Swimming in the Womb

Many times it is impossible to remember where our babies came from. Just last week, I held Elena on my lap and she stretched from my chin to thighs. I am hard pressed to remember a time when I could lay her on my forearm. This picture, however, reminds me that our babies are born amphibious creatures. Before their first breath, they have gills and receive oxygen and nutrients through the umbilical cord. They are comfortable in an underwater environment - our little water babies.

I heard once that the womb is noisy. Water conducts sound better than air and our bodies that provide the shell for their home, are full of loud gurgles and pops. Our voice must sound like bass tones spoken through a broken speaker. Farty and undiscernable - a piece of discordant music. In this aspect, this swimming baby is not at home underwater. In a pool, it is all but silent underwater. From a sound standpoint, it is like being suspended in a glass cube.

The womb is drastically warmer too - a balmy 99 degrees. This water is cold and tangy comparatively. But still, there is an amphibious quality to a small baby. They remember what it is like to swim the day away. If we keep them swimming, perhaps they'll never forget it either.