How Birth Affects A Baby

Whether your baby is born vaginally or by caesarean section, he will have some markings on his body that you may not expect. Here’s what to look out for.

- Tina Otte

MOST EXPECTANT PARENTS today know that a newborn baby looks nothing like the newborns you see on TV dramas. So while you already expect your baby to be slimy and wet, what may cause you concern in the hours after birth is the puffiness, bruising and swelling your baby may have on his head, face and genitalia. Your baby may look like he has just been in a fist fight, even if your birth has been a gentle one.

Your baby has grown from a tiny seed into (on average) a 3-3.5kg little person. In order to fit, he has been squashed and squished into his womb environment. Next, he has to pass through the bony pelvis meaning his body has to adapt and move into a position to optimise his exit from your body. Sometimes the mother may need assistance in the form of metal forceps or a vacuum device to help push her baby out.

In most births, the baby’s head is the first to enter the pelvis. In order for your baby’s head to fit through easily, he has to tuck his chin onto his chest and let the back and top of his head come through first. If he has his head lying in another position, or he lifts his chin, this could cause the labour to be longer and his head to be affected more by the delivery process.