WOMB WITH A VIEW
Incredible video shows baby’s face moving around inside the amniotic sac during C-section
THIS fascinating video shows a baby's face moving around inside its amniotic sac during a C-section.
The footage of the incredibly rare birth shows the little one's head swimming around, making little facial expressions.
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When a baby is born with the sac still in tact, it's known as an en caul birth.
The amniotic sac is a thin-walled sac that surrounds a baby during pregnancy.
The fluid inside acts as a cushion and helps to protect baby from injury, as well as helping to regulate temperature, and help facilitate the exchange of nutrients, water and other vital products between mum and foetus.
Nikki Jurcutz, CEO of the Australian parenting organisation , shared the on Instagram, where you can even see the baby trying to make facial expressions.
The video was originally posted by , who explained: "It's not a miracle, welcome little handsome."
Nikki explained how the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby helps cushion it during pregnancy.
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"Around 1 in 12 pregnant mamas will break their waters before labour begins.
"When some mamas break their waters, it might be a big gush, a constant flow or a slow leak.
"It helps protect bub's umbilical cord by reducing the risk of it being compressed between bub and your uterus", she said.
Nikki added that around 70 per cent of pregnant women will go into labour within 24 hours of their waters breaking.
She added: "It's mostly produced by bub's urine and lung secretions in late pregnancy.
"It could be clear [normal], pink [normal], blood-stained [abnormal], green [abnormal] or yellow [abnormal]."
She added that it's this fluid that helps protect baby from infection and helps provide space for the child to grow in the womb.
What is an en-caul birth?
This sort of delivery takes place around one in 80,000 births.
An en-caul birth refers to when the baby is still fully in the amniotic sac.
The births are so rare because the sac usually bursts when the baby is about to be born and this even happens when women have a caesarean.
En caul births are rare as usually the sac bursting and fluids leaking signify a woman being moments away from childbirth.
According to a 2018 study published in Case Reports in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, en caul deliveries make up around just one in 80,000 live births, and they are not possible to predict.
Experts say that en caul births pose no risks to the newborn. In fact, they can be beneficial, as the intact sac can protect the baby against possible trauma or abrasions during delivery.
When it comes to the benefits of amniotic fluid, Nikki said that it helps promote normal development of your baby's body structures and organs.
"It allows bub to practice 'breathing' by swallowing the amniotic liquor, which helps with their lungs' growth and development", she added.
Nikki also highlighted that too much fluid is know as polyhydramnios.
Experts say that the most common cause of this is gestational diabetes, foetal anomalies with disturbed foetal swallowing of amniotic fluid, foetal infections and other, rarer causes.
She added that too little fluid is known as oligohydramnios.
This can sometimes cause complications during pregnancy and could also be down to underlying health conditions.
Nikki also said that anhydramnios refers to no fluid at all.
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This is usually caused by usually caused by ruptured membranes, placental dysfunction, or impaired foetal renal function.
"Once your waters break, you'll continue leaking fluid up until bub is born", Nikki added.
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