Mother: Baby, can you hear me? Fetus: Where am I? Mother: Oh, good! You can hear me. I’m your mother. Fetus: Mama! Am I really in your belly? I’m floating in water … Mother: That’s called the ami—ani—amniotic fluid. Hard word, I know. I just learned it today, too. Fetus: What is this sound? It’s like thunder far away. Mother: That’s my heartbeat. You’re inside me, remember? Fetus: I like this place; I want to stay here forever. Mother: Ha, you can’t do that! You’ve got to be born. Fetus: No! It’s scary out there. Mother: Oh … we’ll talk more about that later. Fetus: What’s this line connected to my tummy, Mama? Mother: That’s your umbilical cord. When you’re inside mommy, you need it to stay alive. Fetus: Hmmm. Mama, you’ve never been where I am, have you? Mother: I have! Before I was born, I was inside my mother, too. Except I don’t remember what it was like there, and that’s why you can’t remember, either. Baby, is it dark inside mommy? Can you see anything?
