The three main stages of fetal development are the germinal stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal stage.
The three main trimesters of the pregnant woman are the first trimester, second trimester, and third trimester. Because these stages and trimesters are very important, if there is any interference in them, negative effects can give the baby birth defects which can result in a multitude of health problems, major and minor. |
The Germinal Stage:
When the sperm penetrates the egg, the germinal stage of pregnancy begins and it only lasts about 2 weeks after conception. After fertilization occurs and a zygote has been created, the outside of the egg gets thicker to prevent any other sperm entering the egg. Cell division now begins and the zygote begins to travel through the Fallopian tubes. After about 5 days of conception, the mass of cells begins to implant on the lining of the uterus. The cells can just pass out of the woman's body if it is unable to implant on her uterus resulting in misconception. It is estimated that about two-thirds of conceptions fail to implant. If it does successfully implant, the process of establishing the connection between the mother and embryo starts.
The Embryonic Stage:
After about two weeks after conception, the embryonic stage begins and lasts for about two months. The mother is now carrying an embryo. During this stage, organogenesis occurs and all of the major organ systems of the body are being formed. By the end of the organogenesis, the brain and nervous system are developed , a primitive heart is formed and it begins to beat at four weeks. The baby's limbs also are beginning to form. After 5-6 weeks, the embryo begins to move, but the mother cannot feel it yet. This is a very critical part for a pregnancy because of all of the crucial elements for a healthy life are developing.
The Fetal Stage:
The fetal stage is the final stage of pregnancy, which begins at around 3 months and continues for the rest of the pregnancy. By the beginning of this stage, you can find out the sex of the baby. At 10 weeks, the fetus will begin to breathe and then two weeks later, the mother can begin to feel it moving around. At the end of this stage, the fetus spends a majority of its time sleeping. The biggest occurrence in this stage is the fetus developing more features and growing in size and weight. The fetus's development at this stage is important so that all of it's organs are stable and it is able to survive after the mother gives birth.
When the sperm penetrates the egg, the germinal stage of pregnancy begins and it only lasts about 2 weeks after conception. After fertilization occurs and a zygote has been created, the outside of the egg gets thicker to prevent any other sperm entering the egg. Cell division now begins and the zygote begins to travel through the Fallopian tubes. After about 5 days of conception, the mass of cells begins to implant on the lining of the uterus. The cells can just pass out of the woman's body if it is unable to implant on her uterus resulting in misconception. It is estimated that about two-thirds of conceptions fail to implant. If it does successfully implant, the process of establishing the connection between the mother and embryo starts.
The Embryonic Stage:
After about two weeks after conception, the embryonic stage begins and lasts for about two months. The mother is now carrying an embryo. During this stage, organogenesis occurs and all of the major organ systems of the body are being formed. By the end of the organogenesis, the brain and nervous system are developed , a primitive heart is formed and it begins to beat at four weeks. The baby's limbs also are beginning to form. After 5-6 weeks, the embryo begins to move, but the mother cannot feel it yet. This is a very critical part for a pregnancy because of all of the crucial elements for a healthy life are developing.
The Fetal Stage:
The fetal stage is the final stage of pregnancy, which begins at around 3 months and continues for the rest of the pregnancy. By the beginning of this stage, you can find out the sex of the baby. At 10 weeks, the fetus will begin to breathe and then two weeks later, the mother can begin to feel it moving around. At the end of this stage, the fetus spends a majority of its time sleeping. The biggest occurrence in this stage is the fetus developing more features and growing in size and weight. The fetus's development at this stage is important so that all of it's organs are stable and it is able to survive after the mother gives birth.
Just like the three main stages for prenatal development, the entire pregnancy is divided into three main stages. Each trimester is three months long.
The First Trimester In this trimester, the woman may not show physical signs of pregnancy, but her level of her hormones can impact her body in fatigue, breast tenderness, and morning sickness. The Second Trimester In the second trimester, the fetus is growing and developing a lot, so it is now more apparent that the woman is pregnant in here appearance.The fetus is becoming more mobile, so the mother is able to feel it moving. The Third Trimester At this stage, the fetus is growing and developing more so the mother becomes bigger and more uncomfortable. Towards the end of this trimester, the fetus drops lower and it begins to get into position to give birth. |
Unfortunately, there are many factors that can damage a pregnancy. This can be from a variety of different sources, and in some cases the mother can't help the baby's exposure to these substances.
Teratogens
A teratogen is something that damages an embryo or causes malformation. Diseases that a mother has or contracts during her pregnancy like rubella, syphilis and HIV are teratogens. They can also be things that the mother ingests such as alcohol, medication, and drugs, or even toxins in the environment that include mercury in food or exposure to radiation or pollution. |
Alcohol and Smoking
Drinking alcohol and smoking can are very dangerous for pregnant women because of the impact they have on a fetus. Consuming alcohol while pregnant can result in having a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS includes physical abnormalities like irregular facial features, small stature, and a small head. There are also many functioning issues like learning, memory, and attention span. There is also fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), which can include any of the characteristics of FAS at different levels and severity. |