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Life Before Birth and a Time to Be Born
Describes the fascinating wonders of our prenatal origins as we prepare to take on the challenges of independent life. The author answers such questions * How does the fetus start the birth process? * Why does the fetus make breathing movements? * What are the functions of the placenta, our only true throw-away organ? * How does maternal lifestyle affect the fetus? * How does the fetus tell the time?
- GenresNonfiction
238 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1992
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 6, 2020
I loved this book. It's basically a textbook about fetal development.
Not necessarily only for a mother to be. It can be for anyone who loves science, because it's fascinating and in depth and very specific.
Do yourself a favor and Google Peter W. Nathanielsz M.D, PhD. He's no joke. He is a pioneer in this research, passionate, and respected within the community.
I call it a text book because it's all science and fact. It's not fluffy, and there are no story lines.
But there are no chapter reviews, or challenge questions either. It's not ACTUALLY a text book.
I'm reading as a pregnant woman, but would have read it before if I had know it existed because it's extremely interesting. And little fetuses are so smart!
I personally feel so much more empowered knowing the science of the process, than just having my doctor give me "rules" to follow, of which some of them seem less important than others, but without any true reasoning of this.
Reading this book explains so much about what is actually "bad" for your baby, and what "bad" even means. For example, since smoking isn't going to give THEM lung cancer, why is is bad for the fetus? Read and find out how the mother's smoking affects the baby's intake of nutrients and oxygen, why is it negative, and what is the outcome?
I've heard discussion of whether "vaping" is less bad for a baby, and that there is no research on it. There isn't, but there is research on what happens to a mother's body and the fetus's brain development when a mother's breaths are wasted taking in anything other than oxygen.
It makes me rethink how much I will rest, how hard I will work out, the importance of the food I'm eating. Sure, people have given me lots of "rules" to follow, but understanding why that rule was made is so helpful. For working out, the advice is "don't overdo it". What the heck is overdone? But now I understand how it works, I know exactly where overdoing it lies, and it's actually earlier where I initially imagined overdone to be. For me. Everyone is different so you can tailor the real facts to you.
I also feel empowered going into delivery, to be able to think for myself and not be AS scared into making decisions I've heard of many other women having to make on the fly. Knowing exactly what's chemically happening in my placenta, in my fetus, and how my body will react, and what help it does and does not need based on certain factors give me more tools than I had reading other fluffy books about the process, that draw conclusions for you. Draw your own and use all of that as a tool to make the BEST choices.
I also think since there aren't really stories, assumptions or generalizations of any kind, this book is actually a good read for the hypochondriac, to be informed about her pregnancy without being scared about everything, or accidentally diagnosing herself. I think! I'm not anxious or a hypochondriac, but it SEEMS that way....
These are my two cents. Or possibly more like 20 cents.
I hope it helps you decide if this book is right for you :)
Not necessarily only for a mother to be. It can be for anyone who loves science, because it's fascinating and in depth and very specific.
Do yourself a favor and Google Peter W. Nathanielsz M.D, PhD. He's no joke. He is a pioneer in this research, passionate, and respected within the community.
I call it a text book because it's all science and fact. It's not fluffy, and there are no story lines.
But there are no chapter reviews, or challenge questions either. It's not ACTUALLY a text book.
I'm reading as a pregnant woman, but would have read it before if I had know it existed because it's extremely interesting. And little fetuses are so smart!
I personally feel so much more empowered knowing the science of the process, than just having my doctor give me "rules" to follow, of which some of them seem less important than others, but without any true reasoning of this.
Reading this book explains so much about what is actually "bad" for your baby, and what "bad" even means. For example, since smoking isn't going to give THEM lung cancer, why is is bad for the fetus? Read and find out how the mother's smoking affects the baby's intake of nutrients and oxygen, why is it negative, and what is the outcome?
I've heard discussion of whether "vaping" is less bad for a baby, and that there is no research on it. There isn't, but there is research on what happens to a mother's body and the fetus's brain development when a mother's breaths are wasted taking in anything other than oxygen.
It makes me rethink how much I will rest, how hard I will work out, the importance of the food I'm eating. Sure, people have given me lots of "rules" to follow, but understanding why that rule was made is so helpful. For working out, the advice is "don't overdo it". What the heck is overdone? But now I understand how it works, I know exactly where overdoing it lies, and it's actually earlier where I initially imagined overdone to be. For me. Everyone is different so you can tailor the real facts to you.
