Frequently Asked Questions About Pregnancy 

Q:  Can my developing baby taste what I eat?

A:  Yes! Taste buds form by the time your fetus reaches 13–15 weeks. From that point forward, researchers believe, babies can taste the amniotic fluid, which carries the dominant tastes in the mother’s diet, such as curry, garlic and onions. During the third trimester the baby swallows, on average, about a quart of amniotic fluid each day.

Even in the uterus, babies suck more in response to sweet tastes than to bitter or sour, a preference that continues after birth and is satisfied by the sweetness of breast milk. That breast milk, however, is also flavored by the main flavors in the maternal diet.

The tastes babies get used to in the womb, therefore, may prepare them for the foods of the culture into which they are born. 

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