Pregnancy is a special natural time of life. Empower yourself by learning how a baby grows and develops.

NO QUESTIONS ASKED LAW…

The California Safely Surrendered Baby Law

Pregnant? Scared? About to deliver? Haven’t told anyone? You can drop off your baby at specific fire stations or hospitals NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Drop off and leave…NO QUESTIONS ASKED!

To Find Out More CLICK HERE
or call 1-877-Baby-Safe

FETAL DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT OF THE BABY (EMBRYO & FETUS) IN WOMB

Note to reader: Health care providers will count ahead 40 weeks from the start of your last period when describing fetal development. We will be explaining development in real time placing conception as week one.

FIRST TRIMESTER

Day 1 Sperm joins with ovum (egg) to form one cell. The new life has inherited 23 chromosomes from each parent. This one cell contains the complex genetic blueprint for every detail of human development-sex, hair and eye color, height, skin tone, and more. The fertilized egg is called a zygote, until it reaches the uterus 3-4 days later.

Day 3-4 The fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus,m where the lining has been prepared for implantation.

Day 5-9 The fertilized egg implants itself in the lining of the uterus and begins to draw nourishment.

Day 20 Foundations of the brain, spinal cord and nervous system are already established.

Day 21 The heart begins to beat!

Day 28 The backbone and muscles are forming. Arms, legs, eyes and ears have begun to show. Head, mouth, liver and intestines begin to take shape.

Baby at seven weeks

Days 30 to 35 Embryo is 10,000 times larger than the original fertilized egg. Five fingers can be discerned in the hand. The eyes darken as pigment is produced.

DAY 40 BRAIN WAVES CAN BE DETECTED.

Week 6 Liver taking over production of blood cells,brain begins to control movements of muscles and organs.

Week 8 One inch long the embryo is now called a fetus-Latin for young one.

Everything is now present that will be fully developed as an adult. The heart has been beating for a month. The fetus now responds to touch.

Week 9 Fingerprints are evident in the skin and he will curve his fingers around an object placed in his hand.

Week 11 The uterus has doubled in size and he can squint,swallow, urination occurs, and he has a baby’s profile. Muscle movements are more coordinated.

Week 12 He now sleeps, awakens, turns his head, curles his toes, and opens and closes his mouth, He is breathing amniotic fluid to help develop his respiratory system. He will make a tight fist if his palm is stroked.

Baby at 12 weeks

unbornbaby14w-03

SECOND TRIMESTER

As your pregnancy progresses you may hear the heartbeat at your prenatal appointments, Now he has functioning organs, nerves and muscles. Your abdomen is becoming enlarged and you may see your body changing.

Baby at 3 1/2 months

Month 4 The fetus is eight to ten inches in length and weighs a half pound or more. His ears are functioning and he hears external noises. Sweat glands develpe, and the external skin has turned from transparent to opaque

Month 5 The mother feels movement.

baby at 5 months

Month 6 The delicate skin of the growing baby is protected from the fetal waters by a special ointment called “vernix”. If the baby were born in this month and given the proper care, he would survive. He weighs between 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. The eyebrows and eyelashes are well formed and the hair on your baby’s head is longer and more plentiful. Although the baby’s eyes are fully developed, he will not open them for two more weeks.

By the end of the Second Trimester your baby’s lungs, liver and immune system are continuing to mature and he is growing very quickly. His length will have tripled or even quadrupled from the 12 week mark. If your baby is born this week, the chance of survival is at least 85%. However, serious complications are still possible.

Baby at 6 mo.

THIRD TRIMESTER

Month 7 The baby used his four senses of vision, hearing taste and touch. He can recognize his mother’s voice. Your baby is now sleeping 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Fetal movement will be most obvious when you are sitting or lying down! The babies bones are fully developed, but they’re still soft and pliable. This week your baby begins storing iron, calcium and phosphorus.

Nine months Toward the end of the ninth month , the baby is ready for birth. The average duration of pregnancy is 280 days from the first day of the mother’s last menstrual period, but this varies. Most babies are born somewhere between 266 and 294 days. By this time the infant normally weights 6 to 9 pounds, and his heart is pumping about 250 gallons of blood a day. He is fully capable of life outside the womb. DO’S AND DON’TS DURING PREGNANCY

DO

Take a prenatal vitamin

Maintain a healthy weight

Exercise regularly, with your health care provider’s OK

Eat healthy foods

Manage stress and any chronic health conditions

See your health care provider for regular prenatal checkups-

probably once a week for the last month of pregnancy

DON’T

Smoke

Drink alcohol

Use illicit drugs

Take medication without your health care provider’s approval

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