Why 'Soft Spots' Make Birth Happen
The most terrifying thing I witnessed with my newborn son was his head. It was pulsing. I could literally see his pulse through a little indentation on his brow. It unnerved me.
Why did that have to be there? What purpose did it serve, other than to convince me my baby was extremely and unnervingly fragile?
Babies are tiny, and need soft, loving care. But that ‘soft’ spot on your newborn isn’t a sign of the dangerous peril they are in if they’re not treated like glass.
It’s a badge of their strength and sturdiness.
What the heck am I talking about?
Your newborn has two spots on its head that are not ‘fused’. The way a newborn infant is designed to fit through the birth canal is only achievable if its head is able to squish and move a bit more into the pelvis and through the narrow outlets necessary to achieve vaginal birth.
Yes, your kiddo has a skull. But the plates in that skull allow for molding to happen at two points on the baby’s head. In the posterior portion of the skull, as well as the front or ‘brow’ (the most common presentation of a newborn into the pelvis during birth) these little soft spots act as a joining and gathering point for those plates to shift and become narrower in circumference as a baby is wiggling down into position.
As the baby turns and heads out of the cervix and into the birth canal, the skull begins to mold slightly to allow all of the head underneath the pubic bone.
Babies literally morph their heads to fit through a smaller opening.
How’s that for a superpower?
The amount of force places on a baby as it is squeezed through the birth canal is quite strong. So when you’re cuddling your little bundle, remember that tight and firm is ok! Your baby can handle it.
Also, before you worry, that soft spot will fuse with the skull over time; usually by three months but sometimes a bit later as baby is growing. Then your hard head is ready for tougher adventures!
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