In normal development, a baby is born with 12 pairs of ribs. The number is the same for males and females. The top seven ribs (called the true ribs) connect with cartilage to the breastbone (sternum).

12 pairs

Each adult has 206 bones, 24 of which are ribs (12 on each side), but approximately one out of every 200 people have an extra rib. This rib is referred to as the cervical rib. A cervical rib is present at birth and it forms above the first rib, growing at the base of the neck, just above the collarbone.

It is more common to see 11 pairs in the absence of associated anomalies; this situation occurs in 5%–8% of normal individuals. Eleven pairs of ribs occur in one-third of patients with trisomy 21 syndrome (,9), as well as in association with cleidocranial dysplasia and campomelic dysplasia.

Many children with thoracic insufficiency syndrome have missing ribs or have ribs that fused together. Thoracic insufficiency syndrome is rare. Fewer than 4,000 children are born with the condition in the U.S. each year. However, it is a serious condition that requires close monitoring and treatment.

As the fetus gets larger and larger, they may start to press against the ribs. Carrying the extra weight of the fetus can also place more strain on the muscles around the abdomen, which can, in turn, put pressure on the rib muscles, causing muscle aches. This pain is usually mild to moderate.

The amount of force needed to cause a rib fracture is not known but it is thought that normal handling or rough play would not cause a fracture in a child with normal bones. The ribs of an infant are soft and pliable/bendy so it is thought that considerable force is necessary to break them.

If a baby’s foot stuck in your body parts is causing your rib pain, you may be out of luck. But you might be able to prevent some degree of rib pain by staying active and exercising during pregnancy. Both of these will help you stay comfortable and prevent excess weight gain. This can contribute to the pain.

To keep up with the increasing uterus size during pregnancy, your rib cage and hip bone may also expand their width. And although the uterus will shrink back to its normal size post delivery, your hip bone and rib cage might remain expanded to make you wider permanently.

Generally, you can start feeling your baby move from around 20 weeks (in subsequent pregnancies you may recognise the sensation earlier). The kicks are at their strongest in week 32 of pregnancy, and begin to lessen as baby’s growing body starts cramping up space in the uterus.

“They also recognize their parents’ voices from the moment they are born. If dad sings to the baby while baby is still in the womb, baby will know the song, calm and look to dad.” The family that sings together, stays together.

Your baby is learning to recognize you through their senses. At birth, they are starting to recognize your voices, faces, and smells to figure out who is taking care of them. Since the maternal voice is audible in utero, an infant starts to recognize their mother’s voice from the third trimester.

July 6, 2005 — Babies learn their mother’s smell early in life, wiring the scent into their brains, new research shows.

Research shows that a baby’s health can improve when they sleep close to parents. In fact, babies that sleep with parents have more regular heartbeats and breathing. They even sleep more soundly. And being close to parents is even shown to reduce the risk of SIDS.