My daughters birth was exceptional in that she was born at 12.30pm, bang in the middle of lunch. I too was born during daylight hours, at 5.40pm one July Sunday afternoon
Yet most mammalian births happen during the night. Why should this be so?
Birth is rather a nasty thing to watch, so potential spectators have to be shielded from it
The womb is a dark place. The baby cannot cope with the added trauma of being ejected into a world of bright light
Something to do with circadian rhythms which are known to affect hormones
Most babies are 'made' at night (the explanation offered by one of my attending midwives)
Could there be an evolutionary explanation for this? Is there a modern conflict between birth in brightly lit hospital rooms, so necessary to enable the medical attendants to see what is going on & to deal with any problems, & the welfare of the child?
