Stages of Life

Pregnancy and BirthGrowing and Changing

Pregnancy and Birth

When the sperm from a man and the ovum from a woman join together, genes from the mother and the father combine.

This process is called fertilization

A New Beginning

The genes carried by the ovum and sperm combine to form a complete set of human genes. These genes will guide the development of the new human.

This ball of cells enters the uterus and attaches to the uterine wall. This attachment of the developing cells to the uterus is called implantation.

Pregnancy is the time when a fertilized egg grows and develops into a baby in the woman’s uterus.

From the time that the ovum and the sperm unite until the end of the eighth week, the developing human is called an embryo

From the eighth week until birth, the developing human is called a fetus.

Changes in the mother’s body

As soon as implantation happens, the cells of the mother’s uterus release a special hormone.

Because this hormone is only released during pregnancy, doctors test for this hormone to determine whether a woman is pregnant.

Some of the hormones produced by a pregnant woman’s body may make her feel nauseated.

This response is called “morning sickness” and usually lasts for about 3 months.

The same hormones make the woman’s breasts enlarge and prepare to produce milk.

Nourishing the fetus

Almost everything that goes into the mother’s body enters her bloodstream and goes to the placenta.

The placenta is an organ that grows in the woman’s uterus during pregnancy and allows nutrients, gases, and wastes to be exchanged between mother and the fetus.

During pregnancy, the fetus gets its only nutrition from the food its mother eats. To ensure the health of the fetus, the mother needs to eat healthy foods and take special vitamins.

A mother can hurt her fetus’s health by taking drugs, drinking alcohol, or smoking.

The First Trimester

A human pregnancy normally last 38 weeks, or about 9 months. Doctors divide that nine months into three 3-month periods called trimesters

The first trimester is the first 3 months, or 12 weeks, of a pregnancy.

At the beginning of this trimester, the fertilized ovum is only one cell and stays in the mother’s fallopian tube for about 3 days.

By the end of that 3 days, that one cells has grown to about 12 cells. The embryo then enters the uterus.

By the end of the 4th week:• The heart has formed and has begun to beat.

• The embryo has the beginning of a brain.

• The spinal cord, arms, legs begin to grow.

• The embryo is 10,000 times larger

By the sixth week:• The embryo’s head is very large in comparison with the rest of its body.

• Brain waves can be detected.By the eighth week:• All of the major organs of the embryo’s body have begun to form.

At the beginning of the ninth week, the embryo is called a fetus.

The second Trimester

The second trimester is the fourth through the sixth month. Or 13th through the 27th week, of pregnancy.

During the second trimester:• At the start, the fetus is almost 3 inches long, by the end, the fetus will be about 3 times that in length.

• A mother begins to feel movement.• A doctor can tell whether the fetus is a boy or a girl.

• The fingers and toes grow nails.

The Third Trimester

The third trimester is the last 3 months, or 12 weeks, of pregnancy.

During this trimester:• The fetus develops more muscle and moves more.

• Fat is deposited under the fetus’s skin• Eyes open and its chest begins to “practice” breathing motions.

• Can hear voices and may even recognize them.

By the end, the organs have completely functioning and the baby is prepared to live outside of the mother’s uterus.

Birth

The passage of a baby from the mother’s uterus to outside her body is called birth.

During birth, the uterus contracts many times and pushes the baby through the vagina and outside the mother’s body.

Labor is the process that lasts from the time contractions start until the delivery of the child and the placenta.

There are three distinct stages of labor.

The first stage:• Begins with the first contraction and last until the cervix has opened enough to allow the baby’s head to pass through

• Contractions happen every few minutes and last about a minute.

The second stage:• The cervix is completely open and lasts until the baby is delivered.

• During this stage, contractions happen every 2 or 3 minutes.

After the baby is born, the doctor cuts the umbilical cord. Healthy babies breathe and cry almost immediately.

The third and final stage of labor is when the placenta is delivered.

At this time, the birth is complete.

Growing and Changing

After birth, humans go through several stages of development. These stages are infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

As we go through these stages, we grow and change.

Childhood DevelopmentThe stage of development between birth and age 1 is called infancy.

During infancy:• The baby grows quickly• They can sit up, crawl, and pull up to a standing position

By the end of the first year, many babies can walk and say a few words.

Childhood

Childhood is the stage of development between infancy and adolescence.

Childhood is divided into three stages.The first stage, early childhood begins at age 1 and lasts until age 3

In this stage:• They learn to say several words• Improve almost all of their physical skills

After age 3, middle age childhood, This stage lasts until about age 6.

In this stage:• Begin to ask many questions• Learn to read• Make friends• Play with other children

Late childhood lasts about from age 6 until about age 11.

During these years:• They become more coordinated• They begin to explore skills and interests

By the end of late childhood, children have many of the skills they will need during adolescence.

Adolescence

The time in a person’s life when they mature from a child to an adult is called adolescence.

Adolescence begins with puberty and lasts until the person is physically mature.

Puberty is the stage of development when the reproductive organs mature and the person becomes able to reproduce.

Adulthood

Adulthood is the stage of life that follows adolescence and lasts until the end of life.

During adulthood:• Begin to establish careers• May get married and have children• Responsible for own health and safety

• Pay for own bills, and provide food, shelter, and clothing

Aging

Growing older, or aging is natural part of adulthood. Even during adulthood, people’s bodies continue to change.

As they age, many adults find new ways to be fulfilled. Many older adults retire and begin to spend more time with their families and friends.

Death

Life expectancy is how long people are expected to live.

Everyone eventually dies, death is the end of life.

At death, all of the body functions that are necessary for life stop.

Death has many causes

Grief

Dealing with death is always difficult, when someone you love dies, you will probably feel grief.

Grief is a deep sadness about a loss.

Many people go through five stages when dealing with the death of someone they love:

1. Denial- the person refuses to accept that the loved one is dead

2. Anger- the person is angry that his or her loved one has been taken away

3. Bargaining- the person wishes that he or she could find a way to get the loved one back

4. Despair- the person is sad that the loved one is gone

5. Acceptance- the person accepts that the loved one is gone and begins to move on with his or her life.