• The sex of a baby is determined by whether the sperm that fertilizes the egg carries the X or Y version of chromosome 23.
• Women are born with about a million egg cells in each ovary. When the female embryo is only six weeks old, it prepares itself for motherhood by developing egg cells for future offspring.
• During Aristotle's time, wind direction was believed to determine if a baby would be a boy or a girl.
• A woman's arthritic pains will almost disappear as soon as she becomes pregnant.
• According to a survey conducted at Iowa State College in 1969, the parent's stress at the time of conception plays a major role in determining baby's sex. The child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is under less stress.
• Human reproduction is based on lunar time rather than solar time: Gestation is about 266 days - nine lunar months - and the menstrual period is one lunar month.

Pregnancy

• During pregnancy, the uterus expands to 500 times it's normal size!
• Pregnancy increases your foot size. This is due to the pregnancy hormone relaxin, which loosens the ligaments causing your foot to spread and swell. The swelling generally subsides after delivery but foot spreading is permanent!
• A four month old fetus will startle and turn away if a bright light is flashed on it's mother's belly.
• During pregnancy a woman's blood volume increases up to 50%. Besides meeting the needs of the fetus, this acts as a reserve against fluid loss during childbirth.

Giving Birth

• Vietnamese women are taught from childhood to control their emotions. They have to give birth without uttering a word!
• During labour, Mexican women have to keep as quiet as possible if they don't want to be made fun of.
• In Taiwan, when a woman gives birth she is expected not to cry out because she'll disturb the other inhabitants of her village.
• In Togo, the mum-to-be has to remain silent during childbirth so that she doesn't attract the attention of evil spirit.
• In traditionally Catholic countries, the pain of childbirth is said to stem from original sin. According to the book of Genesis in the Bible, as Eve gave in to temptation in the Garden of Eden, her daughters (all women) will give birth to children in pain.
• Buddhists believe that labour pain is linked to sins the expectant mother committed in her previous lives. Which is why in parts of Asia, it's frowned upon to suffer when bringing a child into the world.
• To make childbirth easy, rituals of opening are performed in many parts of Asia, including India. All doors and windows in the house are left open and knots untied.
• In India and parts of Asia, the mother-to-be's hair is let loose and her bangles, rings and jewellery are all removed during labour, to signify moving from social convention to the 'wild' pure bodily energetic space, unrestrained.
• To have an easy labour, pregnant women in Morocco had to leave their heads uncovered, their hair down and their belts undone.
• In Mexico, doors and windows are closed during labour and the slightest chink or hole is blocked with cloth to protect the mother and child. It stems from the belief that when you give birth you're at risk of being infiltrated by evil forces.
• Some centuries ago in Europe, everything had to be closed and the house had to be overheated to chase away evil spirits and to protect the mother from the cold. This is still the practice in some Asian countries, where a fire must burn permanently for a month after a baby's birth.
• In Russia, it was believed that childbirth would be easy if the woman and her husband reveal the names of all their past lovers. So a tough labour is just a consequence of your dishonesty!
• The umbilical cord is preserved in many cultures as a good luck charm. In India and Mexico, the cord is placed around the child's neck, while in Turkey it is kept in the house.
• In Indonesia, the umbilical cord is buried with a sapling such as a coconut, palm or avocado tree. It is believed that the tree's well being reflects baby's health.
• In India, dais (midwives) use the placenta as a tool to revive an infant who is not breathing. They stimulate it with heat and claim that life flows from the placenta into the child.
• In Mali, it is thought that the placenta can affect the baby's mood or even make him ill. The placenta is washed, dried, placed in a basket and buried by the father.
• In Cambodia, the placenta is carefully wrapped in a banana tree leaf, placed beside the newborn for three days and then buried.
• In some regions of South America, Korea and Reunion, the placenta is burned after birth to neutralize it.

Baby has Arrived

• Babies do not have kneecaps at birth, they appear only after the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
• Only about 3 to 4% of babies arrive exactly on their due date.
• A baby is born with 300 bones, while an adult has only 206 bones. How is that? Baby's bones fuse together as they grow up!
• According to researchers at the University of Texas, babies like pretty faces better than plain ones.
• Certain African tribes don't call themselves families. Instead, they refer to themselves as maharis or "motherhoods."
• Chinese family names often begin with a sign that means "mother". It's a nice way of honoring their moms!
• Japan's Imperial family traces it's descent from Omikami Amaterasu, the Mother of the World.