Silent Witnesses

— a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ (Part 6 of 9) —

Inside the womb, a child develops in secret. No breath. No sound. And yet… not alone.

From the earliest days of pregnancy, a complex conversation begins between mother and child. Not with words or thoughts, but with molecules. Proteins. Signals. Each one sent and received in precise timing.

Some of these silent exchanges are expected—hormones that help the placenta grow, blood vessels that dilate to increase oxygen flow, antibodies that cross into the baby’s bloodstream for protection. But others? They’re only just being discovered. And they’ve changed the way science views pregnancy.

One of the most remarkable discoveries is that of microchimerism—a phenomenon where cells from the baby enter the mother’s bloodstream… and stay there. Not just during pregnancy. Not just for months. Sometimes for decades.

Tiny fetal cells have been found in a mother’s heart, brain, lungs, and even her skin—long after the child is born. Some scientists believe these cells may help repair maternal tissue, like stem cells sent from within. Others think they may influence the mother’s immune system, offering protection or, in rare cases, confusion. Whatever their role, one thing is clear: a mother is never quite the same after carrying a child. She doesn’t just remember them in her heart. She carries pieces of them in her body.

And it goes both ways.

Cells from the mother also cross into the fetus, training the baby’s immune system not to attack its own mother. This process—called immune tolerance—is part of why the baby’s body doesn’t reject her, even though it recognizes her cells as “other.” It’s not just biological—it’s peaceful coexistence, written into our chemistry.

Other silent witnesses include exosomes, tiny packages of RNA and protein that pass messages between placenta and parent. These nanoscale couriers help regulate inflammation, influence maternal metabolism, and may even prepare the mother’s brain for the demands of caregiving. Some studies suggest placental signals may contribute to a mother’s sense of attachment—her desire to protect and nurture—even before she’s aware of the baby’s presence.

And incredibly, the placenta itself may act as an interpreter. It reads the baby’s needs, translates them into hormonal cues, and broadcasts those needs into the mother’s body. If the baby is under stress, the placenta adjusts. If nutrients are low, it modifies absorption. If danger looms, it sends alerts.

All of this happens without a single conscious thought. It’s instinct. But it’s not primitive—it’s precise. Targeted. Designed.

Isaiah 49:15 asks, “Can a woman forget her nursing child?” Biologically, the answer may be no. Her body remembers. Her blood remembers. Her brain is rewired. Her very tissues bear the imprint of the child she carried—even if that life was brief.

There is no such thing as a “former” mother. Once the womb has spoken, its messages echo forever.

Silent witnesses, still speaking.