What Amazing Thing Does Your Baby Leave Behind In Your Body?
jessica albert 
Image: Shutterstock
Being pregnant can totally take a toll on your body and mind. But once the delivery is over, you might actually miss having your baby as a part of your body. Even if you still have your baby right there in your arms, the feeling of having him/her inside you is completely different. Most women consider their time of pregnancy as one of the most memorable period in their life. This is probably because they are building a totally new kind of bond with another person growing inside their own body. We all know that a baby was a part of the mother once but what if we told you that you can retain a part of your baby even after the delivery? Now, this may sound impossible, but it’s true.
Microchimerism Is What It Is
Your baby leaves circulating fetal cells in your body and the process is known as microchimerism (1). According to researchers, these cells are shed inside your womb during the course of pregnancy and they continue to live inside you for years. Even though these are the cells of your baby’s body, they are not rejected by your body. Isn’t that pretty amazing? Now you know that your baby is always a part of you both emotionally as well as physically.
These cells generally travel through the placenta and get attached to your own cells. Some people even say that these cells travel to your brain and turn into neurons. Now, that’s something awesome! Maybe this is why the bond between a mother and her child never gets adultered during the course of life. Before researchers found out more about microchimerism, it was linked with preeclampsia and autoimmune diseases. It was probably assumed that the mother’s body fought against the baby’s cells as they are foreign cells.
Your Baby’s Cells Can Protect You
You protected your baby when you were pregnant and you protect him/her even after the birth, throughout your lifetime. Guess what? Your baby is secretly protecting you too! Studies show that microchimerism can protect the mother from diseases like cancer (2).
How Long Do These Cells Stay Inside Your Body?
According to a study conducted on women who had given birth to boy babies, the Y chromosome sequences stayed inside their bodies for about 27 years postpartum (3)! A lot of the studies related to microchimerism try to work on the presence of the Y chromosomes since they are easier to find in the mother’s body. Finding a baby girl’s X chromosome among the mother’s X chromosome sequences is a lot more difficult and expensive.
Can These Cells Be Separated From Your Body?
Studies have found that fetal cells can be isolated from the mother’s body and can be analyzed for the purpose of research (4). Maybe, someday in the future, the medical world will come up with ways that will make use of microchimerism in treating diseases affecting the mother as well as the child.
A mother’s bond with her baby is something that cannot be explained in mere words. This bond is not just emotional like most of us believe and it is rooted right there in the cells of both the mother as well as the baby. As science and technology progress, this bond is attaining more and more scientific validation. Also, the duration of the presence of these cells is so long that we can easily believe that the bond is an unbreakable one. Hopefully, we will get to know more amazing facts about microchimerism in the future so that we can put them into finding productive solutions for health issues like cancer.
Community Experiences
Join the conversation and become a part of our vibrant community! Share your stories, experiences, and insights to connect with like-minded individuals.
