You have now given birth and can rejoice at the first glimpse of your new born. But several major changes happen to this tiny baby at the time of birth. Firstly the lungs expand so that the baby draws oxygen directly from the air rather than from the mother’s blood.

Before birth, the baby’s umbilical cord carries blood between its body and the placenta. The average length of the umbilical cord at birth is 55 cm. During the second stage of labour, the umbilical cord remains attached to the placenta at one end, while it extends through the birth canal to the child’s abdomen at the other end.

Before cutting the cord, the doctor or midwife usually holds the baby by its feet while he clears the mucus and fluid from its air passages. This enables the baby to breathe by slapping the bottoms of its feet. Between the times the baby takes its first breath and the cutting of the cord a few minutes elapse during which time the baby is receiving part of his oxygen from the mother. After a short period of time the blood flow slows down through the umbilical cord and the midwife or doctor severs it about 2.5 cementers from the baby’s abdomen. From then on the baby is on its own and a whole new person comes into being.

Don’t be too alarmed if you look to only discover that your baby’s head seems misshapen. This occurs because of the journey through the birth canal. It’s nature’s way of making childbirth easier by delaying the fusion of the bones in the baby’s skull until after birth. Any bruising, swelling and shape will disappear shortly. It’s time now to enjoy your precious bundle of joy that you have waited so long to arrive.