How come babies don't drown after being born?

[BirdOPrey5]

I know they get their oxygen from the mother via the umbilical cord of course... but they grow in what is essentially a sack of liquid- where does the air come from that is in their lungs while in the womb?

Do they have air in their lungs in the womb? I mean when they get born after a slap on the ass they basically start breathing air- I know they remove some sludge from the nose or something to open up the airway but their lungs must have had air in them- it's not like you have to hang them upside down to drain the fluid from their lungs...

So I never thought about it before- and of course it isn't just for human babies- all animal babies with lungs seem to be born with air in them- for larger animals like elephants and whales that has to be a substantial amount of air.

 

[Dennis 'd Menace]

I know they get their oxygen from the mother via the umbilical cord of course... but they grow in what is essentially a sack of liquid- where does the air come from that is in their lungs while in the womb?

Do they have air in their lungs in the womb? I mean when they get born after a slap on the ass they basically start breathing air- I know they remove some sludge from the nose or something to open up the airway but their lungs must have had air in them- it's not like you have to hang them upside down to drain the fluid from their lungs...

So I never thought about it before- and of course it isn't just for human babies- all animal babies with lungs seem to be born with air in them- for larger animals like elephants and whales that has to be a substantial amount of air.

Honestly don't know. But your body cavities are generally filled with air, not fluid, so the lungs probably develop like that.

 

[BirdOPrey5]

The baby develops from an egg... the egg is basically fluid. An amniotic(sp?) sack forms around the egg, that is also basically just fluid... I just don't see where the air comes from? Uterus air? I wonder if the lungs actually work backwards for a time and take air out of the mother's blood to inflate the lungs... ?

 

[abqtj]

Baby oh hold might have the answer

 

[wct097]

The same reason babies don't cry in the womb.

 

[Deere1]

You must be planning on having kids?

 

[pejeeper]

Birthing process squeezes out any fluid in the breathing systems. Or else theey just hold it uspde down to let it drain. You choose.

 

[WANNABEJEEPER]

I have no idea what you're talking about. Babies come from storks.

But, babies get all they need from the umbelical cord in the womb. Once they suck all the crap out after birth is when the lungs start to function.

 

[Sean Mallory]

The same reason babies don't cry in the womb.

I did.

 

[neevo]

The umbilical cord is just a breathing tube that is attached to the mothers' navel. It breathes through her belly hole. If you stare hard at a pregnant woman's gut you will see the navel open and close like a valve

The umbilical cord detaches after birth as the baby can breathe air directly, and if it stayed in place then the woman could end up with uncontrolled fanny farts

 

[Road Head]

Babies don't breathe through the mouth/nose in the womb. So the lungs aren't filled with fluid. When they are born, the plugs are removed from throat and nasal passages, and natural reflexes cause the baby to begin breathing. The plugs make it so that they are sort of "holding their breath".

 

[BirdOPrey5]

OK I get the idea of the plugs- but it can't be a vacuum behind the plugs- it must be air. Where did the air come from is my question?

 

[Jays89YJ]

Road Head is correct. The doctors told us vaginal birth pushes all fluid out of their throat and nose. A c-section requires the use of suction devices to drain the fluid manually. They don't really slap the baby on the ass. They ensure all fluid is out and pull on their legs or arms to disturb the fetal position and make them sound off to ensure breathing, reaction and awareness. That's what I saw. Then the heel poke, etc.

 

[HDC]

Road Head is correct. The doctors told us vaginal birth pushes all fluid out of their throat and nose. A c-section requires the use of suction devices to drain the fluid manually. They don't really slap the baby on the ass. They ensure all fluid is out and pull on their legs or arms to disturb the fetal position and make them sound off to ensure breathing, reaction and awareness. That's what I saw. Then the heel poke, etc.

The squeezing through the birth canal is part of the process that triggers the lungs to start functioning as well as this. IIRC, the process also triggers a reroute of the pulmonary arteries so that the blood circulation cuts off from the umbilical cord and functions normally.

 

[Road Head]

OK I get the idea of the plugs- but it can't be a vacuum behind the plugs- it must be air. Where did the air come from is my question?

Umbilical cord primes the lungs and heart, of course, heart is already beating. Sort of like the squeeze bulb on a 2-stroke motor. Baby is primed and ready to go.

 

[Deere1]

How big is the snatch when a baby comes out?

 

[Justin]

How big is the snatch when a baby comes out?

Big enough for the father to stick his head in and have a look around.

 

[Justin]

Umbilical cord primes the lungs and heart, of course, heart is already beating. Sort of like the squeeze bulb on a 2-stroke motor. Baby is primed and ready to go.

pull string sticking out of ass?

 

[Deere1]

pull string sticking out of ass?

Lol.

 

[Jays89YJ]

The squeezing through the birth canal is part of the process that triggers the lungs to start functioning as well as this. IIRC, the process also triggers a reroute of the pulmonary arteries so that the blood circulation cuts off from the umbilical cord and functions normally.

This sounds right.