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Stages of Fetal Development – Learning More About It

December 13, 2011
by Jessica

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

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Signs of Being Pregnant

June 27, 2011
by

Pregnancy brings about a lot of changes in the body. The signs of being pregnant are essentially the same yet, ironically, vary from woman to woman. Also, there are women who may experience some symptoms within a few days after conception, while others begin to experience and take notice of these signs a few weeks after conception.

A lot of women are actually confused since a lot of the signs of being pregnant are very similar to the symptoms which signal the coming of menstruation. The only tangible yet often unnoticed difference would be higher body temperature in pregnant women.

Perhaps the earliest sign of pregnancy is implantation bleeding which happens six to 12 days after conception. This occurs when the embryo embeds itself to the uterine wall, in which some women may experience spotting and cramping. A missed period is actually the most common pregnancy symptom. Although there are instances when women bleed even during pregnancy, bleeding is usually lighter or shorter than the usual menstruation. If there is any reason to believe that one is indeed pregnant, then a pregnancy test may be used a few days after the expected menstrual date when delayed.

Another one of the earlier signs of pregnancy which may come as early as a week into pregnancy would be nausea and vomiting. A lot of women experience morning sickness although this does not necessarily connote feeling sick in the morning only, but may occur any time of the day, or for some even the entire day. Although the reason behind this is not known, it is helpful to eat small frequent meals throughout the day or eating crackers or corn flakes before rising in the morning. It is also helpful to eat an apple or to drink a glass of milk before going to bed to make it easier it the morning. As early as one to two weeks after conception, breasts may be very tender, swollen or sore. They may also be enlarged and the nipples start to darken in color. At around six to eight weeks, the pregnant woman may start taking more frequent trips to the bathroom to empty their bladders since the uterus puts more pressure into it.

Major hormonal changes are also responsible for fatigue or tiredness during pregnancy due to the high temperature produced by increasing hCG levels which causes pregnant women to be sluggish. Pregnancy hormones are also responsible for slow bowel movement which may later on cause constipation. Being irritable is how the body copes with the many symptoms associated with pregnancy but may be handled by proper exercise and a healthy diet.

Signs of Being Pregnant

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