What does the baby feel during Labor? – Part 1

There is a lot of talking going on everywhere and all the time that how does the mother feel during labor, what should she do when contractions occur, how should she position herself etc. But have you ever thought what does the baby goes through when labor starts. Let us try to find out experience of the baby during the process of birth.

How does the big skull pass through?

All pregnant women wonder of how does the big head of a seven, eight or sometimes even nine pound baby manages to pass through the small opening. But the nature has equipped babies with a very soft skull for this reason. If you touch the head of a newborn, you will feel as if you are touch tiles. But at the same time there are also some soft areas which helps the baby to be flexible enough to pass through the birth canal.

Image from birthowl.com

How is the baby able to breathe?

Labor is a perfect example of how complex a human body is. When the baby is ready to come out of the mother’s womb there are physiological and mechanical changes that help the baby for the first dose of fresh air. When the baby is in the womb it gets oxygen from the placenta present in the mother’s body. But when the mother’s body prepares to let the baby out the umbilical cord is clamped and closed, and the lungs start functioning. The lungs of the fetus are filled with fluid to help them mature inside the womb. But with the beginning of the labor, the fluid inside the lungs begins to dry so that they can expand and able to take air inside after birth.

The heart of the baby also starts pumping more blood after she is born. When the baby was inside the womb the blood does not go through these inactive organs. During the process of birth, blood starts to flow from the lungs as the pressure in these organs drop allowing smooth flow into these organs.

How is the temperature of the body regulated?

The baby also has to adjust itself to a changing environment. It has to adapt itself to a 70 degree delivery room from a 98.6 degree temperature prevailing in the mother’s womb. The thyroid helps the baby in doing these as it ascends to its peak levels. These increased levels of thyroid produces heat from brown fat, which is a type of fat helping new born is adjusting to the new environment.

Related posts:

1. What does the baby feel during Labor? – Part 2
2. Signs of Labor
3. Risks Associated with Inducing Labor
4. Signals that Indicate You Are in Labor
5. Some Interventions that could ease the Process of Labor – Pitocin & Episiotomy
6. An Overview on Labor Induction
7. Some interventions that could ease the Process of Labor – C-Section
8. Important Facts about Labor Inductions
9. Do you have a Preterm Labor?
10. Some Interventions that could ease the Process of Labor – Vacuum and Forceps