Keeping the WOMAN in the picture!
The first 6 months of
pregnancy: At about 4 weeks the fetus's heart has
developed, and by 8
weeks the fetus has begun to develop nearly all its
body organs. After week
12 the mother's breasts enlarge and the abdomen
swells as the fetus
continues to grow.
The latter months of
pregnancy: At about 28 weeks the fetus usually settles in
the uterus with the
head pointing downward. During the next several weeks
the uterus continues
to enlarge, until about 2 weeks before delivery when it
``lightens.''
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The uterus expands
steadily during pregnancy, reaching its greatest size at about week 36.
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The birth process,
called labor, results from muscle action forcing the baby out of the uterus.
At the beginning of labor, (1) the head of the baby points toward the opening
of the uterus. As the muscles contract, the head turns and (2) passes through
the vagina. The baby is born (3) when its head comes out of the vagina.
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Copyright © 1998 World Book, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
From The World Book Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center
Medical Encyclopedia.
This material may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form
without prior
written permission of World Book, Inc.
Source
of this information
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