Beyond The Baby, What’s So Amazing About Pregnancy?
You and your baby are on an incredible journey together during your pregnancy. In nine months, so much growth and development are happening before your baby is ready to greet the world and join your family.
However, the marvels of your pregnancy extend beyond the formation of the baby. While attention naturally centers on the growing child, the intricate process occurring inside you is another miracle. As a little life forms, your body creates all the essential elements for life to emerge.
The Umbilical Cord: A Miraculous Lifeline
The umbilical cord connects the baby to the placenta. It’s a marvel that’s formed with each pregnancy. A cross-section of the umbilical cord reveals its complexity—two arteries and one larger vein encased in Wharton's jelly, which acts as a protective jello jiggler. A healthy umbilical cord is coiled and curled like an old-fashioned telephone cord, nearly impossible to flatten. Between the coiled structure and ample jelly, the blood vessels are shielded, preventing compression and ensuring a constant flow of nutrients to the baby.
Why Your Lifestyle Matters
Your lifestyle choices significantly impact the cord's health, so our clients at Columbia Birth Center will often hear us emphasize the need for healthy habits and diet. That’s because, without a healthy umbilical cord that has a lot of Wharton’s jelly and coils, the baby would be at risk of complications before birth and during labor.
If a pregnant person is a drug addict or a smoker, the cord won’t have many (or any) coils, and there would be very little Wharton’s jelly. Since the blood vessels don’t have the usual protection that a healthy cord provides, there’s a risk of the cord flattening and the baby’s oxygen being cut off, which could happen if the baby leans on the side of the uterus or gets the cord wrapped around the neck.
We want our clients to protect the baby with a good pregnancy diet that helps build a stable umbilical cord and avoid practices that we know can damage the cord.
We want you, your baby, and your umbilical cord to be as healthy as possible.
What Are Possible Complications?
Cord Knots: What You Should Know
A knot in the cord can form early in pregnancy while the baby swims around in a uterus with ample space. As the living quarters grow tighter, the knot tightens. Thankfully, in most cases, the Wharton's jelly prevents the knot from becoming a threat, and the baby thrives. What a testament to the cord's incredible resilience.
At Columbia Birth Center, we've already witnessed the strength of a cord with a true knot. We can offer excellent insights and proper care to our clients who may experience a knot.
The Cord Around The Neck: Dispelling The Myth
Contrary to common belief, a cord around the baby's neck isn't as threatening as it might seem. Our Certified Nurse Midwife and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Cynthia Flynn, had an incredible experience in midwifery school at Yale University. Her classmate helped birth a baby with the cord wound around its neck multiple times. The preceptor told her to cut the cord before the baby was born, which we rarely needed to do. The entire room counted as Cynthia’s classmate unwound the cord seven times from around the neck. She successfully delivered a healthy baby!
The Placenta: Nature's Conduit and Storage System
The umbilical cord is attached to the baby on one end and to the placenta on the other. The placenta is an amazing organ made as a new creation for every pregnancy. The placenta is a conduit and storage system between the birthing person and the baby.
Resembling the Tree of Life, with roots spreading across the baby's side, the placenta efficiently transfers oxygen and nutrients to the baby and removes waste from the baby to the mom. Yours to dispose of, encapsulate, or even plant beneath a tree, the placenta is a vital ally in sustaining a healthy pregnancy.
The placenta is yours—your body built it. We can dispose of it if you like, but some clients request to take it home. The placenta can be used in soil to plant a tree as a tribute to your newest addition to the family. You can also have it dried and stored in capsules to help prevent post-partum depression.
The Bag of Waters: A Protective Sanctuary
You’ve heard of “your water breaking” before or during your labor. What does that mean?
Your body also produces a bag of water, which offers a secure haven for the baby during its nine-month stay. This strong bag is actually two bags—the amnion and chorion. Rich in protein, this sturdy sac ideally breaks during active labor, providing a cushion for the baby's journey. At Columbia Birth Center, we hope the bag doesn’t break until you are about 8 centimeters, which is average for a healthy pregnancy.
In some cases, the baby enters the world before the bag breaks. If this happens, we say the baby is born en caul. A baby that can make it to birth without breaking the bag is considered very special in many cultures; some even say these babies have magical powers. Building a bag that is robust enough for this to happen requires a healthy, protein-rich diet.
A Collective Symphony of Creation
Considering all of these internal things that must be built well—besides the baby—for every single pregnancy, it is truly miraculous that all the parts work together so well. The collaborative effort of the umbilical cord, the placenta, and the protective bag of water create the foundation for a healthy pregnancy and work in harmony to support and nourish the growing life within.
After the birth of your baby, take a moment of gratitude for these incredible organs that contribute to the wonder of new life. The journey is not just about the baby—it's about the miraculous craftsmanship within your body that makes it all possible.
If you are interested in a safe, empowering, natural birth, please reach out to Columbia Birth Center. Your health and safety throughout pregnancy, labor, and birth are our priority. We’ll guide you every step of the way.
We would be honored to celebrate this miracle with you!