This page is all about the development of the unborn child- from conception to birth, tips for a healthy pregnancy, and problems that may arise.
Stages of prenatal development
Germinal stageThis stage occurs from conception to two weeks.
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embryonic stageThis stage lasts from two weeks until two months.
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Fetal stageThis stage starts at two months and lasts until birth.
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Health risks, teratogens, maternal diet
First 3 months:
Morning sickness is expected due to hormonal changes. May experience fatigue, vomiting, etc.
Second 3 months:
Woman can expect to feel the baby moving (“quickening”).
Activity level prenatally predicts activity level of the baby after birth
Final 3 months:
The mother can once again expect fatigue and discomfort.
The fetus “drops” to get into position for birth.
Teratogens
Agents that can disrupt prenatal development and cause malformations or termination of the pregnancy:
Alcohol: Fetal alcohol syndrome
Tobacco (including 2nd hand smoke): asthma and other respiratory problems; SIDS; ADHD and learning disabilities
Prescription drugs – even aspirin is linked with bleeding
Illegal drugs;
e.g., cocaine – withdrawal, poor cry signal, brain and cognitive problems
marijuana – tremors, long-term cognitive problems
Maternal disease and stress
Morning sickness is expected due to hormonal changes. May experience fatigue, vomiting, etc.
Second 3 months:
Woman can expect to feel the baby moving (“quickening”).
Activity level prenatally predicts activity level of the baby after birth
Final 3 months:
The mother can once again expect fatigue and discomfort.
The fetus “drops” to get into position for birth.
Teratogens
Agents that can disrupt prenatal development and cause malformations or termination of the pregnancy:
Alcohol: Fetal alcohol syndrome
Tobacco (including 2nd hand smoke): asthma and other respiratory problems; SIDS; ADHD and learning disabilities
Prescription drugs – even aspirin is linked with bleeding
Illegal drugs;
e.g., cocaine – withdrawal, poor cry signal, brain and cognitive problems
marijuana – tremors, long-term cognitive problems
Maternal disease and stress
Role of the father
The role of the father is to support the mother-to-be. This includes emotional, physical and financial support.
Many men experience “couvade” which is having some of the symptoms of pregnancy. 11-65% of men experience weight gain, nausea, indigestion, backaches, mood swings, and/or food cravings
Many men experience “couvade” which is having some of the symptoms of pregnancy. 11-65% of men experience weight gain, nausea, indigestion, backaches, mood swings, and/or food cravings
Birth experience
First stage of labor
Early labor happens when contractions are usually not painful. The cervix begins to thin out and dilate. Next comes active labor where contractions become longer, stronger, and more frequent. The cervix has dilated to 4 cm. This stage lasts on average 3 to 8 hours.
The transition begins when contractions come in rapid succession and last up to 90 seconds each. This stage lasts 15 minutes to 3 hours. It ends when cervix has dilated 10 cm.
Second stage of labor:
This is the stage when the mother has the urge to push. This is when the delivery of the baby occurs.
Third stage of labor:
This stage of labor comes after the delivery of the baby when the mother delivers the placenta.
Birthing Options
There are several different options the mother should consider for the delivery. The first is where the delivery will take place. The options include hospital, home, and birthing center. The next option the mother has is who helps with the delivery. This can be anyone from a doctor, midwife, and doula. The options are purely for the mother-to-be to explore and decide.
Early labor happens when contractions are usually not painful. The cervix begins to thin out and dilate. Next comes active labor where contractions become longer, stronger, and more frequent. The cervix has dilated to 4 cm. This stage lasts on average 3 to 8 hours.
The transition begins when contractions come in rapid succession and last up to 90 seconds each. This stage lasts 15 minutes to 3 hours. It ends when cervix has dilated 10 cm.
Second stage of labor:
This is the stage when the mother has the urge to push. This is when the delivery of the baby occurs.
Third stage of labor:
This stage of labor comes after the delivery of the baby when the mother delivers the placenta.
Birthing Options
There are several different options the mother should consider for the delivery. The first is where the delivery will take place. The options include hospital, home, and birthing center. The next option the mother has is who helps with the delivery. This can be anyone from a doctor, midwife, and doula. The options are purely for the mother-to-be to explore and decide.
Parenting the newborn
The family should realize that their can be side-effects to the amount of hormones being released in the mother at this time. The mother may experience the "baby blues."This postpartum depression should be treated. Nonetheless, parenting should come natural to both the father and the mother. Certain hormones are released to promote nurturing behaviors in both. The culture effects how the parents choose to raise their child. The newborn has many different capabilities when it is born. The baby should be able to hear, see, taste, smell, and respond to touch. The baby will have different levels of consciousness that it uses to regulate the amount of stimulation the infant receives. The baby will sleep, be in a state of quiet alertness, or cry. There are some risks that the parents should be aware of: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), prematurity, and low birth weight. Prematurity is a birth that occurs before a gestational age of 37 weeks. Low birth weight is a full-term newborn weighing less than 5 pounds, 4 ounces. Becoming a new parent is both joyful and stressful. In spite of the stress, only 8% of the parents wish they could be free from the responsibility of being a parent, and over 75% of parents agree that children are "the main satisfaction" in their life.