A-Z Guide to Pregnancy Weeks

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“Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit.”- Bill Cosby.

“The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child.”- Unknown

“A new baby us like the beginning of all things – wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.”- Eda J. Leshan

“Ten tiny little fingers that always want to play,
That never stop exploring the wonder of today.
Ten tiny little fingers that from the very start,
Will reach out for tomorrow yet always hold your heart.”

I have been an Anne Geddes fan for as long as I can remember (who isn’t). Her pictures are all about babies and their innocence. The pictures that she clicks are more than just photography. They are not mere pictures, but should be called masterpieces. I just adore her creativity. Her pictures speak to you and touch a sensitive cord deep down in your heart. I have always wanted to have a child, who I could love and bite (I do that often to my baby), shout and play with, and basically hold in my arms. Getting pregnant was a bit difficult for me as I suffer from PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease). I had to undergo treatment for 2 years and during this time, I also had one missed abortion. So, when I did eventually get pregnant, I had to be much more alert than others normally are during their pregnancy because there was a level of uncertainty with regards to my pregnancy, but towards the end of it all, I have a beautiful baby who makes my life much more meaningful and worthy.

Nowadays, many of my friends, neighbors, and acquaintances who are either trying to conceive or are in various stages of pregnancy are contacting me with regards to their doubts and concerns about pregnancy. They may be following up with their gynecologists on a routine basis, have loads of information to read from, and have internet at their disposal, but they say first-hand information is the best and they always call up to clarify any doubts that they have and I am more than eager to help. So, I thought why not write an article in general to tell all about pregnancy on IMBB, where we have an all young-women gang, a majority of whom are married or are planning to get into wedlock in the near future.

I will try to explain the step-by-step process, which leads to pregnancy and mainly use real pictures and high-resolution electron microscopic images to depict each and every process that happens in a woman’s body to give rise to a phenomenon, which is called pregnancy.

In general, every woman has one uterus, two fallopian tubes, and two ovaries. The ovaries are situated on the right and left of the uterus and each ovary releases one egg randomly every month in a process which is called ovulation. This egg may or may not get fertilized by the male sperm released during intercourse. If the sperm finds the egg and fertilizes it, this may result in the woman getting pregnant. If the egg and the sperm do not fuse together or if no intercourse has happened when the egg was released, then it leads to menstruation in the following days. The following graphic picture depicts clearly this process.

A graphic picture depicting what happens in a woman’s body on a monthly basis depending on whether the egg released by her ovary has been fertilized or has not been fertilized.

WHAT IS OVULATION:

Ovulation is the release of a mature egg (ovum) from the ovarian follicle. Each monthly cycle, several ovarian follicles begin to mature and develop under the influence of pituitary hormones. Usually only one follicle develops fully. While the other follicles recede, this dominant follicle produces an egg which will be released and which can be fertilized by the male sperm. The growing follicle secretes increasing amounts of the hormone estrogen. Following peak estrogen production, there is a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH). The LH surge triggers the release of the mature egg from its follicle. This is called ovulation.

This real-life picture shows a follicle attached to the ovary releasing an ovum or egg (golden colored). This picture was taken by a surgeon who was performing an operation to remove the uterus of the woman when he saw this process taking place.

AFTER OVULATION:

Once ovulated, the egg is picked up by one of the fallopian tubes and begins to travel towards the uterus in the fallopian tube. This is where fertilization, if it is to happen, takes place.

The lifespan of the egg after ovulation is just 12-24 hours, maybe even less. Fertilization must take place within this timeframe. After this timeframe, the egg begins to degenerate and is no longer capable of being fertilized. This seems like a very short window of time for conception to take place. However, sperms released by male are capable to survive inside the female reproductive tract for around 5 to 6 days, so the few days before ovulation takes place are also considered to be fertile days. Gee, our eggs are also impatient like us and do not like to be kept waiting, how characteristic of us!!!!!

