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The stages of Pregnancy
The growth process of a fetus into a full-grown baby is a process that undergoes many changes that affect both the baby and the mother.
| Beginning: |
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The fertilized egg is only a group of 13-32 cells after the third day the egg was implanted. It will soon change into an embryo and get 40x bigger than the size of the group of the 13-32 cells. |
| 3 weeks: |
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- Neural tube in the top layer of tissue, which has formed from the combination of the cells, is present in the mid-line (the area from the brain down through the spinal chord)
- The brain, spinal chord, spinal nerves, and backbone will develop later from here
- The heart and circulatory system are beginning to form
- The first heartbeat will occur at around 21 or22 days
- The foundation for bones, muscles, kidneys, and ovaries or testicles develops from the middle layer of cells
- By the end of this 3rd week, the earliest blood elements and vessels have formed in the embryo and the developing placenta
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| 4 weeks: |
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- The embryo has tripled in size
- The brain is growing and developing
- The eyes and ears are beginning to form
- The opening of the mouth is formed
- The heart is starting to pump blood
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| 5 weeks: |
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- The brains development increases its complexity
- Cavities for circulation of spinal fluid form
- The lenses of the eyes are forming
- The middle part of the ears are continuing to develop
- The arms, legs, hands, and feet are taking shape
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| 6 weeks: |
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- The eyelids are beginning to form
- The pituitory gland is developing
- The arms are growing, and the wrists and elbows are evident
- The fingers are beginning to form
- The ears are beginning to take shape
- The heart is pumping at about 150 beats per minute
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| 7 weeks: |
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- The embryo's tail is disappearing
- The pancreas, bile ducts, and gall bladder have formed
- The reproductive organs are starting to develop, but the external genitals have not yet begun to appear
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| 8 weeks: |
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- The beginning of all major body organs are formed
- The bones of the skeleton are forming
- The fingers have formed, the eyelids have grown, and outer ears are forming
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| 9-12 weeks: |
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- The embryo is now called a fetus, and will be called that until the time of birth
- All of the organ systems are in place
- The brain, nerves, and muscles are starting to function
- The palate has completely formed
- The genitals now have male or female characteristics
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| 13-20 weeks: |
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- the eyebrows and scalp hair start to appear
- the skin is covered with a white, cheesy protective coating called vernix; also, lanugo (fine Hair) covers the skin
- the kidneys are beginning to make urine
- the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes have formed in the female
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| 21-25 weeks: |
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- the lungs are beginning to develop surfactant, which covers the inner lining of the air sacs in the lungs, allowing them to expand easily
- the blood vessels in the lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, while the blood vessels in the brain are rapidly growing in the middle regions of the brain
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| 26-29 weeks: |
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- the eyelids can now open
- the lungs are more developed, and the brain is more mature
- in a male, the testicles are moving from a spot near the kidneys through the groin on their way to the scrotum
- in a female, the clitoris is relatively prominent; the labia are still small and don't cover the clitoris
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| 30-38 weeks: |
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- In a male, the testicles have moved into the scrotum
- The baby is fully developed by the last few weeks
- Fluid that is present in the lungs begins to be absorbed so the baby will be prepared to breathe when he or she is born
- There is a surge in fetal hormones that may aid in the maintenance of blood pressure and blood sugar levels after birth
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