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Conception is the very first step in the long journey that is childbirth. Broderick & Blewitt (2015) explain: "During fertilization, the tiny sperm penetrates the outer membrane of the ovum and makes the long journey through the ovum's cytoplasm to finally penetrate the nucleus, where the sperm's outer structure disintegrates" (p. 41). This process develops a zygote, which then goes through the cell division process of mitosis, "and before long there is a cluster of identical cells, each containing a duplicate set of the original 46 chromosomes" (p. 42). As the cluster of cells continues to grow, it will eventually work its way downward to the woman's uterus, and attempt to implant itself into the uterine lining. Once this process is successful, it is now called an embryo (p. 43).

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The embryo rapidly grows into a fetus during the first trimester. The fetus is able to grow successfully through the placenta which provides oxygen and nutrients, while also filtering out waste (Pevzner, 2021, para. 5).  Additionally, the amniotic sac is also important as the fetus continues to swallow the fluid within the amniotic sac (para. 7). Stanford Children's Health considers the first trimester to be when "the fetus is most susceptible to damage from substances, like alcohol, drugs, certain medicines, and illnesses, like rubella" (2021, para. 19).

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The second trimester is important in the fetus' brain development, as this is when "The neurons and synapses (where your brain cells meet) are forming and making a system of complex connections through the areas of the brain" (Pevzner, 2021, para. 3). Along with brain development, lung development is also occurring where the fetus is gaining the muscle strength and ability to breathe by taking breaths of the amniotic fluid (para. 5). Broderick & Blewitt explain: "By the end of the second and beginning of the third trimesters, your sense organs had developed sufficiently to respond to perceptual stimulation from outside your mother's womb" (2015, p. 62). The development of these senses includes stimulation from light, auditory stimulations such as the mother's voice,

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By the end of the third trimester, the fetus has officially fully formed organs that are able to function properly when they are born. Despite being toward the end of the gestation period, during the third trimester is when lungs and brain continue to develop, along with the fetus moving into position for birth. Pevzner (2021) emphasizes the importance of this time in explaining, "the majority of the antibodies you pass to them during pregnancy transfer during the last few weeks" (para. 5). Stimulation during this time is important for proper development of the sensory systems before birth occurs. Broderick & Blewitt (2015) share "Too much stimulation or too little can cause disturbances in the sensory systems at birth" (p. 62).

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Birth is the beginning of an individual's life outside of the womb, and when the mother can finally hold her child in her arms. After the baby has arrived into our world, doctor's will run tests to ensure the health of the newborn. Two common tests are a hearing test, and a PKU test which Pevzner explains "tests for up to roughly 50 different illnesses, including phenylketunuria (PKU), galactosemia, and congenital hypothyroidism (2021, para. 9). While prenatal development is an important factor in the lifespan, postnatal development is equally as important. Broderick & Blewitt (2015) dive into further explanation of this in stating: "Some areas of your developing brain experienced periods of synaptic growth after birth, such as in the visual and auditory cortices, which increased dramatically between 3 and 4 months" (p. 63). Regardless of the size of the baby once they are born, they now begin the long postnatal journey of growing and developing both mentally and physically across the lifespan.