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tomalator t1_j21h9cw wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in Eli5: Would it be easier or harder for a pregnant woman to give birth in zero gravity? Apart from there being no gravity, would it be any different at all from giving birth while on earth? by The_Guy_Who_Wanders

It's also important to note that the baby (well before birth) will flip upside down as a result of gravity. Without gravity the likelihood of a breach birth (feet first) is very high, and a breach birth is very dangerous.

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awolzen t1_j221a15 wrote

This is interesting and I could see how the weak gravity could cause biological problems like fetal orientation. Experimentally, I’m sure it’s (obviously) never been measured.

I think we’re also assuming the entire pregnancy was experienced in zero g. If the mother experienced a change g-force… that baby is gone. There are too many added biological variables to assume things would go right.

I also know nothing about the details of embryonic cell development. Hopefully someone with more insight can help us out. Is the place where a fertilized cell attaches to the uterine wall random?

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tomalator t1_j223vfu wrote

I'm not sure how random the placement of the embryo is, but I do know it can attach in the fallopian tube (ectopic pregnancy) and it can attach to either the front or back of the uterus, which affects how much you can feel kicks from the baby (fewer if it attached to the front)

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MmmVomit t1_j221rfb wrote

Given there have been no zero G pregnancies, do we actually know this?

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tomalator t1_j222vqw wrote

Yes, because we can change the direction of gravity on pregnant women. It's called having them lay down for extended periods of time

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