Aileen MillerFun Facts About Birth
the first record of a water birth was in 1805
only 5% of babies are born on their due date
a baby has about 300 bones at birth, but an adult only has 206 bones
the record (Guinness World Records) for the heaviest birth is 22lbs 8oz(10.2kg) in 1955
the youngest mother on record was 5 years old in Peru in 1939
the record for the most breastmilk donated is 200, 000 ounces
the shortest lady (2' 4") with osteogenesis imperfecta carried 3 healthy babies to term
In the late 18th century, a Russian farmers wife had 69 children (67 surviving). 16 sets of twins, 7 sets of triplets and 4 sets of quadruplets
the most surviving babies from one pregnancy is 8, delivered in 2009
the first transgender female to male, post sexual reassignment surgery, delivered in 2002
the oldest mother on record is 69 delivering in 2008 in India
only 1 in 10 women experience their water breaking prior to labour
postpartum bleeding can last up to 8 weeks
it can take up to 3 weeks for a newborn to be able to produce tears
it is estimated that 350,000 - 500,000 women die during childbirth each year around the world
en caul births (born in amniotic sac) occur about 1 in 80,000 births and European mythology suggests that an en caul birth means the child will not drown
25% of babies are born with the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck (nuchal cord)
babies can do the breast crawl in the initial skin-to-skin moments were baby slowly wiggles its way from being placed on the abdomen up to the breast and latch
the first documented c-section where both mother and baby survived was in the 1500s
it is possible to have an orgasm while giving birth
the first recorded medicated pain relief was in 1853 when Queen Victoria was given chloroform to inhale, this pathed the way for normalising medicated pain relief for labour
in the 19th century, women were administered heroin during labour for pain relief
about 1/3 of babies are born with a birthmark of some kind
it is normal for newborns to lose up to 10% of their birth weight in the first week
baby girls can have mini "periods" in their first 1-2weeks due to the drop in hormones they were receiving from the mother's body during pregnancy
babies are born without kneecaps
majority of babies are born with blue eyes and can take up to 6 months to change to their permanent colour