What maternal licking does for the newborn
of other animals, maternal labor does for the
newborn of humankind. The prolonged contractions
of the uterus upon the body of the
fetus produce a massive stimulation of its
skin in preparation for postnatal functioning.
In other animals in which labor is comparatively
short, postnatal licking achieves
what prenatal maternal uterine contractions
accomplish in the human baby.