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On this page, you will find the following sections. Please click
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Fetal
Development
| Day 1 |
Sperm joins with ovum (egg) to form
one cell—smaller than a grain of salt. The new life has
inherited 23 chromosomes from each parent, 46 in all. This
one cell contains the complex genetic blueprint for ever detail of
human development—the child's sex, hair and eye color, height,
skin tone. |
| Days 3-4 |
The fertilized egg travels down the
fallopian tube into the uterus, where the lining has been prepared
for implantation. |
| Days 5-9 |
During this time, the fertilized
egg implants itself in the rich lining of the uterus and begins to
draw nourishment. |
| Days 10-14 |
The developing embryo signals its
presence through placental chemicals and hormones, preventing the
mother from menstruating. |
| Day 20 |
Foundations of the brain, spinal
cord and nervous system are already established. |
| Day 21 |
The heart begins to beat. |
| Day 28 |
The backbone and muscles are
forming. Arms, legs, eyes and ears have begun to show. |
| Day 30 |
At one month old, the embryo is
10,000 times larger than the original fertilized egg—and
developing rapidly. The heart is pumping increasing
quantities of blood through the circulatory system. The
placenta forms a unique barrier that keeps the mother's blood
separate while allowing food and oxygen to pass through the
embryo. |
| Day 35 |
Five fingers
can be discerned in the hand. The eyes darken as pigment is
produced. |
| Day 40 |
Brain waves can be detected and
recorded. |
| Week 6 |
The liver is now taking over the
production of blood cells, and the brain begins to control
movement of muscles and organs. The mother is about to miss
her second period and has probably confirmed that she is pregnant. |
| Week 7 |
 The
embryo begins to move spontaneously. The jaw forms,
including teeth buds in the gums. Soon the eyelids will seal
to protect the embryo's developing light-sensitive eyes, and will
reopen at about the seventh month. |
| Week 8 |
At a little more than an inch long,
the developing life is now called a fetus—Latin
for "young one" or "offspring." Everything is now present
that will be found in a fully developed adult. The heart has
been beating for more than a month, the stomach produces digestive
juices and the kidneys have begun to function. Forty muscle
sets begin to operate in conjunction with the nervous system.
The fetus' body responds to touch, although the mother will not be
able to feel movement until the fourth or fifth month. |
| Week 9 |
Fingerprints are already evident in
the skin. The fetus will curve its fingers around an object
placed in the palm of its hand. |
| Week 10 |
The uterus has now doubled in size.
The fetus can squint, swallow and wrinkle its forehead. |
| Week 11 |
 At this time,
the fetus is about two inches long. Urination occurs.
The face has assumed a baby's profile, and muscle movements are
becoming more coordinated. |
| Week 12 |
The fetus now sleeps, awakens and
exercises its muscles energetically—turning
its head, curling its toes, and opening and closing its mouth.
The palm, when stroked, will make a tight fist. The fetus
breathes amniotic fluid to help develop its respiratory system. |
| Week 13 |
Fine hair has begun to grow on the
head, and sexual differentiation has become apparent. |
| Month 4 |
By the end of this month, the fetus
is eight to ten inches in length and weighs a half pound or more.
The mother will probably start to "show" now. The ears are
functioning, and there is evidence that the fetus hears quite a
bit: the mother's voice and heartbeat as well as external
noises. The umbilical cord has become an engineering marvel,
transporting 300 quarts of fluids per day and completing a
round-trip of fluids every 30 seconds. |
| Month 5 |
Half the pregnancy has now passed,
and the fetus is about 12 inches long. The mother has
definitely begun to feel movement by now. If a sound is
especially loud or startling, the fetus may jump in reaction to
it. |
| Month 6 |
Oil and sweat glands are
functioning. The delicate skin of the growing baby is
protected from the fetal waters by a special ointment called "vernix."
If the baby were born in this month and given the proper care, he
would survive. |
| Month 7 |
The baby now uses the four senses
of vision, hearing, taste and touch. He can recognize his
mother's voice. |
| Month 8 |
The skin begins to thicken, with a
layer of fat stored underneath for insulation and nourishment.
Antibodies increasingly build up. The baby absorb s a gallon
of amniotic fluid per day; the fluid is completely replaced every
three hours. |
| Month 9 |
 Toward
the end of this month, the baby is ready for birth. The
average duration of pregnancy is 280 days from the first day of
the mother's last menstrual period, but this varies. Most
babies (85%-95%) are born somewhere between 266 and 294 days.
