Here is a topic, that, as a vet, has long intrigued me. Let me first set the scene. Female animals which produce a single, or two, large offspring, tend to give birth while standing, whereas those that put out several or many small offspring at one time do so while lying down. Examples of the first group include cattle, sheep and horses; of the second: dogs, cats and rabbits. In essence, giving birth to a single large young animal is initiated by uterine contractions and inter-abdominal pressure but, especially in the later stages of parturition, is aided by gravity. The birth of large litters of small offspring – puppies and kittens, is achieved without the aid of gravity.

Which brings me to the human animal. The fact that most women give birth to a single child; and the relative size of a human child at birth, especially of its head, with respect to the dimensions of the birth canal, suggest we fit in the first category. Yet it is expected that women will give birth while lying horizontal, perhaps with legs raised. Why do we make no use of gravity in birth? Human births seem to depend on the exhausting physical efforts of the mother while on her back and hence, commonly and inevitably, the assistance of midwives and doctors. The recent fashion of giving birth in warm water still does not take full advantage of gravity. May I suggest modern birth practices (ie. positions) are more designed to facilitate the activities of the attendants rather than the mother?

And while on the topic, expulsion of the afterbirth normally follows soon after emergence of the young animal, and the umbilicus remains intact until severed by the mother. This ensures that any blood remaining in the placenta is mostly transferred to the new-born by the final contractions of the uterus. From my observations of human births, there seems to be a rush to sever the umbilicus immediately after birth, which must surely deny the baby its full complement of blood. Comments please!