Very silly question but why don't babies get dizzy when they are upside down in the womb?!

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I was just thinking this today when I had DS2 out in his sling. When babies aren't breech ie, head down in the womb, how come their blood doesn't rush to their head?

I think blood flow in utero is quite different to being on the outside, plus they don't have the inner ear/balance thing going on to cause dizzyness, plus no spatial recognition/disorientation.

Just a guess though!

I've always wondered this too, great question!

Another person who has wondered about this to.

me too - glad someone has asked.

I have often pondered over this too .

How odd, DH just asked me today 'isn't it weird for him being upside down all the time?' (am 38 weeks and he's been head down for at least two months now).

My answer 'No.....but I don't know why....'

Glad I'm not the only one thinking about this! Anyone else know the answer? I asked my 3 week old but he doesn't know either.

A friend of mine who went diving told me that when you are a long way down in the sea you don't know which way is up except by watching the stream of bubbles go up. Maybe being in liquid is different from being in the air because the effects of gravity are less than the pressure all around you from the water so not as noticeable?

I have another silly question.

How do we know they don't? (I would also love to know how they figured out when they can see light, who shone a torch up there?

Angela xx

because the water supports them?

also, the light is seen by teh babies as more of a glow i think, through the belly..

also, blood flow and circulation etc are all different in utero and huge changes occur in circulation and breathing when the baby is born

One of the baby books I read - and lots of websites if you Google it - say that babies experience what is almost zero gravity in the womb, which would prevent the blood rushing to their heads. It seems to be something to do with floating in water/fluid.

A zero gravity experience is available for mums too: see www.discountbritain.net/Floatworks.html for an example. I've never tried it, but I believe there are quite a few places around the country that do it.

i've wondered this too.

I've also wondered why they don't get bored just being in one position all the time in the last few weeks. They can hardly move. What do they think about all day?

I've often wondered this too!

I've also wondered why they don't come out all wrinkly like you do when you've been in a bath for too long?

Angela - I came on to say that too! We have no way of knowing HOW they feel in there! They might be feeling rather queasy for all we know

I know that one Paolosgirl - it's that stuff they're coated in. Vernix? or something

Yes, but what about the ones that aren't covered in vernix when they come out? You go all wrinkly after a couple of hours in the bath, but babies are in there for a lot longer without vernix (or is the vernis always there, but you just can't see it when they're born?) - and they aren't wrinkled.

They're all covered in it till about term. The overcooked ones do tend to be wrinkly, afaik

But when you think that we get wrinkly after just a couple of hours in the bath, you would expect them to be wrinkly when they come out, given that they've been without vernix for some of the time.

I'm obsessing now - and sorry to the OP for the hijack.

I wonder if they feel ill in the last few weeks whenever you move about, they don't have much room and they must get jiggled about a fair bit.

I wonder what they think when they're being born, probably AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH

because they don't breathe in the womb they recieve oxygen via the placenta, also in amniotic fluid therefore little gravity.

How come they dont ever get knotted in the umbilical cord?
Ive wondered this many times whilst ds has been perfomring acrobatics inside me, I cant even hoover the living room without getting the wire wrapped round my foot 3 times

Do they wee?

The current edition of "I'm Pregnant" magazine has an article which talks about vestibular sense. This is the sense that keeps us upright and tells us where we are in relation to the ground. Adults generally don't like this being stimulated - plane turbulence, boats in rough seas. rollercoasters etc, but babies love to have this sense stimulated, which is why they love being carried, jiggled and bounced. Maybe this also affects babies in the womb?

Article also says that researchers discovered babies need to have their vestibular systems stimulated as it helps them gain balance & learn to walk but children with language problems, autism and attention deficit often have problems with their vestibular system.

You learn something new every day!

Apparently they start to wee quite early on. They swallow amniotic fluid and wee it out, it's practise for their kidneys or something.

About half a lifetime ago I did a scuba diving course. I remember the strange sensation, during our sea dive, of realising that I was floating upside down and hadn't even been aware that I was rotating. It was quite difficult keeping track of where the surface was - you had to watch the bubbles - there was no instinctive awareness, as there would be on land.

They can and do get knotted in their cords I delivered a baby with a true knot in it's cord a few months ago it's very rare.