Immediately after giving birth, the mother’s body does something miraculous. Read on!

30:18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:” One is how a woman’s body knows how to do what it does.

This post is the last installment from,  “A Pocket Guide to the Human Body” (that’s not to say that we won’t look at other parts at another time). Today, we talk about a true miracle that has no explanation on how the body learned to do such a thing.

During the baby’s development, the placenta is securely attached to the endometrium of the uterus by some of the larger branches of each cotyledon (tree-like structures). When the uterus contracts to expel the placenta after the birth of the baby, some of the endometrial surface is torn off with it. This results in severing about 20 large uterine arteries which, if unchecked, would involve the loss of blood at a rate of about one pint per minute. Since fewer than five quarts of blood are in the adult female body, all the blood would be lost in less than 10 minutes. It is also important to note that the blood-clotting mechanism is suppressed in the placenta and uterine blood vessels during pregnancy, creating a situation comparable to a hemophiliac with 20 severed arteries. These factors result in a wound that no one would expect to survive!

How does a woman survive childbirth with such a wound? Here is another example of the awe-inspiring work of God, the Creator and Sustainer of life. You see, each of the severed uterine arteries has a precisely placed muscular sphincter that acts like a purse string, or a surgeon’s hemostat, to immediately close off the loss of blood. As a result, a normal birth involves the loss of only about a pint of blood. Simply amazing!

The next time you experience the joy of a baby’s birth, thank the Lord for providing this selfless placenta. And above all, reflect on the fact that our Creator, who at the time of childbirth so mercifully spares the mother from a fatal loss of blood, did not hesitate to shed His own blood in death to save us from sin, death, and the power of the devil [Hebrews 2:14-15].

Abba, it boggles my mind to think that every time a baby is born that You perform this miracle. You did it twice for my family–You did it for me! You are in the business of giving life. Thank You for Your abundant life in Christ that You have made available to anyone and everyone. Amen.