There are several different stages of fetal development. If you have recently found out that you are pregnant, then you are probably interested in knowing what these different stages are and how they may affect you during your pregnancy.
Although nine months may seem like a long time, it is a rather quick time frame for a baby to form from just one single egg and sperm into a fully formed human being. this is something that is rather exciting and fun to watch. this is why so many moms and dads to be decide to have frequent ultrasound imaging done during their pregnancy. while there are nine months of pregnancy, you will see that there are really just three main stages of fetal development. These include the conception, embryo and fetus.
When you first conceive, it is just a matter of the egg and the sperm joining together. this is the part that happens only a couple of weeks into the pregnancy. this is the shortest stage of fetal development of the three. it only takes a few hours to conceive, then the embryo will implant into the womb of the mother. things begin to happen a lot more rapidly after this stage.
Then you will find that the embryo is formed. this is the stage in which all of the body systems are forming. this is a very important stage, as it lays the outline for all of the features that the baby will have. Up until the end of the first trimester, the baby will be considered an embryo. you will be able to find heart beats and arms and legs during this stage. it is a very miraculous experience.
After the first trimester, your baby is now a fetus. this is the stage in which things will start to become more distinctive. the baby will be able to start functioning those systems that were beginning to form in the embryonic development stage. this is when your baby is starting to prepare themselves to be out in the world and out of the womb.
After the sixteenth week of pregnancy, then your baby will start to develop more rapidly than ever. this is the time that the baby will form most of the vital organs and bones that are needed to survive. after this, then the growth will start to slow down a bit and will slowly reach the level of development that they will need in order to be able to live outside the womb. this is something that can take the longest and is the longest part of the stages of fetal development.
To learn more about the stages of fetal development, it is a good idea to take some time to make sure that you read everything that you can about your pregnancy and also talk to your doctor about doing regular ultrasounds so that you can make sure that your baby is right on track with the time of gestation that you are currently in.
Stages of Fetal Development – Learning More About It