Baby Development Facts – Conception and Implantation

Conception and Implantation - Week 3 (Days 1-7)*

Conception happens approximately about two weeks after the first day of a woman’s menstrual period. The instant a single male sperm and a female egg unite incredible life processes immediately begin to take place. At the moment conception occurs, equal amounts of chromosomes from both the woman and man unite together into once cell and immediately begin determining the sex of the baby, the eye and hair color, and many other things. 

http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/312628/enlarge

This is an image of a sperm reaching an egg

In less than a week after conception, the resulting tiny cell will travel down from the fallopian tube and snugly implant into the lining of the woman’s uterus so that it may be able to receive nourishment.  Safely there, it will continue to divide into a larger group of cells which will rapidly begin to form all the parts of a baby.  As the cells are dividing, they actually begin to take on distinct functions that make up a human body.

Related Posts:  Baby Development Facts – Defining the Weeksof Pregnancy

*Gestation “Week 3” is counting from the first day of the woman’s last period.  “Days 1-7” count from the actual moment of conception.  For more information about this, see Baby Development Facts – Defining the Weeks of Pregnancy.

Baby Development Facts – Defining the Weeks of Pregnancy

Defining the Weeks of Pregnancy

Before I begin describing some of the stages of development, I find it really important to explain what it actually means when a woman is told “You are ___ weeks along in your pregnancy”.    

When I was expecting my babies, this was always very confusing to me:  If a human pregnancy is supposed to last for 9 months, why is a full term pregnancy stated as 40 weeks?  Isn’t 9 months equal to 38 weeks?  The doctor would tell me I was certain amount of weeks along, but I knew that I had not conceived that far back because I kept very detailed records of my cycles and was pretty certain of when I had actually conceived.  Back then, no one took the time to explain this to me.  That is why I’m taking the time to explain it here.

My Story - A Bloom for Grace

This morning, as I prayed and journaled, I realized the date…

Some of my journaling and conversations with God this morning were of the sorrowful, disheartened kind.  I long to do more to reach out to and help others, while at the same time I’m feeling so ineffective with whatever reaching out I attempt to do.  I am filled with incredible joy when I can help someone else with what I have experienced and learned in my life.  Yet, I’m not sure of how much help I’m being and have been feeling disheartened about that, wondering if my efforts are being directed in the right/wrong way. 

As I pondered those things this morning, I realized that in four days, it will have been 27 years since I aborted Grace.  Here comes another dreaded anniversary of a day I wish I could completely undo from my past. 

Abby Johnson's Story

In 2009, Abby Johnson was the director of a thriving Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas.  By that time, she had been named Employee of the Year and invested 8 years of her life and career working for Planned Parenthood.  Her sincere desire was to help women who found themselves in need and in crisis.  In 2009, by God-incidence, Abby was asked to help an abortionist with an ultrasound assisted abortion.  For the first time, Abby observed with her eyes exactly what happens during an abortion procedure.  That moment became a tipping point for Abby.  In those brief moments, Abby faced her own crisis with her past and her present.