Have you ever wondered how does an unborn child receive food while in the womb? The baby gets food, oxygen and water, directly from it’s mother’s bloodstream.
This process is happening in two-steps. There are mother’s blood supply and baby’s blood supply. The mother’s blood flows in to a network of blood vessels and capillaries. The beneficial elements of the mother’s blood, such as glucose, proteins, fats, oxygen, etc. flow out of the mother’s blood supply. Then, they are absorbed into another network of blood vessels and capillaries containing the baby’s blood supply. From the baby’s supply, the blood is able to flow through the umbilical cord directly to the baby.
When the mother eats something, all the beneficial elements which are needed for the baby are absorbed in the mother’s blood stream. They travel to the placenta and are absorbed by the baby through the umbilical cord.
Pregnancy women should eat healthy food, such as fruits and vegetables, and they need to drink plenty of water.
Below you can see a 3D animation how the food you eat gets broken down into tiny elements, is absorbed into your bloodstream, then passes across the placenta to the baby.