God is the breath of life and breathing is key to our health – we must breathe to live, and right from a baby’s first breath, God is there.
After months growing within the warmth and safety of its mother, a baby who endures hours of labour while being squished and squeezed is born. Despite never breathing before it instinctively takes its first breath and lets out a cry, allowing its lungs to fill with air for the first time. God’s wonderful creation shines through and is clear in a newborn baby, even just this first breath is remarkable!
There are many processes that lead and assist with a baby’s first breath.
I am privileged to witness the beauty of birth and a baby’s first breath daily at work. The wonderful detail of God’s creation just in this first breath of a baby is so powerful. As humans, we cannot survive without breathing. Our whole life we are constantly breathing in and out, often without even thinking about it. When we are stressed and overwhelmed people will often say “take a deep breath” to encourage us to calm down and de-stress. Breathing is such an integral part of our health and well-being. This first breath as a baby sets us up for the rest of our life.
God’s detail and care in our creation show just how special and loved we are. Jeremiah 1:5 says,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart”.
During labour, the mother’s hormones signal the clearing of amniotic fluid from the baby’s lungs. Then the process of being squeezed with contractions of labour help to push out excess fluid from the lungs ready for the first breath. At birth, the temperature change and sudden new environment stimulate the newborns’ response to breathe. Meanwhile, the umbilical cord which has been its lifeline and source of nutrients from the mother is clamped and cut. These trigger internal changes closing off chambers in the heart and diverting blood to the lungs, so that breathing air is useful to the baby. All these things and more, just in the first breath sets up a baby for the rest of its life.
God gives us the gift of life, how great and wonderful is that.
“…He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else” (Acts 16:24, NIV).
Take a moment, take a breath and take in the awesomeness of our creator.
AUTHOR: Katelyn Turmine, attends Launceston SDA church and is a registered nurse/student midwife.