Hello there! I am so excited to be her with some exciting info.
Have you ever wondered how the egg that becomes your baby passes through a series of developmental processes before finally transforming into that beautiful baby? Today we begin a 3-week series on Fetal Development.
Fetal development is an orderly and intricate process. It begins before you even know you’re pregnant and ends with the birth of your baby. There are three basic stages of fetal development namely:
- Germinal Stage
- Embryonic Stage
- Fetal Stage
Today, we examine the Germinal Stage of Fetal Development.
The germinal stage is the shortest stage of fetal development. It begins at conception when a sperm and egg combine in your fallopian tube. The sperm fertilizes the egg and creates a zygote. The zygote begins its journey down to your uterus for about one week. The zygote divides many times during this journey, eventually creating two separate structures. One structure eventually becomes the embryo (and later, the fetus), and the other becomes the placenta. Cell division continues at a rapid pace. Ultimately, the zygote turns into a blastocyst. I know you want to ask me to define a blastocyst. Well, a blastocyst is a ball of cells that forms early in a pregnancy, about five to six days after a sperm fertilizes an egg.
So, the blastocyst arrives at your uterus and implants into your uterine lining. If implantation is successful, your body immediately begins producing hormones to support a pregnancy. This process also stops your menstrual period. Yea, now you know what happens when your period suddenly stops. Okay, that’s it on the Germinal Stage of Fetal Development, and of course, that’s it for today on the blog. I know you want to hear more. Join me next time as we take a look at the Embryonic Stage of Fetal Development. Till then, stay healthy!
