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awolzen t1_j221a15 wrote

Reply to comment by tomalator 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

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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