Section 33
Birth

Of course, none of us can remember our own birth.
If we could, I wonder what we would remember.
For the mothers, it is a painful but usually a delightful experience.
Hundreds of years ago, mothers and babies may die at the time of birth.
Today, however, this is far less common.
A mid-wife is usually present at the birth to assist the mother and the baby.
In some countries, the father likes to be present at the birth.
In the 9 months before the baby is born, the mother is said to be pregnant.
Pregnancy changes many things in the woman’s body, not just in her stomach.
In modern society, there are many different ways of delivering the baby.
Some mothers even have the baby under water.
One of first things we do when we are born is to cry.
This enables us to take our first breath after the umbilical cord is cut.
Then we quickly learn how to get food from our mothers.
From then all our lives are different.