I also feel empowered going into delivery, to be able to think for myself and not be AS scared into making decisions I've heard of many other women having to make on the fly. Knowing exactly what's chemically happening in my placenta, in my fetus, and how my body will react, and what help it does and does not need based on certain factors give me more tools than I had reading other fluffy books about the process, that draw conclusions for you. Draw your own and use all of that as a tool to make the BEST choices.
I also think since there aren't really stories, assumptions or generalizations of any kind, this book is actually a good read for the hypochondriac, to be informed about her pregnancy without being scared about everything, or accidentally diagnosing herself. I think! I'm not anxious or a hypochondriac, but it SEEMS that way....
These are my two cents. Or possibly more like 20 cents.
I hope it helps you decide if this book is right for you :)
September 1, 2021
Explanatory step by step of life in the womb.
____________
If in ignorance.
Abstain.
Protect the life of your baby.
1 in every 80 occasions, 2 eggs ovulate
Bringing twins.
1 in ever 6,500 times, 3 eggs ovulate.
Bringing triplets
Between the ages of about 15-50 a woman will ovulate about 400 times.
The best evidence of life is growth
If there is a problem with the placenta growth, there will be a problem with fetal growth.
“The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life – the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.”
-Hubert H. Humphrey
Each child is a new book, with most of it's pushes blank.
The love of children is enshrined in love, at, music and poetry.
Children are the keepers of the future.
The flame of life is passed along from one generation to the next door the young to cease and carry.
As we have seen the ability of each newborn life to carry this life initially depends on how he or she has been nurtured and allowed to develop abilities during life before birth.
Prevention is cheaper than cure.
We need to think about the needs of children before they are born and make every effort to make sure they are as healthy as possible when they make their first cry of "I am here".
We need to ensure that pregnant woman and they're families are well norished and free from unnecessary stress.
We must do everything in our power to reverse the trend of the last 20 years, in which the general level of prenatal care has deminished.
Experts (like Dr Berry Brazelton) have said that no generation of children has been born less well norished and less well prepared for life after birth, than the babies being born today.
Perhaps it is because that newborn infants do not vote, that politicians ignore them.
We should all marvel at the intricatacy of fetal development.
Understanding the miraculous process of development can only induce respect.
And out of that respect perhaps will grow a more thoughtful and caring provisions for life before birth.
Knowledge of fetal development can help us care prepare the baby for life after birth.
The marvels of life before birth are worth pondering. There is little doubt that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
I look forward to a time when adaquate maternal care will be available to all Mother's (and Father's) who have made the decision to make the ultimate contribution to continuation of our planet.
____________
If in ignorance.
Abstain.
Protect the life of your baby.
1 in every 80 occasions, 2 eggs ovulate
Bringing twins.
1 in ever 6,500 times, 3 eggs ovulate.
Bringing triplets
Between the ages of about 15-50 a woman will ovulate about 400 times.
The best evidence of life is growth
If there is a problem with the placenta growth, there will be a problem with fetal growth.
“The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life – the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.”
-Hubert H. Humphrey
Each child is a new book, with most of it's pushes blank.
The love of children is enshrined in love, at, music and poetry.
Children are the keepers of the future.
The flame of life is passed along from one generation to the next door the young to cease and carry.
As we have seen the ability of each newborn life to carry this life initially depends on how he or she has been nurtured and allowed to develop abilities during life before birth.
Prevention is cheaper than cure.
We need to think about the needs of children before they are born and make every effort to make sure they are as healthy as possible when they make their first cry of "I am here".
We need to ensure that pregnant woman and they're families are well norished and free from unnecessary stress.
We must do everything in our power to reverse the trend of the last 20 years, in which the general level of prenatal care has deminished.
Experts (like Dr Berry Brazelton) have said that no generation of children has been born less well norished and less well prepared for life after birth, than the babies being born today.
Perhaps it is because that newborn infants do not vote, that politicians ignore them.
We should all marvel at the intricatacy of fetal development.
Understanding the miraculous process of development can only induce respect.
And out of that respect perhaps will grow a more thoughtful and caring provisions for life before birth.
Knowledge of fetal development can help us care prepare the baby for life after birth.
The marvels of life before birth are worth pondering. There is little doubt that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
I look forward to a time when adaquate maternal care will be available to all Mother's (and Father's) who have made the decision to make the ultimate contribution to continuation of our planet.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews