Pregnancy

Pregnancy

There are a number of things that must fall into place in order to have a baby. The creation of a human being requires the right environment, the right factors, the right timing, and a great deal of luck. The first step occurs when an egg cell from a woman unites with a sperm cell from a man to form an embryo the beginnings of a human being. This process is called conception. After conception comes the process of fertilization, which is the process in which sperm cells must be present in the woman's reproductive tract at the time the egg enters the fallopian tube. This can happen in several ways. If the woman has intercourse with a man during the week preceding ovulation, then he may deposit semen (a fluid containing sperm cells) into the woman's vagina. Some of the sperm can make their way through the cervix (the opening of the uterus, located at the end of the vagina), into the uterus, and on up into the fallopian tubes. There, one of them may meet with the egg as it travels down one of the tubes toward the uterus. Intercourse is not the only way to get sperm in position. Another way is for a doctor to place sperm cells directly into the woman's uterus at the right time in her cycle, a technique called intrauterine insemination. These sperm can also swim up the fallopian tubes, seeking the egg. Furthermore, when the sperm meets the egg, they attempt to penetrate the egg's outer layer. When one succeeds, the egg's outer surface forms a barrier to prevent other sperm from penetrating. The union of the sperm and egg is called fertilization. The fertilized egg is the first cell of a new human being. It contains a complete set of the genetic information necessary for the development of a baby. Half of that genetic material comes from the mother, carried in the egg; the other half comes from the father, carried in the sperm cell. That means the baby will have a combination of characteristics from both parents.

The next step after fertilization consists of the fertilized cell floating down the fallopian tube toward the uterus, where the cell divides into two. Those two cells then divide to make four, and the division continues. In a week or so after fertilization, the growing cluster contains about 100 cells. We can now say that the woman carrying this embryo is pregnant and the embryo is ready to go through the three trimesters of pregnancy. Duri...

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...ion/fine motor skills, Learning difficulties, and Behavioral problems.

During pregnancy, many complications may occur. Some of these complications include birth defects, Ectopic pregnancies, Preeclampsia, and miscarriage. The most common birth defects are those associated with the brain and spinal column, heart, and limbs. The other common defect concerns the chromosomes in the cells of the fetus. (Ex. downs syndrome.) In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg attaches itself in a place other than inside the uterus. Most ectopic pregnancies occur in a fallopian tube. The narrow fallopian tubes are not designed to hold a growing embryo, so the fertilized egg in this type of pregnancy cannot develop normally. Preeclampsia is a condition where the mother suddenly experiences a sudden increase in blood pressure after about the 7th month of pregnancy. This can be a deadly situation for the mother; usually the doctors will have her deliver the baby prematurely. Miscarriages are usually caused by chromosomal abnormalities, Infections, uncontrolled diabetes, uterine abnormalities, or a woman's production of certain antibodies during pregnancy can also cause an early miscarriage.