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What Are The Stages Of Fetal Development?
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My wife is 5 weeks pregnant and I know nothing about babies. I don't want her to know how ignorant I am, because listening to her, you'd think she was an expert. What are the stages of fetal development?
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 (3 Answers) |
Friday 12th of March 2010 08:31:35 AM
hello there, the fetal development all depends about what you are using as a counting method, trimesters so you can know what happens each 3 months with your baby, weeks, or months??? all will give you the same information but some will give you more details or not, but usualy we count the fetal development using weeks, and it usualy goes to 1 to 40 weeks. good lucky future dad.
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Thursday 18th of March 2010 03:50:32 PM
There are some excellent books with pictures describing the stages of development. These books can be bought at any book store. You can also talk to your doctor as it is possible that he has handouts for first time parents that explain the development of the fetus. Your wife may know a lot about prenatal child development so don't underestimate her. After all, while you guys may talk about cars women, especially new mothers, talk about their babies and their pregnancy and birthing experiences.
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Friday 19th of March 2010 03:37:09 AM
A baby undergoes rapid fetal development in the nine months he spends in his mother’s womb. A pregnancy is usually measured in 40 weeks of gestation, but many people prefer to measure it in months. The three main stages of fetal development are conception, embryonic development and development of the fetus.Conception usually occurs around week two of the pregnancy. In the two weeks prior to conception, the body is readying the womb for a potential pregnancy by growing a layer of rich, blood perfused tissue.Embryonic Development is the most critical stage of fetal development, when the systems are undergoing important foundational development. The embryonic state of fetal development takes place from conception to approximately the 11th week of pregnancy. Fetal Development begins after the 11th week, when the baby is called a fetus. From the 11th to 16th week, the fetus begins developing distinguishable genitals, hair, nails and vocal chords. The kidneys begin to process bodily fluids, and the liver begins to function as it should. Bones also begin to harden at this time.
From the 16th to 20th week, the baby undergoes another rapid growth spurt. He begins to develop fat under a thin skin. The heart pumps a staggering 25 quarts of blood every day. Meconium, a baby’s waste product, accumulates in the bowel. The fetus regularly hiccups and spends the same amount of time awake and asleep as a typical newborn.
Fetal development slows down during the 21st to 24th weeks. The eyelids and eyebrows are usually completely formed by this time, and if the fetus is a boy, his testes begin to descend from the pelvis. By the 24th week, the baby will weigh approximately 1.3 pounds (.6 kilograms).
During the period of time from the 25th to the 28th week, the baby continues to develop. Lung development is marked during this time, as the baby prepares to breathe air at birth. By the 28th week, 90% of babies born will survive, although breathing may be an issue. The lungs begin to secrete surfactant, which is necessary for breathing. Ligaments form, nostrils open and brain development proceeds at a fast rate. The baby’s retinas begin to form, and she can completely open her eyes at this point.
From the 29th to the 40th week, fetal development is focused on the development of the lungs. For the most part, all of the major systems and organs are complete. The baby’s job is to fatten up to face the environment outside of the protective womb. The baby begins to develop immunities needed to survive. At 37 weeks, the baby will continue to add approximately one ounce (28.35 grams) per day to his body weight. This week marks a pregnancy as full term, and the baby should be delivered with no complications.
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