What do I know about pregnancy and birth?

The answer is quite a lot!

I am quite fascinated with the whole concept of pregnancy and birth. I have read and browsed a few Pregnancy magazines, watched some online things and asked a lot of questions. I love going with Äiti to see the Midwife and I have really enjoyed the scans.

Tonight I explained dilation to Äiti using a bendy pencil. I got a very bendy pencil at a party recently. I curled the pencil into a snail shape and told Äiti that this was the start of dilation. I then made a circle out of the pencil and measured it with my ruler at 10cm. It was then big enough for Thingy to squeeze out of. I showed this to Daddy too!

The other day I asked Äiti how 2 daddys could have a baby, I couldn't understand how the egg could be fertilised. Äiti explained that most 2 daddy families adopt their children.

I have drawn a few pictures of Thingy in Äiti's tummy. I have labelled my drawings with words like placenta, umbilical cord and water sac. When Thingy was tiny I used to draw him/her as a blob, now I draw a proper baby.

I asked how long labour might take. I now know there are 3 stages to labour. I obviously had to ask about how long each stage was. I was 6.5 hours getting to 10cm, then half an hour of pushing, then half an hour waiting for the placenta. I worked out that when Thingy is born, the umbilical cord will still be attached to the placenta. Daddy will cut the cord like he did with me. I also know that sometimes babies get stuck and have to be cut out. One of my toy cats had 25 kittens, two came out naturally, the other 23 came out her tummy.

I'm not going to be allowed to be at the birth, though the Midwife did say if things happen quickly and daddy is on his way home, then I can help...Äiti didn't look overly pleased at this suggestion!

When I am older I want to go to Oxford University and learn how to be a vet. Äiit thinks a Midwife might be more appropriate right now!