prob a silly question, but do babies "know" what to do during delivery?

[dinny]

just read on forceps thread that someone's baby had got distressed and turned and got stuck - do babies know to keep still during labour? is that why movements slows so much jst before you go into labout?

bump

i think it's less about knowing to sit still and more to do with the womb dropping down and they have less space to move.

I have read that it seems to be the case that many children who are dx'd with autism have had difficult births. And I've read a theory that this is because they somehow do not co-operate with the birth process. Which suggests that typically-developing babies do sort of know what to do.

However DS3 was a textbook straightforward drug-free labour and delivery and still has autism, so there you go.

sixSpot - ds birth was horrific 74 hour marathon with epesiotmoy and forceps. distressed and jaundiced baby and a night in special care.

i certainly think there is something in the difficult birth being a sign, if not contributing factor.

that's interesting, like difficult birth can sometimes indicate something else?

or cause it?

yes, of course

I always wonder if dd being born at 35+5 for no reason anyone could work out meant something...

both mine tried to claw their way out... they had an arm up over their faces and the mws said it was like they were trying to pull their way out

ds was born back to front and dd got tangled in the cord turning herself right way round and half killed herself

so no... i don't think my babies knew what to do as they made a nuisance of themselves doing the opposite

Mine seemed to know - both we're amazingly straightforward, just TENS and G+A for me. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised!

If anyone has a real answer to this then I'd be really interested to know

mmm, mine were straightforward like that too - except for ds's shoulders got stuck!

hope this next one knows what s/he is doing!

wonder if it is frightening for them

I don't know, my DS was 32 weeks on arrival and was a perfect delivery, no pain relief at all, 2.5 hours from start to finish and no tears or complications, and he has CP so who knows.

I always thought it was a reflex like the others thye are born with tbh

One night soon after DS was born I got myself in a right tizzy that the birth must have been terrifying for him. And it was 4 hours, very straightforward. I really had to calm myself down!