What happens when you are born

I’ve talked about death before, and I hope you liked it. Now let’s talk about how you came to be. Some scientists say your odds of being born were one in four hundred quadrillion. Wow, you are special!

First, your parents had to hook up, which was one in twenty thousand. Then they had to stay together, which was one in forty million. Then they had to make love and make you, which was a miracle. Your mum had millions of eggs and your dad had billions of sperm. The fact that one sperm met one egg and made you is amazing. Your ancestors also had to exist for your parents to exist. You being born was a miracle.

So, we know that many things had to happen for you to exist. But let’s just talk about the day or night that started you off. You know how your parents made you, right? We don’t like thinking about it, but that’s what happened. You also know that making love doesn’t always mean making a baby. There are many factors, like age, timing and health. Some couples have to try hard to make a kid, while others can’t miss. One doctor said that if the woman is under 35 she has an 85 percent chance of making a baby in one year if they do it every cycle. The average cycle is 28 days.

The woman makes an egg after her period. It happens about 14 days after her last period. The egg goes down the tubes where it can meet a sperm. The lucky sperm can make the egg a baby. You don’t need to wait for the egg to make a baby. The sperm can wait inside the woman for the egg. Sperm can live in a woman for 5 days, but most die sooner. We know that a woman needs an egg and a sperm needs to reach it. But did you know that a man makes 525 billion sperm in his life? A dead comedian said he killed whole civilizations by wasting sperm. Live Science says one shot has 40 million to 1.2 billion sperm. Why do we need so many? Scientists say it’s because of competition. More sperm, more chance to make a baby.

To win the gene game, you need lots of sperm. But the journey to the egg is a tough one. Many sperm get lost, killed or stuck along the way. Only a few make it to the final round. And some of them pick the wrong door and find nothing. It's a hard life for those little swimmers.

The sperm race is a brutal one. Many sperm get lost, killed or stuck on their way to the egg. Only a few reach the final destination. And only one can enter the egg and say "I'm the one!" But that's not the end of the story. Sometimes things go wrong and the baby doesn't grow. But if the woman passes 14 weeks, she's almost good to go. The pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, divided into three parts. The first part is hard for her, with mood swings, cravings and other stuff.

What's going on inside? For the first two weeks, you're just a tiny dot. Then you stick to the uterus and start to grow. At four weeks, you have a heart and some buds for limbs. You also have a face and a spine and a gut. You're still very small, though, less than an inch. At eight weeks, you're a fetus with all the organs you need. You have bones and nails and even a gender. You can move around in the fluid that feeds you. This is the end of part one. In part two, you get bigger and stronger. Your head slows down and your eyes close. Your nerves and muscles work together. You can make a fist and show your power. You're now three inches long and weigh an ounce. And your mom has a bump to show you're there.

The mom may feel better and less sick. But she may also have some new pains. Inside, at 16 weeks, the baby has bones and white skin. It also has its first poop, which is green and sticky. It's now four or five inches long and weighs three ounces. At 20 weeks, the baby can kick and move. It has nails and can scratch itself. It can also swallow and hear sounds. At 24 weeks, the baby makes its own blood cells. It has fingerprints and taste buds. It also has some hair and sex organs. The lungs are still not ready, but they're getting there. The baby also sleeps like a normal person.

You're now in part three, the final stretch. The mom is heavy and uncomfortable. Inside, at 32 weeks, the baby has almost everything it needs. It can blink and breathe and store minerals. It's now 16 inches long and weighs four pounds or more. At 36 weeks, the baby gets a wax coat to protect it. It also gets fatter and has less room to move. The mom feels less kicks. The baby is now 18 inches long and weighs six pounds. After this, it's ready to come out and say hello.

The baby is almost ready to meet the world. It may turn its head down to get out. It may weigh 6-9 pounds and be 20 inches long, but who knows? When it comes out, the people around will clean it and check if it's okay. They will clear its nose and throat gently. They will cut the cord that connects it to the mom's womb. This cord gives the baby food and air from the placenta. After it's cut, it will leave a stump that will fall off. In a week or so, the bellybutton will be fine. What else happens after the baby pops out?

The baby will get some ointment and a shot to prevent infection and bleeding. The doctors will check if it's healthy and warm. If everything is fine, it will get a bath and a cap. It will also get some yummy milk from the mom. Baby and mom can go home in a day or two, but they may need more tests and visits later. And that's how you came to be. You're the result of a super sperm and an awesome egg that met after your parents did the baby-making dance. How awesome is that?