During the entire period of pregnancy, the human embryo undergoes multiple changes and, as a result, from two fused cells of the parents in 9 months it becomes a full-fledged representative of humanity. Every day, every week, the fetal body increases in weight and height.
The science of embryology deals with the processes of formation and development of the fetus after conception and before birth. The obstetric gestational age begins counting from the last menstrual period of the parent. The embryonic period is counted from the moment of fertilization.
Ninth week for baby
During the ninth week, the weight of the fetus changes from 1 gram to 10 grams, the length is 30-45 mm. The back of the fetus straightens and the embryonic tail disappears. The unborn child becomes completely like a little person. At this stage, the head is pressed to the chest, the neck is bent, and the arms are also brought to the chest.
Brain development, which occurs quite intensively, is one of the main processes of this period. The cerebellum begins to function, the hemispheres acquire clear outlines. Since the cerebellum is responsible for coordinating movements, in the fetus they cease to be spontaneous and become clear and active, the fetus begins to feel the movement of its own body.
The heart rate at this stage is 120-150 beats per minute, two ventricles and two atria are formed in the heart. A circulatory system of vessels appears and blood begins to flow through them. While blood circulation in the upper part of the fetus is characterized by greater intensity than in the lower part. Therefore, the arms are more developed compared to the legs. The fingers lengthen, and the membranes between them slowly disappear. By the end of the ninth week, the formation of the eyes ends; they are tightly covered with eyelids. The closure of the facial bones occurs; on the head one can already distinguish the nose and nostrils, the auricles and lobes, and the upper lip. At this stage, the fetus becomes more and more human-like in appearance.
Intensive development of internal organs leads to rounding of the fetal abdomen. The digestive organs and liver develop, which is important because it is responsible for hematopoiesis (the formation of new blood cells). This is how “fruit” blood appears.
At this stage in the life of the fetus, such an important event occurs as the beginning of the synthesis of hormones, which include adrenaline. Intensive growth of the adrenal glands ensures this process. Also, the beginning of hormone synthesis is associated with a complication of the structure of the adrenal glands. All this helps the fetus comfortably adapt to various changes and extreme conditions. It is the presence of adrenaline in the body that allows it to withstand various stresses. The fetus gains the ability to withstand stress, since adrenaline regulates a special “survival” mode.
Ultrasound
At this time, the doctor will suggest you undergo an ultrasound procedure. Your meeting will take place! And let this be the photo dearest to your heart.
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Abortion and contraception clinic in St. Petersburg - department of the medical gynecological association "Diana"
Make an appointment, tests or ultrasound via the contact form or by calling +8 (812) 62-962-77. We work seven days a week from 09:00 to 21:00.
We are located in the Krasnogvardeisky district, next to the Novocherkasskaya, Ploshchad Alexander Nevsky and Ladozhskaya metro stations.
The cost of a medical abortion in our clinic is 3,300 rubles. The price includes all pills, an examination by a gynecologist and an ultrasound to determine the timing of pregnancy.
Tenth week for baby
This week is important and significant; it is from here that the fetal stage of development begins, and the unborn child is now officially called a fetus, not an embryo. All the internal organs have already been laid down, which in the future will only have to grow and develop. Experts rightly consider the tenth week to be the final week in the first critical period: from this time on, the likelihood of developing defects that may arise as a result of chemical factors of various natures is no longer so high.
At this time, the fetus is freely located in the uterine cavity, without practically touching its walls. The unborn baby undergoes intensive formation of the nervous system, the transmission of impulses through the neuromuscular pathways is improved. This process leads to intense movements. Such movements are reflexive, they are active and caused by contact with the walls of the uterus. The fetus already makes fairly clear movements with its legs, head and arms. The woman is not yet able to feel the movements of the fetus, but during an ultrasound examination they are clearly visible.
At this time, the diaphragm is finally formed - a flat muscle designed to separate the abdominal and thoracic cavities. Further development of internal organs occurs.
I am a warm wave of love
My baby!
You are making your first independent movements!
Your arms and legs have grown a little, and your feet and fingers have lengthened. Your head takes on its usual shape, your neck develops. I don’t know yet whether you are a boy or a girl, but I love you simply because you exist. The most important thing is that you develop into a healthy baby. And I surround you all with a feeling of happiness. It is important for me that you feel this feeling from the first moments of your life, even before birth. This makes my desire to give health and strength to every cell of yours even stronger.
I don’t feel your movements with my eyes, but a feeling of tenderness overwhelms me when I think and imagine that you, like a little fish, are waving your tiny arms and legs, like fins, in me, and I give you peace and happiness.
I think about you a little every day. I lower my hands to my stomach and breathe in and out slowly. Like an ocean, I slowly roll them back and forth, turning them into warm waves of love.
“The Miracle of a New Life” is a coloring book for expectant mothers from psychologist, best-selling author of books for mothers Tatyana Aptulaeva and illustrator Alena Ustinova.
Tenth week for the expectant mother
The woman feels increased anxiety and remains emotionally unstable. All this is a consequence of ongoing hormonal changes. The only thing you should understand is that balance will soon be restored, and therefore a stable good mood will return.
