UNIT 4 SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS 4.6 Birth. 1.- Stages of labour. Labour: the process of giving birth. 1.- Contractions: involuntary muscles in the uterus. 2.- Amnion breakes as a consequence of contractions. The liquid is expelled. 3.- Dilation: the opening of the vagina dilates, or expands. 4.- Birth: the baby leaves. 5.- Afterbirth: the placenta is expelled. Caesarean section: if labour is difficult or dangerous for the baby or the mother, the doctors perform a surgical cut at the mother’s womb and extract the baby directly from the uterus. 2.- New born babies. When the baby is born the umbilical cord is cut and it breaths through its respiratory system for the very first time. The umbilical cord falls down after a few days and the mark left is the belly button. 2.- New born babies. Premature babies: babies born before term Premature babies are kept in incubators where they grow and develop as if they were in their mother’s womb. 3.- Lactation. Babies get their nourishment from their mother’s milk. This is so because their digestive system is not fully developed. 3.- Lactation. Infant formula: if a mother cannot feed her baby, it can be feed by means of modified cow or soya milk. Write the words in chronological order. Placenta expelled / dilation / sac breaks / umbilical cord cut / contractions / birth / liquid expelled.