Pregnancy and the Birth of a Baby 1

Your Daily Routine Use the 24 hour clock to map out a typical day. Think about how you spend your time from the moment you wake to the moment you go to sleep. 2

Share your routine with a partner… What time did you wake up? When did you go to bed? Describe the sorts of meals you had. Were you able to sit down with family? How much time did you have with your friends? What hobbies did you take part in? Were you tired at all during the day? If so, did you take a rest? 3

What changes do you think you would have to make if you, or your partner became pregnant? Consider that: Pregnant women must eat a balanced and healthy diet. Pregnant women tire more easily, and often need to take frequent naps during the day. Moderate exercise is an essential part of a healthy pregnancy. Many pregnant women experience morning sickness, or nausea and vomiting, and a diminished appetite. Even healthy pregnancies can include other physical discomforts such as constipation, mood swings, anxiety, swelling, and so on. Pregnancy can cause a woman to have to limit or avoid certain activities such as participating in certain sports, consuming alcohol or drugs, smoking, lifting heavy objects, and so on.

How would your routine change once you had a child? If you think it wouldn’t change at all, consider this research: I can still go to school and have a child. Teenage young mothers are 30% more likely not to complete their education, have no qualifications by age 33, be in receipt of benefits and if employed be on lower incomes than their peers. I’ll get my own flat from the council 80% of under 18 mothers live in someone else’s household and teenagers are more likely to have to move into someone else's house during pregnancy I’m going to marry the dad. Teenage mothers are more likely to be lone parents. 81% of teenage births are to single parents.

Activity 1: Sequencing cards 6

Pregnancy – this is when a baby grows inside a woman. The baby grows inside the womb (the uterus). It is protected by a bag of water, and gets food from the woman through the placenta.

Sperm are made in the testes. Tail helps the sperm to swim so it can find the egg Special chemicals at the tip help the sperm to get into the egg Very little cytoplasm so it can swim fast

Eggs are made in the ovaries. Jelly coat means that only one sperm can get into the egg. Lots of cytoplasm so there is lots of food for the new baby.

It only takes one sperm to get into the egg to make a baby. When a sperm joins with an egg, this is how a new baby starts. It is called fertilization.

30 hours after fertilization

WEEK 3-5 The baby’s tiny heart begins to beat by day 21. The arms, legs eyes, lips and nose begin to grow.

WEEK 7 The organs start to grow inside the baby. The baby starts to move.

WEEK 8-12 The baby has hands and feet, and swims and moves inside the bag of water.

Weeks The baby can swallow, and starts to try breathing. It can feel pain, and moves around a lot. It has eyebrows and eyelashes now.

Week The baby has hand and footprints. It practises breathing.

Weeks 25 – 32 The baby’s eyes open and close, and it sleeps 90% of the time.

Weeks 33 – 40 The baby is getting ready to be born. It turns upside down before it is born.

Newborn baby

Activity 2: Pregnancy Myths 20

Activity 3: Reasons for Teenage Pregnancy? 21

Plenary Share three things you have learnt from this lesson. How do you think your attitudes to teen pregnancy have changed?