Prenatal Development Essay

Isn 't it crazy to think that we were once just a tiny organism? Nothing more than a group cells forming together? From the time of conception, the baby develops so quickly it is remarkable. The period from conception to birth is a truly beautiful development. And while the baby is quickly being formed from cell to human, the parents are quickly learning the birthing process and all there is to expect. There are three major parts to having a baby, the prenatal development, birth and the postpartum period. Typical prenatal development takes around 38-40 weeks. There are three major periods of prenatal development. The stages are the germinal period, the embryonic period, and the fetal period. The germinal period is the period of prenatal development

In this time period, it takes about 11 to 15 days for the attachment of the zygote to the uterine wall, making the zygote form an attachment. The next stage of prenatal development is the embryonic period. This is the period of prenatal development that occurs from two to eight weeks after conception. During this period, the cells are multiplying at rapid speeds, support systems begin to form, and organs begin to show up. This period is when the umbilical cord, the life support system that connects the baby to the placenta is formed. The placenta allows small blood vessels to go from the mother to the baby. This is how the baby can get food from its mother. Mothers need to be very careful what they eat and drink, because everything that they do will affect their baby. If they drink or do drugs, it can severely affect the babies development. By the time most woman find out they are pregnant (5-8 weeks) the organs have already begun forming. “At about 21 days, eyes begin to appear, and at 24 days the heart cells begin to differentiate.” During the fourth week, the arms and legs being to grow. At eight weeks, the organism is just about one inch long and the face has started to develop.