Conception, Pregnancy and Delivery

1. Conception, Pregnancy and Delivery

2. Conception • Three things must occur for conception to happen: • 1. An egg is released from the woman’s ovaries partway through her menstrual cycle. • 2. The egg is fertilized by a male sperm. • 3. The fertilized egg implants itself into the lining of the female’s uterus where it will grow.

3. First Trimester • During the first trimester the fertilized egg is known as an embryo. • The embryo develops in the uterus and it is surrounded by amniotic fluid that supports the fetus and allows movement. • Most women do not gain much weight during this time, however it is common to experience morning sickness.

4. Second Trimester • The second trimester last from the 4th to the 6th month. • The baby is now referred to as a fetus. • This is the first time the mother can feel the baby move. • Morning sickness goes away but other discomforts now include backaches, heartburn, and leg cramps. • Gender can be determined.

5. Third Trimester • These are the last three months of pregnancy • The fetus is fully developed at this stage and is simply gaining weight. • The fetus can hear sounds and has a noticeable routine of sleep and activity. • The fetus moves to a head down position in preparation for the birth.

6. Key Pregnancy Terms • Uterus – Where the embryo and fetus develop. • Placenta- Tissue that connects the umbilical cord of an embryo/fetus to the uterine wall. • Umbilical Cord – Cord that attaches the embryo to the placenta. • Amniocentesis – A technique that enables doctors to check for fetal abnormalities that might case birth defects. • Ultrasound – High frequency sound waves that are bounced off the developing fetus to produce a video image. Way to determine sex.

7. Labour • A woman in labour experiences contractions, a tightening and relaxing of the muscles of the uterus. • This helps dilate the cervix and push the baby from the uterus through the vagina. • Labour consists of three stages; Early, Active and Transitional.

8. Labour Cont’d • Early Labour – Contractions are mild, come every 20 to 30 minutes and last 30 seconds. The women prepares to go to the hospital but doesn’t leave until the contractions are 1 minute and occur every 5 minutes or less. This stage can last 6 hours. • Active Labour – Contractions become stronger and longer and many women opt for pain medication. This stage can last 8 hours. • Transitional Labour – This is the last stage before delivery and is where the cervix dilates to 10cm. It lasts about 90 minutes

9. Delivery • During delivery contractions come every minute are last for as long. • The woman needs to breath deeply and her coach is very important in this stage. • Once the shoulders are out the rest comes easy. • This can take 5-60 minutes.

10. Labour and Delivery Image

11. Afterbirth • Shortly after the baby is born, the woman’s body has mild contractions to expel the placenta and other membranes through the birth canal. • A nurse massages the abdomen to assist the process which takes 10-30 minutes.

12. Recovery • If an episiotomy (small incision of vagina to prevent tearing) was performed it is stitched back together. • The baby is checked for any medical complications. • The baby is then reunited with the parents to allow for bonding to occur.