As above. Also, how would the answer to this title question explain babies that are born premature, or babies that are born so late that the labour has to be induced?
Thank you in advance! I have wondered this for a while!
In: 161
The last little while is like a practice run, and the body starts giving contractions more and more until there’s a cascade of hormones and it goes into full blown labor. Hospitals like to use Pitocin to speed things up, or get things going since the body makes oxytocin on its own to start things out, so that they can make sure the baby is delivered when they’re there.
The cervix being a certain dialation is key, because a baby will not leave unless the cervix (a donut with a larger hole the long into the pregnancy you get) is low enough and open enough to essentially “let go” of the baby. By that time, the baby has slipped into a head first position. The hormones are what softens the cervix and opens it up more, so by the time the baby is due, the hormones have done their job.
Certain developments have to occur in the baby as well. Some of the last things to develop are the lungs, which are crucial to the baby surviving outside of the womb.
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