You feel like a beached whale. You’re HOT and have lots of aches and pains. You’ve had enough – you’re ready to give birth, to get the show on the road and begin being a mother.

But it is not about whether you’re ready.

The million dollar question………… is your baby ready to be born ?

Probably not.

Coming early is trending

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic report on a disturbing trend……..

10 to 15 % of births happen, before 39 weeks, which is early if you’re “normal” and seriously early if you are a late bloomer.

The reason for these early arrivals.

BECAUSE…..

In the majority of cases, there is no true medical indication for early delivery.

Coming early is RISKY

Multiple studies have shown, pre-term births i.e. early arrival, even marginally early arrivals, are associated with COMPLICATIONS. The most conspicuous difficulties, arise in the breathing department and/or feeding department.

This makes sense, because these two systems are being worked on, right until the moment of birth.

Taking the first breath

Of air. This is huge…..

Up until the big moment, Mom’s lungs have ensured the blood pumping around is fully oxygenated. The lungs in utero are full, not of air, but liquid – necessary for development, but not suited for breathing air.

To catch their first breath, the lungs need this fluid to be drained. Plus the lungs need to be coated, with a special surfactant secretion, that stabilizes them sufficiently, so they can handle the air pressure.

In addition to readying the breathing equipment, the plumbing system needs a little re-routing. As the placenta goes off line, the lung circulatory system needs to kick in.

Disconnecting the feeding tube

The disconnection of the placenta, does more than just discontinue the air supply, it also cuts the food supply too. The moment the cord is severed – glucose levels plummet.

The liver needs to make a plan and begin the process of gluconeogenesis i.e. making it’s own glucose, in order to keep the body fuelled up. And to make matters worse, the demand for fuel rockets, because being born is hard work and the outside world, is “FREEZING” !

This is serious…………

Being born involves metabolic shifts. Insulin levels fall and glycogen emerges as the stand-by energy source. To keep warm (thermogenesis) and keep going, the baby needs to tap it’s rather limited reserve.

Reserves that are only put in place, in the period just before birth, since there is no point in storing fuel for a rainy day. The placenta guarantees the absence of rainy days.

The big transition

This BIG transition is driven by hormones. The hormone that leads the pack is cortisol – the stress hormone, along with the catecholamines. These hormones, only arrive on the scene, late in the game. Mother Nature waits till the end, to add the finishing touches, these finishing touches ensure the baby makes the transition from the warm cosy womb, to the big wide world, smoothly.

So, when a baby comes early, even just a little, the package is not a hundred percent complete and there can be complications.

Don’t get inpatient or get talked into speeding things up. Trust Mother Nature – her timing is PERFECT. The moment the water bursts………she is announcing, she is done, your baby is now ready for delivery.

Further reading

Blast from the past keeps women sucking ice cubes in labour	Germ free milk is not good medicine	Babies who arrive via c-section arrive programmed to be fat

If you are an expectant Mom or know someone that is – invite them to participate, so they can create Better Body Chemistry during their pregnancy and raise a HAPPY HEALTHY little one.