Foetal Development
The First 3 WeeksDAY ONE:
Before anyone could even see you, amazing development were taking place in your mothers womb after sperm and ovum (egg) joined to for one cell. When your life began at conception, you were smaller that a grain of salt. You had inherited 23 chromosomes from each parent and you one cell life then contained the complex genetic blueprint for every detail of your life - gender, hair and eye colour and more. To find out more keep reading.
DAYS 3-4:
You travel down your mother's fallopian tube into her uterus where the lining has ben prepared for implantation. By this time you have about 24 cells.
DAYS 5-9:
During this time you planted yourself in the rich lining of the uterus from which you drew nourishment to grow.
DAYS 10-14:
As an embryo, you now start to take over. At this time you signalled your presence through placental chemicals and hormones, preventing your mother from menstruating.
DAY 20:
The foundations of the brain, spinal cord and nerevous system have already been established by this time.
DAY 21:
The Heart Begins To Beat. You can listen to the heartbeat by clicking here (Requires Windows Media Player)
Weeks 4-5
DAY 28:
At this time the backbone and muscles are beginning to form. Arms, legs, eyes and ears have begun to show.
DAY 30:
When the unborn child is about a month old, is is 10,000 times larger than it originally was as a fertilized egg. It is developing rapidly. Increasing quantities of blood are being pumped through the circulatory system by the heart. The placenta now forms a unnique barrier that keeps the mother's blood separate whild allowing food and oxygen to pass through to the embyo.
DAY 35:
Five fingers can be seen in the hand. They eyes begin to darken as pigment is produced.
DAY 40:
Brain waves can now be detected and recorded!
WEEK 6:
The liver has now taken over the production of blood cells and the brain has begun to control the movement of muscles and organs. The mother is about to miss her second period and it has probably been confirmed that she is pregnant.
WEEK 7:
The unborn child now begins to move spontaneously. The jaw now begins to form, including teeth buds in the gums. Soon the eyelids will seal to protect the unborn child's light-sensitive eyes which are still developing. The eyelids will reopen at about the seventh month.
Week 8:
Up until now the developing life of the unborn child has been known as an embryo. Now, at 8 weeks, he/she is called a fetus which is Latin for "young one" or "offspring".
This new life is just a little more than an inch long (2.5cm).
EVERYTHING IS NOW PRESENT THAT WILL BE FOUND IN A FULLY DEVELOPED ADULT!
The heart has been beating for more than a month, the stomach produces digestive juices and the kidneys have begun to function. Fourty different sets of muscles are now beginning to operate in conjunction with the nervious system. The fetus' body responds to touch, even though the mother will not be able to feel movement until the fourth or fifth month.
WEEK 9:
Fingerprints are already evident in the skin of this tiny life. the unborn child will even curve its fingers around an object placed in the palm of its hand.
WEEK 10:
The uterus has now doubled in size. The unborn child can squint, swallow and wrinkle it forehead.
WEEK 11:
The unborn child is now about two inches long (5cm). Urination occurs. The face has assumed a baby's profile, and muscle movements are becoming more coordinated.
WEEK 12:
The unborn child now sleeps, awakens and exercises its muscles energetically - it turns its head, curls its toes, and opens and closes its mouth. The palm, when stroked, will make a tight fist. The unborn child breathes amniotic fluid to help develop its respiratory system.
WEEK 13:
Fine hair has begun to grow on the head, and sexual differentiation has become apparent.
MONTH 4:
The fetus (young one)is now eight to ten inches long and weighs half a pound or more (500g+). His/her mother will probably start to "show" at this time. The ears are functioning, and there is evidence that the unborn child hears quite a bit: the mother's voice and heartbeat as well as external noises. The umbilical cord has become an engineering marvel, transporting 300 quarts of fluids per day and completing a round-trip of fluids every 30 seconds.
MONTH 5:
Half the pregnancy has now passed, and the unborn child is about 12 inches long. The mother has definitely begun to feel movement by now. If a sound is especially loud or startling, the unborn child may jump in reaction to it.
MONTH 6:
Oil and sweat glands are functioning. The delicate skin of the growing baby is protected from the fetal waters by a special ointment called "vernix." If the baby was born in this month and given proper care, he/she would survive.
MONTH 7:
The baby now uses the four senses of vision, hearing, taste and touch. He/she can recognise his/her mother's voice.
MONTH 8:
The skin has begun to thicken, with a layer of fat stored underneath for insulation and nourishment. Antibodies inclreasingly build up. The baby absorbs a gallon of amniotid fluid per day; the fluid is completely replaced every three hours.
MONTH 9:
Towards the end of this month, the baby is ready for birth. The average duration of pregnancy is about 280 days from the first day of the mother's last menstrual period, but this can vary. Most babies (85% to 95%) are born somewhere between 266 and 294 days. By this time the infant normally weighs six to nine pounds, and his/her heart is pumping 300 gallons of blood per day. He/she is fully capable of life outside the womb.