Pregnancy Project

1. Pregnancy Project Matt Basile Block:G

2. From the Start • The whole process of pregnancy begins with conception or fertilization, which is when the union of a sperm and an egg take place. • When this takes place, the new single cell organism that is formed is called a zygote. • Almost immediately after the zygote is formed, the mass of cells that is formed is called an embryo during the first eight weeks following conception.

3. First Trimester • First external signs of sexual organs appear. • The newly developed baby begins to move, and the weight is about 1.5 ounces and the length is about 1.5 inches. • Baby begins to develop its limbs. Heart becomes four chambered.

4. Second Trimester • Now we are in the fourth to sixth month of pregnancy. • In the second trimester, the fetus is now responding to noise and pressure with movement. • The fetus’s heartbeat increases • The weight is about 1.5 pounds, and the fetus’s length is about 11.5-12.5 inches long.

5. Third Trimester • The mother is now in the last three months of pregnancy,when the baby is almost fully developed and ready to be born. • In the ninth and final month of pregnancy, the skin is smoothed and polished. • Eyes are slate-colored • The birth weight is about 6-9 pounds, and the baby’s length is about 19-21 inches. • At this point in pregnancy, the fetus is ready to be born.

6. Stages of Labor • When the fetus is ready to be born, the mother-to-be will go through different stages of labor, which can vary from person to person. • The first stage of labor would be when the women’s cervix dilates from about the size to your pinky, to about 10 centimeters, preparing for the baby to pass through. • During the second stage, the baby is being delivered. • In the third and last stage or labor, the afterbirth happens which is the delivery of the placenta and the umbilical cord.

7. Epidural • If a women is giving birth, and she decides that she wants to give birth without having the pain of normal vaginal delivery, they can have an epidural. • An epidural is simply a injection of an anesthetic that is put into the lower part of the spinal cord. • This causes all feeling to be lost in the abdominal, genital, and pelvic areas which means there will be very little pain, if not any, during giving birth to a child.

8. Lamaze • Lamaze are educational classes that give women the confidence to deliver their baby. • In these classes, the women learn all sorts of different things like coping strategies for going through labor such as focused breathing. • They also may tell you simple things liker where to park your car so you don’t have to walk too far.

9. Braxton Hicks Contractions • As a women who is pregnant, you may feel like you are going into labor and rush to the hospital. • When you get there, you find out that you are not going to deliver your baby, and you were just going through Braxton hicks contractions. • These are fake contractions that feel like the real thing when you go through labor. • During these, the baby’s amniotic sac does not break, and it is basically just practice contractions to prepare the mother to give birth.

10. Episiotomy • During the delivery of a baby, the doctors may notice that they may need to make a small incision so that the baby can pass through the vaginal cavity without harming the mother, which is called and episiotomy. • This incision is made in the perineum (area between the vagina and anus). • This makes the vaginal opening larger in order to prevent the area from tearing when the baby passes through.

11. Apgar Scale • When the baby is born, it is checked to see if everything is the way it is supposed to be. • To do this, the doctors use something called an Apgar Scale, which is the scoring system to rate the health of a newborn baby. • It grades things such as heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tone, and skin color.

12. Cesarean Birth • Also known as a “C-section”, it is a surgical procedure in which a baby, placenta, and umbilical cord are delivered through an incision in the abdominal wall and the uterus. • There are different reasons why a women might want to get a C-section, such as the baby being to big to pass through the vagina, or that the women just may not want to go through a vaginal delivery.

13. Breech Birth • A breech birth is slightly different then a normal vaginal delivery. • This is when the baby is being delivered, the bottom of the baby may come out first rather than the head. • This could be harmful to the newborn baby for the reason that the umbilical cord could rap around the baby’s head when it comes out. • This could cause the baby to suffocate.

14. Water Birth • A water birth a another different form of giving birth, which involves the baby being born immersed in water. • Many people believe there are benefits to this such as pain relief and a less traumatic birth for the baby. • Although, just like any other delivery, there could be complications, such as the baby may drown during the delivery.

15. StillBirth • This is when the fetus dies inside the mother. • The fetus, which has died in the uterus, exits a women’s body. • The fetus could die during labor or the delivery. • This could happen for many reason, such as the mother doing drugs and alcohol while she is pregnant.

16. Premature Birth • A premature birth is the delivery of a baby that occurs before the end of the normal full term pregnancy. • This could result in birth defects such as weighing too little or not being able to breath correctly on its own. • There are different things doctors can do to help with these defects though.

17. Vaginal Birth • A vaginal birth is the normal delivery of a baby. • The cervix dilates to about ten centimeters and the baby comes out head-first through the women’s vagina.

18. Miscarriage • A miscarriage is the natural ending to a women’s pregnancy before the baby is delivered. • A miscarriage can happen for a variety of reasons. For example the uterine lining may not have developed properly. • A miscarriage can even happen when the women did not do anything at all. Her body must just not think that it was ready for a baby. • A miscarriage usually happens within the first trimester.

19. Toxemia • Toxemia is a condition that is developed by pregnant females. • Toxemia can cause high blood pressure, sudden weight gain, blurred vision, headaches, and swelling of the hands and feet.

20. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) • FAS is when there is presence of birth defects in babies born to mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy. • Babies with FAS suffer from mental retardation, central nervous system disorders, heart and muscular problems, and defects of joints and limbs.

21. Obstetrician • An obstetrician is a physician who specializes in the care of a mother-to-be and her developing baby. • Women that are pregnant should go to see obstetricians regularly to make sure their baby is developing correctly. • Going to your obstetrician for prenatal care is very important because it promotes the health of the mother-to-be and her baby.

22. Gynecologist • A gynecologist is a physician that specializes in the treatment of the female reproductive tract. • All females should go see their gynecologist regularly to make sure that all of their organs are functioning properly and that everything is the way it is supposed to be. • An example of a test they might do is called a “pap smear”.

23. Placenta • A placenta is an organ that attaches the egg to the inner wall of the uterus, which the umbilical cord is also attached to. • The placenta filters out the bad substances going to the developing baby, and keeps the nutrients to keep the baby healthy.

24. Umbilical Cord • The umbilical cord is a long ropelike structure through which the mother and developing baby exchange oxygen and nutrients. • This attaches to the placenta of the mother-to-be, and the developing baby’s future belly-button.

25. Amniotic Sac • The amniotic sac is a thick membrane filled with fluid in which the developing baby floats. • There is a fluid inside this sac called the amniotic fluid which provides a constant temperature for the baby and protects it from damage.

26. Ultrasound • An ultrasound is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to view internal organs and produce images of the inside of the human body, in this case the developing baby. • This is used to see if the baby is developing properly and see if there are any problems so they can do what they can to fix them as fast as they can.

27. Conclusion of Pregnancy I have now brought you through all the different information of pregnancy for the very beginning starting with conception, to the end of the pregnancy with the delivery of the baby. I hope you enjoyed your journey!