CHAPTER III WHERE THE BABY’S LIFE BEGINS As you plan for the care of your baby during the nine months before he is born, you will want to know something of the place where his life begins; where one tiny cell is so miraculously stimulated and nourished that it finally develops into a beautiful little body. Not only will you find all of this of absorbing interest, but a general idea of the structures and workings of those parts of your body where the baby lives and grows will help you better to understand some of the doctor’s precautions and to give yourself intelligent care while your body performs its supreme function. To begin with, there is the =pelvis=. This is a very irregular, bottomless, bony basin, or curved canal, within which lie the reproductive or _generative organs_ to be described presently. The pelvis is really composed of four bones which are entirely separate in early life but firmly welded into one rigid structure in adults. I mention this because many women believe that labor pains are caused by a spreading or opening of these bones, whereas, as we shall see presently, the pains are really due to the strong contractions of the muscles of the uterus (or womb) in which the baby lies, which force the baby down through this inflexible ring. You may see in Fig. 1 how the pelvis is placed in the body, being interposed between the spinal column, which it supports, and the thighs upon which it rests. We can feel two of its prominent points on either side below the waist, as our hips, and we rest upon two other projections while in the sitting position. [Illustration: FIG. 1.—Diagram showing the structure of the pelvis and its position in the body, the inlet being heavily outlined. ] This bony canal is drawn in, or narrowed about midway in its length so that it is broader above and below than it is in the middle. You are likely to bear the doctors speak of this narrow part as the inlet. I thought you would be interested to know about this for it is largely in order to discover the size and shape of the inlet that the doctor is so anxious to make certain examinations and measurements.