Pregnancy ?EUR" Its Inner Workings

Pregnancy is a condition of the female of the animal kingdom beginning at the time her egg cell is fertilized by a sperm cell until the formed foetus is developed enough for delivery through a birthing process.

Conception

Human pregnancy starts with the fertilization of the egg cell which is released from a woman's ovary (ovulation) every 28 days. The egg cell is viable for only 24 hours after its release. It is fertilized by a single sperm cell (viable for up to 6 days within the vaginal canal) from about a billion released in an ejaculation normally resulting from sexual arousal and intercourse. This union between the egg and sperm cells in the woman's fallopian tube is what we popularly term as conception. Most conceptions result from intercourse on the day of or 2 days before ovulation.

The Period of the Zygote

This period of prenatal development lasts for 2 weeks, from fertilization until the resulting cell mass drifts out of the fallopian tubes to attach itself firmly into the uterine wall which occurs from the 7th to the 9th day after conception.

The Period of the Embryo

The moment the zygote touches down on and implants itself in the uterine wall marks the beginning of the embryotic stage and lasts until the end of the 8th week of pregnancy. It is in these 6 weeks that the most rapid prenatal changes occur. The groundwork for all body structures and internal organs happen in this critical stage. It is in this phase that the embryo starts to move and respond to touch, especially in the areas of the mouth and on the soles of the feet.

The Period of the Foetus

The last leg of the pregnancy is the "growth and finishing" phase - the period of the foetus. Within the 12th week, the sex of the foetus can be determined using ultrasound. The mother starts to feel the movements of the foetus, having grown large enough, starting on the 13th week. By the end of the 24th week, the foetus can already be both stimulated and irritated by sounds and light. It is also within this stage (between the 22nd and 26th week), that the foetus can survive if born early. The brain takes great strides during the last 3 months of pregnancy, when the cerebral cortex enlarges and the foetus spends more time awake. At this point, it also becomes more responsive to external stimulation. In the last weeks, the foetus normally moves into an upside-down position in preparation for birth which ends the pregnancy.

To most of us, pregnancy is described by its external manifestation, that is, the swelling of the woman's belly. Little do we know about what really transpires inside that swollen belly. That is a wonder only the mighty but tender hands of God can create - the "manufacture" of the awesome human person.

Would you like to find out exactly how people like yourself have managed to get pregnant despite being told they couldn't?

http://goarticles.com/article/Pregnancy-Its-Inner-Workings/5173383/