The Moon's Effect on Natural Childbirth
Did you know that some maternity units actually have more staff
available during periods of full moon?
I've always been fascinated by the moon's effect on nature, so
when a friend's wife conveyed to me what her midwife had told
her during the birth of their daughter, I decided to find out
more about childbirth, full moon and a possible link.
On speaking to various medical staff involved in natural
childbirth, the first thing I learned was that expectant mothers
often experience false signs of labor during full moon.
Contractions known as "Braxton Hicks" -- sometimes noticeable to
the mother and sometimes not -- become more pronounced and many
travel to the maternity unit in the belief that "it's time".
Disappointed -- or perhaps relieved -- they return home, the
pains having subsided and with no dilation of the cervix.
While these expectant mothers visiting the clinic with their
mistaken signs of labor are part of the reason why extra staff
are needed, the major difference is found in the number of women
whose amniotic sac -- the water -- breaks.
Just as some women experience false labor pains, in cases where
the water breaking marks the start of childbirth, full moon is
the time when it's most likely to happen.
In order to discover for myself whether this could be true, I
asked several female friends how their births had started. Those
who responded with "the water breaking" were then asked the date
of the birth. On checking this against a moon phase chart, I
discovered that almost all had given birth on, or very close to,
a full moon.
The theory is that the moon's gravitational pull effects the
amniotic fluid in much the same way as it effects the water in
the sea, rivers and even the water that's otherwise found in our
bodies.
As a woman's body prepares for natural childbirth, the amniotic
sac becomes distended so the point where it will easily burst if
put under pressure. Under normal circumstances, the pressure of
labor contractions bursts the sac. During a full moon, the
pressure caused by the moon's effect on the water inside the sac
can cause the same things to happen, but without the
accompanying contractions.
When this happens, natural childbirth doesn't always move
forward and with no other signs of labor present, the
obstetrician may decide to induce the birth. During my own study
of this phenomenon I found that of 8 women whose births started
with the water breaking at full moon, 5 of them had no
accompanying contractions.
A coincidence? Perhaps. But surely midwives wouldn't prepare
themselves for an increase in natural childbirth activity if
there wasn't some truth in this?
One midwife told me that when it comes to planning childbirth,
full moons should always be looked for around the time of the
expected delivery. If there's one within a few days either side,
the chances are your baby will be born on that day
David Rose is the creator of the popular moon software,
QuickPhase Pro, the fun and easy way to view the phases of the
moon. To learn more, visit http://www.quickphase.com
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
