Giving birth: The incredible picture that’ll make you realise just how insanely amazing women’s bodies are

I have always, like most women, I guess, had a bit of an up-and-down relationship with my body.

I have never hated any part of it, but on the other hand, there have certainly been times where I felt self-conscious about putting on a bikini, wishing my stomach was tighter or my thighs thinner. However, when I was pregnant – and certainly after giving birth to my first baby – I developed a whole new admiration and full-blown awe of my body. Of our bodies, women's bodies, and what they are actually capable of.

The female body is amazing. And capable of some really incredible, miraculous, and mind-boggling things. And everyone who has ever given birth – or witnessed a woman give birth, will no doubt feel the same. A while back, this incredible picture taken by North Dallas Doulas Associates was shared online, and quickly went viral – and it is easy to see why. Looking at it at first, you might not even know what you are looking at, but according to the caption, what we are seeing, is a little-known way our bodies change and adapt during childbirth.

Se dette innlegget på Instagram

Our bodies are AMAZING!!! I love witnessing its majesty! This second time mom had a precipitous/rapid birth and used chiropractic care throughout her pregnancy & postpartum @cafeoflifedallas “The rhombus of Michaelis (sometimes called the quadrilateral of Michaelis) is a kite-shaped area that includes the three lower lumber vertebrae, the sacrum and that long ligament which reaches down from the base of the scull to the sacrum. This wedge-shaped area of bone moves backwards during the second stage of labour and as it moves back it pushes the wings of the ilea out, increasing the diameters of the pelvis. We know it’s happening when the woman’s hands reach upwards (to find something to hold onto, her head goes back and her back arches. It’s what Sheila Kitzinger (1993) was talking about when she recorded Jamaican midwives saying the baby will not be born ‘till the woman opens her back’. I’m sure that is what they mean by the ‘opening of the back’. “The reason that the woman’s arms go up is to find something to hold onto as her pelvis is going to become destabilised. This happens as part of physiological second stage; it’s an integral part of an active normal birth. If you’re going to have a normal birth you need to allow the rhombus of Michaelis to move backwards to give the baby the maximum amount of space to turn his shoulders in. Although the rhombus appears high in the pelvis and the lower lumbar spine when it moves backwards, it has the effect of opening the outlet as well. “When women are leaning forward, upright, or on their hands and knees, you will see a lump appear on their back, at and below waist level. It’s much higher up than you might think; you don’t look for it near her buttocks, you look for it near her waist. (Text credit @Dr Sarah Wickham) ? North Dallas Doula Associates #chiropractor #chiropracticadjustment #chiropractic #bestdoulasindallas #northdallasdoulas #ndda #childbirth #unmedicated #naturalbirth #birth @TLC @Discovery @taprootdoula @birthwithoutfear

Et innlegg delt av North Dallas Doula Associates (@northdallasdoulas) Jan. 5, 2019 kl. 3:30 PST

In the picture, a noticeable bulge can be seen at the small of the birthing mum's back. This, the doulas explain, is known as the “Rhombus of Michaelis” and is literally the woman's bones moving to make room for her baby to be born. Yes, really.

“During the second stage of [labour], a combination of bones including your sacrum actually move backwards and in doing so, increases the diameter of your pelvis,” the post on Tangi Birth Services reads. “This is what is known as opening of the back.”

Mind. Blown.

Basically, what this means, is that as the baby’s makes its way down the birth canal, your body just knows to open up, making room for them to pass through as quickly and easily as possible. So, if you’ve ever wondered how in the world your baby could ever fit through that pelvis of yours, THIS is how. “This is completely normal and is, in fact, an integral part of a physiological birth as it allows your baby the maximum amount of space to turn as they navigate their way out into the world,” the post continues.

“While your pelvis is expanding, your baby's head is moulding — changing shape to fit through those pelvic bones!” the caption reads. In other words: “Your body was made to do this!” it continues. “And your body and your baby work together!” You know the next time you ever dare to think a negative thought about your body? Remember this. Remember what your body can do. You, mama, you are amazing.