Page 148 - The Miracle of Human Creation

placenta
womb
umbilical
cord

The fertilised egg needs a se-
cure place in the mother's
body in order to survive and
continue to develop. Cells
should find a place where
they will be protected and be
nourished, and where birth
will occur easily in nine
baby
head months. The mother's uterus
down perfectly meets these require-
ready
to push ments. The baby lodges in
through the uterus for nine months.
the At the end of the ninth
birth
canal month, necessary processes
take place in order to enable
the realization of birth.
cervix Checkups are done and the
baby gets ready to step into
the outer world.
birth canal

hen all the preparations are complete for the foetus to enter a
new world, the amniotic fluid begins to perform new activiti-
W es. The amniotic fluid forms fluid vesicles which will cause
the entrance of the womb to expand to a size that will allow the baby to

pass, and prevent the baby from being compressed in the womb during the
birth process. When the birth begins, the vesicles are perforated and pour
out the fluid they contain, lubricating and sterilizing the channel through
which the foetus will pass. In this way the birth is easier and protected
from bacteria. 46
Along with these preparations made in the womb, a few other condi-
tions must be met at the same time in order to have a safe birth. For examp-
le, for the baby to emerge from the womb, it must be in the right position.
To achieve this, the baby's feet move, causing it to turn slowly until its he-
ad moves into the cervix. Now that the baby is too big to manoeuvre, the

baby's ability to move is curtailed, and it cannot move its head out of that
position. But how does the unborn baby make the decision as to which
47
position is appropriate? How does it know the best position for the birth?

146