Pregnancy Facts

Pregnancy begins when a woman’s ovum (egg cell) is fertilized by a man’s sperm cell. Usually this happens after sexual intercourse, but it can begin in a laboratory.
When a woman becomes pregnant her monthly menstrual periods stop. Tests on her urine show whether she is pregnant.
During pregnancy, the fertilized egg divides again and again to grow rapidly — first to an embryo (the first eight weeks), and then to a fetus (from eight weeks until birth).
Unlike an embryo, a fetus has grown legs and arms, as well as internal organs such as a heart.
Pregnancy lasts nine months, and the time is divided into three trimesters (periods of about 12 weeks).
The fetus lies cushioned in its mother’s uterus (womb) in a bag of fluid called the amniotic sac.
The mother’s blood passes food and oxygen to the fetus via the placenta, also known as the afterbirth.
The umbilical cord runs between the fetus and the placenta, carrying blood between them.
During pregnancy a woman gains 30% more blood, and her heart rate goes up.
During pregnancy a woman’s breasts grow and develop milk glands to produce milk for feeding the baby.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.