Friday, September 10, 2010

The Amniotic Sac or "Caul"

Midwife Thinking's Blog has another fantastic post, this time about the amniotic sac:


In defence of the amniotic sac


She explains the form and function of the amniotic sac, or caul.  It's very interesting and educational, and includes a photo and video of a baby being born in an intact sac.  What I love is how an intact sac can help cushion a baby and also aid dilation through labor at the same time.  For me it reinforces the belief that the bag of waters shouldn't be routinely broken.  It also serves as a reminder that it's generally better to leave things alone and let nature take its course.


The photo to the right is from the blog post and shows a newborn who was born "in the caul".  The sac comes off easily after birth.

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