Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2018 July 21

= July 21 =

Giving birth
In movie scenes in which the mother is giving birth, a person may say, “Push!” to order the mother to push the baby out. Is the mother really pushing the baby out the same way feces is pushed out the digestive tract? Can the baby go out by itself? SSS (talk) 01:07, 21 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Here is a book you might find at a local library or bookstore: How Sex Works (1994), which has chapters on pregnancy and childbirth. The book gives an informative, objective overview in a manner that is suitable for citation as an encyclopedic reference.  Wikipedia also has a detailed article on childbirth, from which you can find links to related articles on anatomy and physiology.  Nimur (talk) 02:06, 21 July 2018 (UTC)
 * This site by physical therapists describes some of the exercises used, and comments that doing "perineal bulges" "trains you to push during delivery without holding your breath. Holding your breath while pushing is call Valsalva. Valsalva can decrease the rate of blood flow back to the heart, lower maternal blood pressure, decrease maternal blood oxygen and blood flow to the placenta, and increase the risk for injury. It also can increase fetal head compression and fetal distress." From that description it sounds like the Valsalva maneuver, also known as a tactic for defecation, is not recommended for delivery but is used.  However, bear in mind that the colon and uterus each have their own set of powerful muscles, which are of course distinct. Wnt (talk) 11:33, 21 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Can the baby go out by itself? No, the baby has a decreased level of consciousness during delivery. (I swear I read this somewhere, but for the life of me I can't find any source right now. Help would be appreciated.) In a "normal" birth, the baby is pushed out by the muscles of the uterus. If this doesn't go right for whatever reason, you have obstructed labor, and medical intervention may be necessary. --47.146.63.87 (talk) 07:39, 22 July 2018 (UTC)
 * The uterus is made of smooth muscle which can contract independently of any voluntary control, and it doesn't even need an intact nervous system in order to do so. Therefore, contractions can continue while someone is unconscious, and sometimes this (rarely) has led to vaginal delivery while unconscious. Usually medical/nursing staff wouldn't let this happen, preferring the more controlled caesarian. Klbrain (talk) 23:23, 22 July 2018 (UTC)
 * The mother doesn't even need to be alive... coffin birth --TammyMoet (talk) 10:49, 23 July 2018 (UTC)
 * If an expectant mother is killed in an accident medical staff are often able to save the unborn child. 86.133.26.146 (talk) 10:56, 23 July 2018 (UTC)