WHEN DOES OVULATION TAKE PLACE:

Ovulation takes place, on average, about two weeks before your period, though it can vary from 10-16 days before the onset of menstruation depending on the length of your luteal phase. During an “average” 28 day cycle, ovulation is usually expected to take place between cycle days 13-15. It is to be expected that ovulation takes place around day 14 of their menstrual cycle. Many women, however, do not have average cycles and even those who usually do may see irregularities from time to time. To calculate your own ovulation time, check out these ovulation calendars.

www.ovulation-calendar.net

http://www.babyhopes.com/ovulation-calendar.html

Disclaimer: Please note that this calendar works only for those who are trying to conceive and want to get pregnant as opposed to those who do not want to conceive. Protection during intercourse is the only foolproof method to avoid pregnancy.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS OF OVULATION:

Ovulation usually occurs 10-16 days after the first day of your last period. During ovulation your body will make some slight changes such as a change in vaginal secretions (the vaginal fluid becomes stretchy like egg white), slight cramping in the lower abdomen (Mittelschmerz pain), and elevated basal body temperature. One can also use ovulation predictor kits, which are available in the market to find out when one is ovulating. Apart from these, there is a general feeling of well being, unexplained happiness which you feel. Also, this is also the time when your skin looks the best and you also smell lovely (without the perfume). Apparently, this is nature’s way to bring changes in a woman such that she becomes more desirable and attractive to the male species, how interesting!!!!

Cervical mucus becomes clear, slippery, and stretches like raw egg whites. This is apparently to give the sperm a healthy environment to swim through.

PREGNANCY – STEP-BY-STEP:

1. In general, there is only one egg released by a woman’s ovary during ovulation, whereas a male releases millions of sperms through intercourse into the female’s vagina and cervix. With the help of a woman’s slippery cervical mucus, the sperms swim and race towards the egg. Even though there are millions of sperms racing to find the egg, only one is able to penetrate the egg, whereas the other sperms are left outside of the egg.

The blue things with tails are sperms and the reddish ball is the egg. Millions of sperms surround the egg in a bid to penetrate it. These above pictures are real electron microscope pics.

2. Only one eligible sperm is able to penetrate the egg. As soon as it does, there is a barrier formed outside the egg, which prevents a second sperm from entering it. The sperm leaves its tail outside the egg coz the tail has served its purpose of swimming to the egg, how calculative and mean.

3. The egg and sperm fuse together and the sperm donates 26 chromosomes and the egg donates another 23 chromosomes, which makes it a total of 46 chromosomes, which may either be XY (boy) or XX (girl).

4. The fertilized egg divides from one cell into two cells, then four cells, and then there is no stopping to the multiplication process.

All the above pics show the fertilized egg dividing from one cell into two cells, then four, then eight and so on. These are real high-resolution electron microscopic pics.

5. The dividing ball of cells now travels across the fallopian tube to find its way to the uterus, where it implants into the uterus.

These graphic images depict how the fertilized egg multiplies continuously on its way to get implanted into the uterus.

On an average in a span of 8 to 12 days, the fertilized egg, which never stops multiplying finds its way to the uterus and implants to the wall of the uterus. Day 0 shows the day when the sperm fertilized the egg. Day 1 is when the first division of the fertilized cell took place. Day 8-9 shows the implantation of the tiny mass of cells (blastocystic) into the uterine wall.

6. The multiplying mass of cells, which got itself implanted into the uterus, soon transforms itself into an embryo, which will be later called as fetus and which will eventually develop into a baby. The fetus will continue multiplying, developing, and finally evolve into a lovely baby by the completion of 40 weeks or 10 months (on an average). During this time, it derives all nutrition and oxygen through the umbilical cord, which is attached to mom’s uterus. The following pictures depict the development of the fetus at various stages.

