Pregnancy is a very complex, but at the same time, extraordinary period in every woman’s life, when a whole chain of amazing events takes place. Judge yourself: during just nine months in a woman’s body there happens a transformation of microscopic cells in a viable person, albeit still very small. Natural evolutionary process required much more time for such formation  - a few billion years!

Fetal development. Comparison of pregnancy with evolution is not accidental. Indeed, in the first weeks of its development, a future child “passes” all stages of life on Earth, ranging from the simplest cell. Perhaps this is why a human embryo in the first half - two months is almost indistinguishable from an embryo of any other viviparous creatures. And only after that the nature starts its humanization.

Experience and achievements of modern medicine allowed accumulating a wealth of material about amazing metamorphosis experienced by a child during its intrauterine development. Let’s try following fetal development steps.

So, the beginning of embryonic development path lies in a formation of zygote - a fertilized egg, which soon begins to break up into smaller cells. This globular cluster of small cells comes through several stages, until it becomes a two-layer sphere with a cavity inside. These are two layers - the ectoderm (outer layer) and endoderm (inner layer) that will continue forming all that is necessary for normal human life. With embryo development, no less important mesoderm (middle layer) is formed, from which a musculoskeletal system, urinary system, etc are formed later.

All of the above occurs in the first month of pregnancy. At the same time there happens a reliable attachment of embryo to uterine wall, it creates an umbilical cord, which serves as a key link between mother and child.

Head is formed during second month. However, it is still disproportionately big in relation to the length of the rest of body, but you can already see eyes, nose and mouth. There appear rudiments of cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, nervous trunk, you can see arms and legs and fingers on them. At this time a baby is growing up to two centimeters and ceases being an embryo, acquiring a “status” of fetus. In other words, from this moment there begins fetal development - aquiring truly human characteristics.

During third month development of skeletal muscles continues in full swing. A baby has good moves, which is very important in terms of its physical development and strengthening of striated muscles. True, mother still cannot feel these movements. A baby is already able to make swallowing movements.

In the fourth month it is safe to say whom one should expect: a boy or a girl. There are already skin and first hairs, which are more like fluff, and called lanugo.

During fifth month skin excretes a protective caseous lubricant. As a result of ingestion of amniotic fluid, digestive system beginsworking, and there formed primary stool - meconium. A baby’s sucking reflexes are well developed already, and during ultrasound you can often see him with his finger in a mouth. Mother clearly feels baby movement.

The sixth month is marked by fetal development gaining own immunity and respiratory system. At this stage lungs are already capable of doing the first respiratory movements, but a pipsqueak is not yet ready to independent living.

But from the seventh month a baby has a good chance for self-survival, since all of its livelihoods is completely brought under nervous system control. However, at birth it would be premature and need intensive care and especially thorough treatment.

Eight months old children are better adapted to survival, than seven-months ones. So a widespread belief that children survive in the age of seven months more often is no more than a myth. At eight months from conception, all organs, including lungs, nearly completed their development, although a thorough medical care is still needed.

At nine months a baby is considered full-term, with developed vital reflexes and proportional body. In very rare cases, even after nine months, there may remain a few signs of prematurity, but thanks to timely medical care, they represent no particular risk for baby’s life.