With the manifestations of toxicosis, the situation changes. Nausea begins to bother you less and less, and vomiting, as a rule, stops altogether. Nausea mostly occurs only in the morning. If toxicosis goes away completely, increased appetite may occur. At this time, it is important to monitor your diet and prevent sudden weight gain. It is necessary to avoid overeating and consuming high-calorie foods. For a woman in this position, this is harmful and can cause shortness of breath, swelling, and deterioration in well-being. Excess weight is the reason for increased load on all systems of the body, which already spends a lot of energy on the development of the fetus.
Women in the tenth week may notice a change in their abdomen. The cause may be overeating, as well as redistribution of subcutaneous fat and muscle relaxation due to the influence of the pregnancy hormone progesterone.
The uterus enlarges during this period, but not enough to affect the shape of the abdomen; it reaches the size of a large apple or grapefruit. Accordingly, pregnancy is still completely invisible to others.
Weight
Weight gain continues, but only slightly - up to 700 grams. Consultation with a doctor is necessary if:
- you have gained more than 1.5 kilograms - you need to make adjustments to your diet;
- If you have gained less than 300 grams and have severe toxicosis, you need medical supervision.
In the second case, even hospitalization and restoration of electrolyte balance are possible.
At each appointment, your pregnancy doctor should weigh you and monitor your weight. The countdown starts from the day of the first intake.
Source: GettyImages
Eleventh week for baby
The fetus continues to grow rapidly in the eleventh week. Externally, it looks like this: a fairly large head, small legs pressed to the tummy, a small torso and well-developed long arms. This uneven development is due to the fact that throughout the entire previous period it was the upper part of the body, in which vital organs such as the heart and brain are located, that received the bulk of nutrients and oxygen.
The fetus continues to form joints and bones and grow muscles. Not only large joints develop, but also small ones. The rudiments of teeth form in the jaws, and nails form on the fingers.
The movements of the unborn child become more and more purposeful. Loud sounds and sudden movements begin to provoke a response from him. Grasping and sucking reflexes develop - this can be seen by the movement of the fingers and lips. The formation of olfactory and taste receptors begins. If amniotic fluid enters the nose or mouth, the fetus is able to taste it.
At this stage, the formation of the iris of the eyes also occurs, which after birth will determine their color. In most cases, newborns have blue or blue eyes; brown ones are quite rare. The final color of the iris is formed by five months. It depends on the accumulated melanin pigment located in the iris. Genetic inheritance determines the amount of this pigment.
Fear of pregnancy
The doubts that arise when learning about pregnancy are similar. Often they are associated with a number of obstacles that prevent you from freely and joyfully accepting a child into your life. How can you help overcome these difficulties?
- Try to leave thoughts like: “But if there was no child, then this would be the case, and I (or we) could do this and that...” This is all conditional mood. But in reality, YOU ALREADY HAVE A CHILD. And there are still 9 months to calm down, accept this fact, prepare for the birth of the Baby and provide him with a favorable start in life.
- Analyze and honestly answer yourself, without hiding behind general words, what exactly scares you about the fact of having a child. The most common reasons for a child’s “unwantedness” are financial difficulties, difficult relationships with the child’s father and his reluctance to accept the fact of paternity, early pregnancy and an unsettled life, career plans that the child does not fit into, unwillingness to bear responsibility, and fear of losing independence. As a rule, future parents are well aware of what they are losing with the birth of a child, and have no idea what they are gaining.
- Try to imagine how your child feels, because despite the fact that he is still very tiny, he is able to react to impulses coming from you and even imprint them. And it’s better if his first impression of this world is “they’re waiting for me, I’m welcome,” and not “the dearest people don’t need me.”
- Forgive yourself all your doubts and... wait until the 18-20th week of pregnancy - this is the period when many expectant mothers change their attitude towards what is happening.
- There is an opinion that Baby will always understand his future mother and help her - he is always at one with his mother. Thus, the famous Canadian psychologist and philosopher Liz Burbo advises talking to your Baby, explaining to him what is happening to you, imagining how he listens, what he might think and what he would answer to his mother. Don’t worry about the fact that your baby still feels, understands, and worries differently than adults. Remember that only you can convey joy, sadness, anxiety to him now, you can calm him down and even (!) cheer him up.
Eleventh week for the expectant mother
At this time, in most cases, vomiting and nausea, as well as intolerance to certain odors, disappear. Thus, a woman gets the opportunity to form a complete diet and begin to eat varied, giving preference to various healthy foods. It is advisable to eat freshly prepared food. If you follow a certain diet, you can avoid any problems during this period, the main one of which is digestive problems. The relaxing hormone progesterone causes the intestinal muscles to become lazy, leading to bloating and constipation. If even strict adherence to the diet does not help to cope with the problems, you need to contact a specialist who can prescribe safe medications.
