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He also suffers: what does the baby feel during childbirth
All attention in this process is focused on the mother – she does the bulk of the work. But the child also participates in it. He spends a lot of energy to be born.
Let’s start with the fact that it is the baby that sets the start of childbirth. As for the preparation, then really all the responsibility is on the mother. The placenta is a very intelligent organ, it records when the fetus reaches physiological maturity, and then the level of estrogen hormones begins to rise in the mother’s blood. Thanks to them, muscles and ligaments become softer, more elastic, childbirth is easier. But contractions begin when the baby “commands”: his adrenal glands begin to produce a lot of cortisol, and the fetal membranes in response produce prostaglandins, under the influence of which uterine contractions begin.
“Under the influence of cortisol, the gastrointestinal tract is also prepared for the transition to a different type of nutrition. The maturation of the lung tissue is increasing, which will further ensure the child’s breathing, ”explains Anna Fomushkina, gynecologist.
And then the stress itself begins. What does the child feel at the same time?
Tightness
The cozy “house” suddenly turns into a hostile place. The walls literally put pressure on the child, forcing him to squeeze lower and lower, where it is also not at all easier: the path to life is very winding and narrow. For the first few centimeters, a child takes a very long time, from 6 to 12 hours. But if the process is accelerated, it can be fraught with birth injuries.
If the child is in a normal presentation, upside down, both he and the mother have an easier time than if the presentation is transverse or pelvic. It’s much easier for a baby in this position to make his way to life. In addition, the baby’s head is the largest part of the body, as soon as it is born, we can assume that the most difficult part is behind.
Stress
Interruptions in oxygen and food begin – this is due to the fact that mom is screaming and with contractions. Therefore, the pulse accelerates – from a normal 140 beats per minute to 180.
It is not surprising that the baby is under severe stress at the same time, the level of adrenaline in the blood rises sharply. Nature has tried to compensate for this – at the same time, the child’s body intensively produces endorphins, which play the role of a natural pain reliever.
Injuries
When attempts begin, the most difficult and crucial stage of childbirth begins. When the baby’s head passes through the birth canal, the pelvic bones, his head is literally flattened. That is why fontanelles do not grow in the womb – the bones of the head are mobile so that the child can squeeze through the cervix. Due to the fact that the baby’s head presses on the pelvic floor muscles, the attempts are intensified. And on the head of the crumbs, due to such work, edema forms – a birth tumor. This is a completely normal phenomenon, thanks to her, the child’s brain is protected from external pressure.
Usually, the back of the head is shown first, then the forehead and face – the baby is looking down at the same time, to the floor. And when the head appears completely, the baby turns around and looks at the mother’s thigh.
Both the chest and the torso of the baby are flattened.
New environment
When the baby is fully born, he experiences stress again. That is why he screams – the environment has changed radically, this is not at all what he is used to. Other lighting, the temperature is 12-15 degrees lower, you have to breathe yourself, the lungs expand, and liquid comes out of them.
A cry is an indicator of the quality of the first breath, the deeper it is, the louder the cry. If the baby does not scream, then something is wrong with him.
Meet Mom
The first thing doctors do after birth is to put the baby on the mother’s breast so that he can drink his first few drops of colostrum. This is very important for the formation of strong immunity, with these drops the first antibodies enter the baby’s body, which will help to resist various viruses and bacteria. And psychologists say that this is a very important point, since it is deposited in the child’s subconscious for the rest of his life: closeness with his mother, a sense of security are very important for normal psychological development.