Mother Carries Us All

Fetal microchimerism.
Ever heard of it?

Women retain cells of every child they have ever conceived. Every child. Not just the children she delivered, but the children she miscarried or aborted also.

Have you ever noticed that many children who have older siblings seem emotionally attached to them, EVEN when they never knew them personally? Twins who lost their sibling in utero or shortly after birth often feel a strange sense of loss. I have heard people talk about these effects in children. Did you know that some of the cells retained by the mother through fetal michrochimerism are passed on to each consecutive child the mother conceives. Thus the youngest child in the family carries part of every sibling their mother has ever carried. I am the oldest child and have found this to be a reason to envy my kid sister. I am not saying these emotional reactions are due only to fetal microchimerism. I am saying that the coincidence is very thought provoking and a little haunting.

My kid sister, Teresa, is my youngest sibling. My mother miscarried a child before Teresa was conceived. We do not talk about that missing sibling very often. However, Teresa has always remained very conscious that our family is missing a person. Since she is the youngest, I have always found this odd. My brother and I were old enough to grieve when mother miscarried Joseph Michael and yet Teresa, who was born after the incident, seems the most affected.

In the case of miscarriage, fetal microchimerism can be very comforting. A part of that child is always with the mother and younger siblings carry part of their missing sibling with them always. However, I have also thought about how haunting this idea can be when it comes to women who have chosen to abort their children. Part of those children remain with the mother always. Is it any wonder that there are post abortion healing programs for mothers, like Project Rachel? If one cannot be rid of all the physical evidence that they conceived a child, now missing, how can one presume that emotions about the event can be shrugged off?

I have found this very interesting. I am no scientist. I just hear information presented and ponder it.

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"Cutting the umbilical cord doesn't necessarily sever the physical link between mother and child. Many cells pass back and forth between the mother and fetus during pregnancy and can be detected in the tissues and organs of both even decades later. This mixing of cells from two genetically distinct individuals is called microchimerism. The phenomenon is the focus of an increasing number of scientists who wonder what role these cells play in the body." Source.