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Last Menstrual Period (LMP) through Week 2

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Last Menstrual Period (LMP) through Week 2

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The sperm and egg meet. Each carries a copy of either the mother or father’s genetic code (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015, p. 47). The exact timing of fertilization cannot be determined which is why the first two weeks from the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period (LMP) she will be considered two weeks pregnant. Timing of ovulation, fertilization and implantation vary (National Library of Medicine [NLM], 2021).

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By around the fourth to fifth week, a pregnancy can be detected qualitatively and quantitatively by the hormones circulating in the blood and/or urine. Most women do not feel pregnant yet but realize they may be when they have missed a period.

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By the 5th week the ball of cells is now called an embryo. The first organ that is visible is the heart. All the structures are present to form a fetus (NLM, 2021; Tsiaras). The cells are beginning to differentiate into their different structures and functions. The first trimester is when the baby is most susceptible to harmful substances causing congenital defects, infections, and other problems which can all have lifelong effects. The first trimester is when most miscarriages occur (NLM, 2021).

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At the end of the 10th week the baby is no longer considered an embryo. It is now called a fetus. By now, the heart has been beating for a while now, all of the organs have just about formed, the alimentary canal extends from one end to the other, the brain has differentiated into five parts, hands and legs are forming, eyes and ear canals are present, and lungs are beginning to produce surfactant which is needed for lung maturity at birth so the baby can breathe air on its own (NLM, 2021).

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The end of the first trimester marks a significant decrease in the risk for miscarriage (NLM, 2021).
The sucking reflex is now present and the bones are becoming harder (NLM, 2021).

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By twenty two weeks the mother can feel the baby moving and the heart beat is now audible with a stethoscope (NLM, 2021).

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The third trimester the fetus is still growing rapidly, but doesn’t get too much longer. Most of the third trimester is spent building up fat stores. The fetus also begins to breathe consistently and the circulatory system is intact (NLM, 2021).

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In the womb, the baby’s airways and lungs are full of fluid. Upon entering the world, the rigorous strong cry is a good sign. The cry allows for air to enter the airways and the alveolar sacs to allow for air exchange. Surfactant is an important factor in lung maturity and the baby’s ability to breathe on it’s own. It is also known that babies experience pain in the womb. Moving from the womb into the cold, bright, new environment, a baby has been practicing for this for 9 months in the womb.

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Broderick, P. C., & Blewitt, P. (2015). The life span: Human development for helping professionals. (Pearson education ed.). (4th ed.).

MedlinePlus [Internet] Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). [Updated 2021, August 5]. Fetal Medicine:  Learn how your baby is conceived and how your baby develops in the womb. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002398.htm

Tsiaras, A. [Conception to birth-Visualized] [online class video] CNS504: Human development. Retrieved from https://blackboard.gmercyu.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_1162184_1&content_id=_1866661_1