My Ego Is Prego By: Malcolm Thurber

Table of Contents 1-Conseption 2 to 10- The Three Trimesters 11-Labor, the three stages 12- Possible defects 13- Prenatal care tips 14-Glossary and other information

Conception Conception is the point when the egg and sperm cells meet. At this exact moment, the fertilized egg is called a zygote. Other the course of nine months, the zygote becomes a newborn baby.

The First Month The first trimester begins with the end on the first month, the baby is, at this point called an embryo. It begins to form a heart, brain, nervous system, and a pair of lungs. The digestive system forms as do the eyes and ears. The length is 1/3 of an inch and it weighs almost nothing.

The End of the Second month By the end of the second month after pregnancy, arms and legs begin to form, as do fingers and toes, the heart becomes four chambers. The head becomes larger, a face begins to form. The baby is one inch long and is now called a fetus.

End of the first Trimester The first external sex characteristics begin to appear Some movement begins Weight is about 1.5 ounces Length is about 1.5 inches

End of the Fourth Month Skin begins to develop Fetus kicks its legs and waves their arms Weight is about 6-7 ounces Length is about 4-5 inches

The beginning of the 6th Month Fine hair develop Eyelashes and nails appear Rate of growth slows Weight is about one pound Length is about 9-10 inches

End of the Second Trimester At this point, the fetus responds to noise and pressure with movement Heartbeat increases The fetus moves vigorously weight is about 1.5 pound The length is roughly 11 inches

Month Seven Your eyes begin to open Legs and arms move more often Weight is about 3 pounds Length is about 15 inches

End of the 8th month Almost all organs are complete Weight is about 4 pounds Length is about 18 inches

Just before Birth Skin is smooth and polished Eyes are slate covered Birth weight is about 6-9 pounds Birth length is about 19-21 inches

Labor- the three stages First stage- Dilation of the cervix or effacement. Contractions of the uterus allow the cervix to dilate up to 10cm. This stage can last from 15 minutes to over an hour Second stage-Delivery of the baby, the baby moves out of the uterus into the birth canal. This stage lasts thirty to ninety minutes. Third stage- Delivery of the placenta . This is when the placenta and other organs to support the baby are ejected from the body. This period last from ten to thirty minutes.

What went wrong? There are many possible birth defects that a baby could have when born. Miscarriage- a natural ending to a pregnancy, possibly because of health problems or a poor uterine lining. Toxemia- A condition in which high blood pressure, sudden weight gain, blurred vision, head aches, and swelling of the hands and feet. It could be caused by poor nutrition or hereditary misfortune. Premature birth- the baby is born before it is fully developed F.A.S-severe birth effects or death caused by use of alcohol by the mother to be.

Prenatal care tips There are many ways a mother can be cared for before the birth begins. The care given to a mother to be and her unborn baby is called prenatal care, the doctor who specializes in this is called an obstetrician. Some examples of prenatal care are: Avoid; drugs, alcohol, and smoking. And she should eat a healthy diet.

Different kinds of birth Still birth- A birth were the child is dead before birth occurred Breach birth- when a child comes out of the mother butt first Natural birth- A birth in which the mother uses no medications during labor Cesarean birth-The process that doctors take when a child is to large in which they cut open the front of the waste line and take the child out by hand

Other information Braxton hicks- Fake contractions to prepare the mother for labor. Contractions- The stretching and shrinking of the cervix to prepare a mother for labor. Epidural- The medical process in which doctors insert a needle into the spine to dull the pain of labor. Agar scale- A scale of 1-9 that tests the health of the newborn baby. Amniocentesis- Removable of some amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac. Ultra sound- The use of sonic waves to take pictures of a developing baby.