The period soon after death can seem like a strange thing. During this time, the body undergoes various changes, shifting from living to being completely dead. While some of these changes—such as stiffening and changing color—are seen on crime TV shows, others seem a bit far-fetched for even the human body.
Still, the things corpses can do are shocking and a bit creepy. From giving birth to having an awareness that it's dead, the changes that occur in the body after death seem almost too unrealistic to be true. The following list is not for the faint of heart, or stomach.
10. Move
Stories of dead bodies sitting straight up have been told throughout the years—yet the probability of such drastic movement occurring is slim to none. The body can, however, make slight movements after death. Though the movements do not at all resemble ones that a person would do while alive, they can still be startling for those around them.
Cadavers can do such things such as twitch, move, and even clench muscles. This occurs because the muscles of the body are still receiving nerve signals to contract or even relax, causing it to seem as if the corpse is moving despite being dead. Once the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is depleted, the body will make its final movements, which can be seen in fingers clenching, hands moving, toes wiggling, and muscles twitching. Another factor in strange movements is how the person died. If there is excess calcium, a change in temperature, or, in some cases, a violent death or even electrocution, the body can demonstrate such movements.
This process normally occurs between the time of death and rigor mortis, so if anyone tells you they've seen a body sit up, they're probably just trying to get a rise out of you.
9. Give Birth
Unfortunately, death does not have a moral compass, and anyone, even those who are pregnant, can fall victim to its embrace.
Giving birth while alive is a beautiful experience; giving birth after one has died is the complete opposite, especially for those dealing with the dead body. These "births" are referred to as "coffin births" due to them happening inside coffins. Basically, the pressure of gases building up within the deceased pushes the fetus out. The fetus has to be positioned in just the right (or wrong) way for this to occur.
Even though most of these cases of coffin birth occurred during times without the benefits of modern medicine, they still happen to this day. In January 2018, a woman in South Africa, who had died suddenly ten days prior, shocked people at the funeral home when they saw that she had given birth inside her coffin. The woman had been nine months pregnant at the time of her death, and all arrangements for her funeral had been made when the staff made the spine-chilling discovery that her body had expelled the fetus after death.
8. Eliminate
During the process of death, the body goes through various changes. One of these is the relaxation of every muscle, including those which control certain bodily functions, such as the elimination of urine and feces.
Postmortem elimination is due to the sphincter muscles in the body relaxing. As the brain dies, it no longer sends the signals to keep these muscles contracted, and the contents left in the bowels and bladder will end up being released.
These bodily functions do not always happen after death; it depends on how you die and how much food and liquid are in your bladder and bowels before death. In the case of those who are ill, there may not be as much food in their system due to the lack of appetite that can accompany illness. However, in cases of sudden death, bodies are more likely to release whatever was left in their system.
The process can take a few hours, though, so it's best to let nature take its course on this one.
7. Make Noise
