| Did you know that some maternity units | | | | asked the date of the birth. On checking this |
| actually have more staff available during | | | | against a moon phase chart, I discovered that |
| periods of full moon? | | | | almost all had given birth on, or very close |
| | | | to, a full moon. |
| I've always been fascinated by the moon's | | | | |
| effect on nature, so when a friend's wife | | | | The theory is that the moon's gravitational |
| conveyed to me what her midwife had told her | | | | pull effects the amniotic fluid in much the |
| during the birth of their daughter, I decided | | | | same way as it effects the water in the sea, |
| to find out more about childbirth, full moon | | | | rivers and even the water that's otherwise |
| and a possible link. | | | | found in our bodies. |
| | | | |
| On speaking to various medical staff involved | | | | As a woman's body prepares for natural |
| in natural childbirth, the first thing I | | | | childbirth, the amniotic sac becomes |
| learned was that expectant mothers often | | | | distended so the point where it will easily |
| experience false signs of labor during full | | | | burst if put under pressure. Under normal |
| moon. | | | | circumstances, the pressure of labor |
| | | | contractions bursts the sac. During a full |
| Contractions known as "Braxton Hicks" -- | | | | moon, the pressure caused by the moon's |
| sometimes noticeable to the mother and | | | | effect on the water inside the sac can cause |
| sometimes not -- become more pronounced and | | | | the same things to happen, but without the |
| many travel to the maternity unit in the | | | | accompanying contractions. |
| belief that "it's time". Disappointed -- or | | | | |
| perhaps relieved -- they return home, the | | | | When this happens, natural childbirth doesn't |
| pains having subsided and with no dilation of | | | | always move forward and with no other signs |
| the cervix. | | | | of labor present, the obstetrician may decide |
| | | | to induce the birth. During my own study of |
| While these expectant mothers visiting the | | | | this phenomenon I found that of 8 women whose |
| clinic with their mistaken signs of labor are | | | | births started with the water breaking at |
| part of the reason why extra staff are | | | | full moon, 5 of them had no accompanying |
| needed, the major difference is found in the | | | | contractions. |
| number of women whose amniotic sac -- the | | | | |
| water -- breaks. | | | | A coincidence? Perhaps. But surely midwives |
| | | | wouldn't prepare themselves for an increase |
| Just as some women experience false labor | | | | in natural childbirth activity if there |
| pains, in cases where the water breaking | | | | wasn't some truth in this? |
| marks the start of childbirth, full moon is | | | | |
| the time when it's most likely to happen. | | | | One midwife told me that when it comes to |
| | | | planning childbirth, full moons should always |
| In order to discover for myself whether this | | | | be looked for around the time of the expected |
| could be true, I asked several female friends | | | | delivery. If there's one within a few days |
| how their births had started. Those who | | | | either side, the chances are your baby will |
| responded with "the water breaking" were then | | | | be born on that day. |