howyoucameintotheworld

how you came into the world

While you were growing in the womb, your mother’s belly became bigger and bigger. Everybody could see that she was pregnant. When you were six months old, she could feel you kicking. The more you grew, the bigger her belly became, and at last she had a hard time. Her back started aching and she could not sit or walk comfortably. When you were about nine months old, you had to get out. You had grown so big, especially your head, that you could no longer stay in the safe warmth of the womb. If you had grown any bigger, you could not have come out.

To give birth

Then the moment came for you to be born. Your mother was already prepared for this because she was having regular medical check-ups. The doctor had predicted when (approximately) you would be born. Your mother had an appointment with the hospital or with a midwife (if you were born at home). She was also helped by your father, or her mother or someone else.
When your mother started having labour pains -the typical attacks of pain preceding birth- she went to the hospital or called the doctor or midwife. The delivery of a baby usually takes several hours after the first labour pains begin. During that time your mother had a lot of pain. She probably prepared herself for this by doing exercises, but still the pain was bad. Maybe she wanted to bear the pain, perhaps she took a sedation. You moved push by push, with your head down, from the womb through the vagina and out. The whole birth channel had to expand. The mouth of the womb had to open up, the entire vagina had to extend itself and the opening of the vagina had to widen enough to let your head through. The heaviest pain was just before your head came out.

Birthbirth

Once your head was out, the worst was over. The umbilical cord, through which you had received food and oxygen for nine months, was cut and tied. Now you had to breathe for yourself, which you did by crying loudly. They put you in your mother’s arms and she was glad an relieved that it was over. You were born.