Chapter 9 Pregnancy and Birth

Reasons to have children are…. What are Six important qualities a man and woman bring to the role of a parent?

Planning A Family Practical; budget, care, work, school, religion/beliefs. Prenatal Care – Health of the mother. Contraception Infertile? Adoption is an option Foster Parents

Each of us begins when two cells, one from the mother and one from the father, join. These cells are too small to be seen without a microscope, yet their union is the beginning of every human life.

Conception and Pregnancy Fertilization – also called conception, is the union of an egg from the mother and a sperm from the father. Zygote – the united egg and sperm. Within 36 hours, the zygote begins to divide into two cells, then into four, and so on. Blastocyst – The zygote grows into a hollow sphere. Once this happens, it begins to attach itself to the wall of the uterus.

Zygote

Blastocyst

Implantation – Within four to five days after fertilization, the blastocyst reaches the uterus and implants itself. Pregnancy Testing – During the implantation process, progesterone levels remain high which causes menstruation to stop. Pregnancy can be determined once implantation occurs due to HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin).

HCG Pregnancy Test

The Embryo Placenta – the attachment that holds the embryo to the wall of the uterus. After about 25 days a cord develops between the embryo and the placenta. The cord is called the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is the embryo’s lifeline. The developing embryo is enclosed in a bag of thin tissue called amniotic sac. The sac is filled with amniotic fluid. At the end of the second month of pregnancy, the embryo is called a fetus.

The Fetus Between 3rd and 6th months; the fetus grows to 1.5 lbs, hair grows, facial features and ears develop, nervous system begins to develop, and sense organ begin to function. During the sixth to the ninth month the fetus continues to grow and develop until it is ready to be born.

Expectant Parents (Divided into trimesters) First Trimester Morning sickness Increase breast size and tenderness Second Trimester Abdomen begins to swell and fetus starts to move Placenta grows Third Trimester Mother close to greatest weight gain 25-30 pounds. Fetus moves exercising its muscles

Growth of Fetus