Towards the middle of the second trimester, your baby may be able to tell the difference between light and dark; a moving light source may interest them.
Truth be told, they won't feel much of a sensation due to the bath water itself but they will enjoy the sense of relaxation that flows through your body as a result of the soak. Further, you may find the baby squirming around based on the noise of the rushing water.
Many physicians advise pregnant women to sleep on their left side. Previous studies have linked back and right-side sleeping with a higher risk of stillbirth, reduced fetal growth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia, a life-threatening high blood pressure disorder that affects the mother.