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Pregnancy is the time when your
baby depends on you for everything! Not long ago, the first nine
months in the womb were a mystery. Recent technology has allowed us to
see these unborn miracles grow from conception on! For a
beautiful Flash movie of life in the womb, click www.justthefacts.org.
Pregnancy is calculated based on 40 weeks, beginning the first
day of a pregnant women's last period. By the time a pregnant
women realizes she is pregnant, she is already considered four weeks
along, even though conception only took place two weeks before.
Day
21- The heart,
now in tubular form,
begins to beat by the 21st day (less than two weeks after a pregnant
women misses her first period).
Day 40
- Brain waves can be detected and recorded.
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| Week
7 |
Week
8 |
| Major
organs are developing now. The liver is taking
over the production of blood cells, and the brain begins to control
movements of the muscles and organs. The mother has missed her second
period and has probably confirmed that she is pregnant. |
At a
little more than an inch long, the developing life is
now called a fetus (Latin for "offsping"). Everything is now
present that will be found in a fully developed adult. The heart
has been beating for more than a month, the stomach produces digestive
juices and the kidneys have begun to function. Forty muscle sets
begin to operate in conjunction with the nervous system. The
fetus' body responds to touch. |
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| Week 12 |
Week 14 |
| The
fetus now sleeps, awakens and exercises its muscles
energetically- turning its head, curling its toes, and opening and
closing its mouth. The palm, when stroked, will make a tight
fist. The fetus breathes amniotic fluid to help develop its
respiratory system. The fetus can suck its thumb and the kidneys
are able to make urine. |
By the
end of the month, the fetus weights a half a pound or more. The mother
will probably start to "show". The ears are functioning, and there is
evidence that the fetus hears quite a bit: the mother's voice and
heartbeat as well as external noises. The umbilical cord transports 300
quarts of fluids per day, completing a round trip every 30 seconds. |
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| Week 24 |
Week 32 |
| Survival
is now possible outside the uterus. The pregnant woman has been able to
feel movement for some time now. The fetus may have head and body hair,
and has unique fingerprints. If a sound is especially loud or
startling, the fetus may jump in reaction to it. |
The
baby now uses the four senses of vision, hearing, taste and touch. He
can recognize his mother's voice. Development is almost complete, and
while he waits to be born he will continue to store up fat for
insulation and nourishment. |
At
what stage of fetal development
are abortions legal?
Under the Supreme Court's
decisions
in Roe v. Wade, Doe v. Bolton, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey,
abortions may be performed for any reason (socioeconomic, failure of
birth control, personal choice) prior to viability (about 24 weeks of
pregnancy) and for any reason relating to the mother's physical or
psychological health thereafter. In these cases (post-viability
abortions), the term "health" has been defined very broadly by the
Court to include any matter that might affect a woman's "sense of
well-being." In effect, therefore, abortion is legal for any "health"
reason throughout pregnancy.
Source: The First Nine
Months, (brochure) Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 1999.
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