shell

• Reproductive process


  • Sexual intercourse
  • Conception (fertilization)
  • Implantation
  • Pregnancy
• Conception (fertilization)


  1. Millions of sperm ejaculated into vagina

  2. Sperm make way into cervix, through uterus and into fallopian tubes

  3. Sperm reaches egg and enzyme (hyaluronidase) in sperm head helps it to penetrate "burrow" into ovum

  4. Sperm nucleus fuses with ova nucleus to create a full set chromosomal DNA
• Implantation


  1. The attachment of the fertilized egg to the uterus

  2. The egg is now known as a blastocyst

  3. Blastocyst attaches to one of the walls in the upper 1/3 of the uterus

  4. Blastocyst hatches out of its shell and burrow into the endometrium
• Pregnancy/gestation


  • Period from conception to birth
  • Gestational period in humans = 39-40 weeks
  • Starts first day of last period
• Terms to remember


  • Embryo (1-8 weeks)
  • Fetus (9-40 weeks)
  • Newborn (at birth)
• Placenta


  • Thick, blood rich tissue that lines uterine walls during pregnancy
  • Provides nourishment and oxygen to the growing baby and removes waste products from baby's blood via the umbilical cord
• Amniotic fluid


  • Watery, yellowish fluid that surrounds the growing fetus during its time in the womb
  • Helps to cushion the baby from outside force such as trauma, acting as shock absorber
  • Insulates the baby, keeping it warm & maintaining a regular temperature
• Umbilical cord


  • Hollow rope-like tube that connects the embryo to the mother's placenta
  • Contains two arteries, which carry blood waste from the baby to the placenta, and one vein, which carries blood rich in oxygen, nutrients & hormones back to the baby
• Amniocentesis


  A medical procedure used for prenatal diagnosis, in which a small amount of amniotic fluid is extracted from the amniotic fluid around a developing foetus
• Ultrasound/sonogram


  • Use of sound waves to take a moving picture of a fetus in the uterus
  • Allows to monitor baby's growth, determine sex, and listen to heart beat
• Embryonic Growth


  1. As embryo grows, it continues to divide forming 3 layers that eventually become body systems

  2. 1st layer: respiratory & digestive

  3. 2nd layer: muscles, bones, blood vessels

  4. 3rd layer: nervous system, sense organs, and skin
• Pregnancy symptoms/complaints


  • Missed period (amenorrhea)
  • Morning sickness (nausea/vomiting)
  • Fatigue or weakness
  • Breast changes (fullness, pain)
  • Urinary symptoms (increased frequency, feeling of pressure, etc.)
  • Constipation
  • Enlarging abdomen
• Signs of pregnancy (elicited during physical examination)


  • Uterine enlargement
  • Presence of fetal heart sounds
  • Presence of fetal movements (quickening)
• Pregnancy tests


  • Measure levels of circulating beta human chorionic gonadotrophins (hCG) in woman's urine or blood
  • Urine tests are qualitative and can detect pregnancy from 5-6 weeks after last normal menstrual period
  • Blood tests are quantitative and can detect pregnancy from 6-8 days after ovulation
• Prenatal care/Antenatal care


  Checkups from a doctor, nurse, or midwife throughout your pregnancy to keep you and your future baby healthy
• Goals of ANC


  • Provision of information and advice on lifestyle
  • Early detection and treatment of problems and complications
  • Prevention of complications and disease
• Proper Nutrition


  Increased amounts of Calcium, Protein, Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Folic Acid/Folate
• Fetal development


  1. First Trimester (1-3 months/1-13 weeks)

  2. Second Trimester (4-6 months/14-27 weeks)

  3. Third Trimester (7-9 months/28-40 weeks)
• Stages of Labor


  Dilation/contraction stage (from onset of labor until cervix is fully dilated at 10 cm)
• 28 weeks


  • Hear conversations, regular cycle of waking & sleeping, weight increases rapidly
• Quickening


  When your baby is moving around
• May survive outside the womb after 24 weeks with special medical care
• Third Trimester


  28-40(birth)/7-9 months
• Fetus


  Gains most of its weight during this trimester and is able to grasp objects as well as open and close its eyes
• 29 to 40 weeks


  • Fetus able to use all 5 senses and water able to pass through bladder. Brain scans have shown that some fetuses dream
• Approximately 266 days after conception, weighing 2.5kg-4.25kg birth
• Fat


  • Starts to form under baby's skin to help fill out wrinkles and gaining over half the weight
• Mother


  • A yellowish fluid will start leaking from your breasts. That is colostrum, and it happens to get your breasts ready for making milk. These are full immune cells, antibodies, and proteins
• Full "term" delivery any time after 39/40 weeks
• Stages of Labor


  1. Dilation/contraction stage

  2. Expulsion/delivery stage

  3. Placental/afterbirth stage
• Dilation/contraction stage


  From the onset of labor until cervix is fully dilated (10 cm). The uterine smooth muscle begins to contract. Contractions move the fetus down the uterus and cause the cervix to dilate
• Expulsion/delivery stage


  From fully dilated to when baby is actually delivered. Natural – vaginal delivery, which is most common is when the baby is delivered through the vagina. Cesarean – baby surgically removed via incision into abdomen. Episiotomy - An incision made in perineum (tissue betwn the vaginal opening and the anus) during child birth, only recommended in certain cases
• Placental/afterbirth stage


  The last stage of labor. Also known as afterbirth. Placenta is still attached to the umbilical cord. Contractions continue until placenta (now called afterbirth) is pushed out. Dad or Dr. cuts the umbilical cord to separate baby from placenta
• Induced labor/labor induction


  A procedure in which your doctor or midwife uses methods to help you go into labor, if you're 2 weeks or more past your due date or if your amniotic sac (water) breaks, but you haven't started getting contractions. Ways to induce labor: Two type of drugs to induce labor, drugs involved are (Prostaglandins & Pitocin). Membrane stripping and breaking your water
• Breech birth


  The position of the baby in the uterus such that it will be delivered buttocks first as opposed to the normal head first position
• Caesarean Birth


  A caesarean section or c-section, is a form of childbirth in which a surgical incision is made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies. It is usually performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby or mothers life at risk, although in the last decade it has been performed upon request
• Vernix


  The waxy or "cheesy" white substance found coating the skin of newborn humans. Vernix is composed of sebum (the oil of the skin) and cells that have sloughed off the fetus' skin
• Fontanelle


  Soft spots on a baby's head which, during birth, enable the soft bony plates of the skull to flex, allowing the head to pass through the birth canal. Fontanelles are usually completely hardened by a child's second birthday, and will eventually form the sutures of the neurocranium
• Morning sickness


  • Typically at its worst early in the day, but can strike at any point during the day or night. Particularly experienced in the 1st trimester. Generally harmless, but uncomfortable and goes away after 12 weeks. Severe morning sickness: hyperemesis gravidarum (excessive vomiting during pregnancy). Symptoms: Nausea & vomiting, Loss of appetite, Psychological effects, such as depression and anxiety. Management: Don't eat anything that you suspect will make you nauseous, Eat small meals regularly, as an empty stomach tends to trigger nausea, Drink as much as you can manage
• Ectopic pregnancy


  Fertilized egg implants somewhere other than in the uterus, usually in fallopian tube. Baby can not survive. Untreated, fallopian tube rupture and cause life-threatening bleeding. Risk factors: infection or structural issues in fallopian tubes. Symptoms: Starts out normally (missed period, breast tenderness, nausea), Abd/pelvic pain and light bleeding may occur. Treatment: Injection to stop growth and dissolve cells, Surgery to remove