DIFFERENT STAGES OF PREGNANCY:

The entire period of pregnancy is divided into three trimesters, the first trimester (0 to 13 weeks), the second trimester (13 to 26 weeks), and the third trimester (26 to 40) weeks. You can find out which trimester you are in using these calculators:

http://www.baby2see.com/trimester_calculator.html

http://www.immihelp.com/nri/pregnancy-due-date-calculator.html

FIRST TRIMESTER — 0 TO 13 WEEKS:

The first trimester is the most crucial to your baby’s development. During this period, your baby’s body structure and organ systems develop. Most miscarriages and birth defects occur during this period.
Your body also undergoes major changes during the first trimester. These changes often cause a variety of symptoms, including nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness and frequent urination. Although there are common symptoms of pregnancy, every woman has a different experience. For example, while some may experience an increased energy level during this period, others may feel very tired and emotional.

A 4-week old fetus with all the major organs yet to take form. The head hasn’t take shape as yet.

SECOND TRIMESTER — 13 TO 26 WEEKS
The second trimester of pregnancy is often called the “golden period” because many of the unpleasant effects of early pregnancy have ended. During the second trimester, you’re likely to experience decreased nausea, better sleep patterns and an increased energy level. However, during this period you may experience a whole new set of symptoms and feelings, such as back pain, abdominal pain, leg cramps, constipation and heartburn.
You will probably hear your baby’s heartbeat for the first time at around 12 weeks with the help of ultrasound. An ultrasound is typically performed around 19 weeks. And, somewhere between 16 weeks and 20 weeks, you may feel your baby’s first fluttering movements.

A 14-week-old fetus.

THIRD TRIMESTER — 26 TO 40 WEEKS
You have now reached your final stretch of pregnancy and are probably very excited and anxious for the birth of your baby. Some of the physical symptoms you may experience during this period include shortness of breath, urinary incontinence, varicose veins and sleeping problems. Many of these symptoms arise from the increase in the size of your uterus, which expands from approximately 2 ounces before pregnancy to 2.5 pounds at the time of birth.

A third trimester fetus sucking its thumb. A fetus sucking its thumb inside the womb. (I saw my son sucking his thumb and moving around his legs in the ultrasound done on me at 6 months.) Apparently, a baby can suck its thumb, do somersaults, kick his legs, and feel the mother’s womb. But, a question everyone asks me is whether a baby can breath inside the womb, but no, although a baby can swallow the fluid inside the womb (amniotic fluid), it cannot breath through its nose where mucus plugs block the air passage. All oxygen and required nutrients are provided by the umbilical cord of the baby, which is attached the uterus.

EVOLUTION OF THE FETUS THROUGH THE TRIMESTERS OF PREGNANCY:

An 8-week-old fetus.

This picture shows an aborted baby (in the surgeon’s gloved hands) with the amniotic sac intact at 10 weeks. During 10 weeks, the baby has developed all vital organs but the evolution of these into functioning organs continue up until 40 weeks.

HOW TWINS ARE FORMED:

• Fraternal (Non-identical) twins are formed when two egg cells are fertilized; each egg by a different sperm so that two embryos are formed. Fraternal twins can be of the same or opposite sex and they don’t have to look at all alike.
• Identical twins are formed when one egg after being fertilized by one sperm, divides into two halves. The two halves are genetically identical. Identical twins are usually of the same sex.
• Conjoined (Siamese) twins are formed exactly like identical twins, but during the split, the embryo does not separate completely to form two separate babies and the twins develop attached to one another.

CHINESE GENDER PREDICTION CHART:

This is an ancient method used to predict the gender of the unborn child taking into account the age of the mother at the time of pregnancy and the month in which she got pregnant. I did try this one strictly out of inquisitiveness and nothing else and bingo, it was correct. I do not know whether it was just coincidence, but apparently, during certain months of the year, the Y sperms are more active and during the rest of the months, X sperms are active, cannot really say.

Disclaimer: Please do not know use this chart to predict the gender of your unborn child. Both genders are equal and there is not a greater sin than to kill and I mean kill an unborn baby because of its gender.

FETAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE THREE TRIMESTERS:

Given below are significant changes and developments that the fetus goes through from first trimester to the third trimester and fetus’ chance of survival if it were to come out early.

A FUNNY POSTER SHOWING FETAL DEVELOPMENTAL THROUGH NINE MONTHS:

Coming up- diet during pregnancy, myths  pregnancy, and symptoms of pregnancy.

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