I'm sorry about your baby. As for why one would deliver and the others stay
in:
Well, in humans it is thought (though the research is scarce) that many
factors come together to bring on labor. Many of these are
maternal--hormone changes, uterine distension, uterine muscle excitability,
and others--but there is something the fetus does, too. Release of cortisol
by the fetus doesn't in and of itself bring on labor, but it sure hurries it
up. Cortisol is released during times of stress by mammals (not sure of the
others). Perhaps that little one underwent an extreme stress inside,
released cortisol in response, and between Gwen's big ol' uterus being
stretched AND the cortisol, this one was popped out. Gwen continued in
labor for a short while afterward, but without the continued cortisol
release (the baby was out now taking its cortisol with it) and with just a
little less distension from the one being out the labor diminished and the
rest stayed inside. Just a hypothesis... (and a wonderful protective
feedback mechanism--if the fetus is stressed so as to release cortisol, it
needs to be out of there where it at least has a chance...)
Whit