As the fetus grows, blood volume also increases. A woman may experience increased sweating as a result of such changes. Increased kidney function leads to more frequent urination. If there is no discomfort or pain with increased urination, there is no reason to worry. Otherwise, you will also need to visit a specialist. Discomfort and pain can be symptoms of bladder inflammation, i.e. cystitis syndromes.
At eleven weeks, the first prenatal screening is carried out, which is aimed at identifying developmental defects. An ultrasound and biochemical examination is performed. The first screening is aimed not only at identifying developmental defects. This examination allows you to find out the condition of the chorion, the growth and degree of development of the fetus, the exact duration of pregnancy and other details.
Very important to know
Your term is still too short for fetal movements to be noticeable. But slightly unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen or lower back may make themselves felt. If the pain is moderate and situational, you should not worry, but if it becomes more intense and frequent, then you need to consult a doctor and do an ultrasound. Also monitor the nature of your vaginal discharge. If they are abundant, have color and smell, there is discomfort or itching, this is a reason to contact an antenatal clinic. In addition, changes in hormonal levels can cause problems with bowel movements or urination and even cause a rise in temperature.
In addition to physical changes, psychological changes await you. So, a pregnant woman is overcome by doubts about whether she will be a good mother. To say goodbye to all doubts, expand your ideas about motherhood by reading specialized literature and watching educational videos. And if the future dad keeps you company, it will be doubly pleasant and useful.
Twelfth week for baby
The twelfth week ends the first trimester of pregnancy. By the end of this period, the length of the fetus is 90 mm, and its weight is approximately 20 g. At this time, many significant events occur in the life of the fetus.
He has an intensive development of the brain, the formation of connections between the spinal cord and the cerebral hemispheres. When you look at the structure of the brain, it resembles a smaller version of the adult brain. Throughout the first months, there were only red blood cells in the fetal blood, but in the twelfth week leukocytes, which are protectors of the body and belong to the immune system, are added to them.
The digestive tract also develops. The liver, which at this stage is the most developed organ and occupies most of the abdominal cavity, begins to produce bile, and not only provide hematopoiesis, as it was before. It is from the twelfth week that the intestines actively grow and begin to fit into loops, which can later be seen in an adult. The first peristaltic movements occur, i.e. contraction of the intestinal muscles, which should in the future ensure the movement of food through it. The fetus, starting this week, swallows amniotic fluid, and it passes through the intestines. This happens before birth. Peristaltic waves are a workout for the intestinal muscles.
In addition, the fetus undergoes rhythmic muscle movements, which are also training and imitate breathing. The glottis is tightly closed, so amniotic fluid is not able to penetrate the respiratory organs.
The fetus's kidneys begin to function, urine collects in them in small portions and exits through the urethra, ending up in the amniotic fluid.
At the twelfth week, the formation of the placenta is completed, and it becomes capable of functioning independently. The placenta is the most important organ for the fetus; through it, not only does the exchange of nutrients occur between the woman and the fetus. The placenta is an effective protector against internal and external toxins.
Nutrition
The baby now increasingly needs fluid and nutrients, which he draws from your body. Therefore, the skin of the expectant mother becomes drier and more sensitive. Drink more fluids or lean on foods that contain a lot of water - seasonal watermelon, melon, cucumbers.
If you have toxicosis, then there may be problems with nutrition. If the smell or sight of a food makes you sick, eliminate it from your diet for now. Let the food be simple, single-ingredient and nutritious, for example buckwheat, rice milk porridge, steamed cutlets, cottage cheese, any fresh or steamed vegetables and fruits. Soon the period of toxicosis will end and you will return to your usual menu.
Twelfth week for the expectant mother
Twelve weeks is rightly considered the best period in pregnancy. The woman’s well-being returns to normal due to the transfer of control of the process from the corpus luteum, which produced progesterone, which is the culprit of many troubles, to the placenta. All manifestations of toxicosis disappear, women become relaxed and calm.
At this stage, the uterus has already grown sufficiently and has reached the edge of the pubis, but this is not capable of affecting the shape of the abdomen.
As a rule, the first trimester is not accompanied by weight gain. If toxicosis manifests itself to a significant extent, even weight loss is possible. If a woman's appetite has not changed as a result of pregnancy, she should gain no more than 10% of her total weight during the entire pregnancy. This increase is usually 1-2 kg.
From the twelfth week, if the woman is doing well and there are no contraindications, it is recommended to start playing sports. At earlier stages they are not dangerous, but most often experts recommend that women take care of themselves after the completion of the first trimester.
For an expectant mother, dancing, yoga, swimming, fitness, and any other type of activity that was designed specifically for pregnant women are perfect. Before starting training, you should definitely consult a doctor. If you choose the right loads, classes will have a positive impact on the course of not only pregnancy, but also childbirth. Also, sports at this stage will contribute to a faster recovery after childbirth.
Good to know
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All texts for pages about mother and baby were kindly provided by RAMA Publishing - these are chapters from the book by Svetlana Klaas “Your Favorite Little Man from Conception to Birth”, reviewer Irina Nikolaevna Kononova, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Ural State Medical Academy (Ekaterinburg).