By this time, the infant normally weighs six to nine pounds, and
his heart is pumping 300 gallons of blood per day. He is
fully capable of life outside the womb. |
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Abortion Information
Abortion Procedures
|
Manual
Vacuum Aspiration
This surgical abortion is done early in the
pregnancy up until 7 weeks after the woman's last menstrual period.
The cervical muscle is stretched with dilators (metal rods) until
the opening is wide enough to allow the abortion instruments to pass
into the uterus. A hand held syringe is attached to tubing
that is inserted into the uterus and the fetus is suctioned out. |
Suction
Curettage In this procedure, the doctor
opens the cervix with a dilator (metal rod) or laminaria (thin
sticks derived from plants and inserted hours before the procedure).
The doctor inserts tubing into the uterus and connects the tubing to
a suction machine. The suction pulls the fetus' body apart and
out of the uterus. One variation of this procedure is called
Dilation and Curettage (D&C). In this method, the doctor may
use a curette, a loop-shaped knife, to scrape the fetal parts out of
the uterus. |
|
Dilation
and Evacuation (D&E)
This surgical
abortion is done during the second trimester of the pregnancy.
Because the developing fetus doubles in size between the 11th and
12th weeks of pregnancy, the body of the fetus is too large to be
broken up by suction and will not pass through the suction tubing.
In this procedure, the cervix must be opened wider than in the first
trimester abortion. This is done by inserting laminaria a day
or two before the abortion. After opening the cervix, the
doctor pulls out the fetal parts with forceps. The fetus'
skull is crushed to ease removal. |
Dilation
and Extraction (D&X)
This procedure
takes three days. During the first two days, the cervix is
dilated and medication is given for cramping. On the third
day, the woman receives medication to start labor. After labor
begins, the abortion doctor uses ultrasound to locate the baby's
legs. Grasping a leg with forceps, the doctor delivers the
baby up to the baby's head. Next, scissors are inserted into
the base of the skull to create an opening. A suction catheter
is placed into the opening to remove the skull contents. The
skull collapses and the baby is removed. |
|
RU 486 (Mifepristone)
This medical abortion is used for women who are
within 30 to 49 days after their last menstrual period. This
procedure usually requires three office visits. The RU 486 or
mifepristone pills are given to the woman who returns two days later
for a second medication called misprostol. The combination of
these medications causes the uterus to expel the fetus. |
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Possible Complications
from Abortion
-
Bladder Injury: If your uterus is perforated, your urinary
bladder can be, too. This can also cause peritonitis and require
reparative surgery.
-
Bowel Injury: If your uterus is perforated, your intestines can
be, too. This will cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever,
blood in stool, peritonitis, and even death if not treated quickly enough.
-
Breast Cancer: A 1994 study in the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute found: "Among women who had been pregnant at
least once, the risk of breast cancer in those who had experience an
induced abortion was 50% higher than among other women."
-
Ectopic (Tubal) Pregnancy: After an abortion,
you are 8-20 times more likely to have a pregnancy that occurs outside the
uterus which, if not discovered soon enough, can cause you to bleed to
death if you do not have emergency surgery.
-
Hemorrhage: 1-14% of women require a blood transfusion due to
bleeding from an abortion.
-
Infection: Mild fever and sometimes death occurs when there is
an infection from an abortion.
-
Laceration of the Cervix: A high incidence of cervical damage
from the abortion procedure has raised the incidence of miscarriage 30-40%
in women who have had abortions.
-
More Miscarriages Later: Women who have had two or more abortions have
twice as many first trimester miscarriages in later pregnancies.
-
Perforation of the Uterus: Between 1 out of 40 and 1 out of 400
women suffer a perforated uterus which almost always causes peritonitis
(an inflamed, infected lining of the abdomen), similar to having a
ruptured appendix.
-
Placenta Previa: Placenta previa occurs 6-15 times more often
after a women has had an abortion, causing the mother to bleed severely
while the baby almost always dies, unless your obstetrician recognizes
this condition and removes the baby by Caesarean section at just the right
time in the pregnancy.
-
Post-Abortion Syndrome: Some women experience strong negative
emotions after abortion. Sometimes it occurs within days and other
times it happens after many years. Several factors that impact the
likelihood of PAS include the woman's age, the abortion circumstances, the
stage of pregnancy at which the abortion occurs, and the woman's religious
beliefs. Symptoms of PAS include: guilt; anger; anxiety;
depression; suicidal thoughts; anniversary grief; flashbacks of abortion;
sexual dysfunction; relationship problems; eating disorders; alcohol and
drug abuse; and psychological reactions.
-
Retailed Products of Conception: If your doctor leaves pieces of
the baby, placenta, umbilical cord, or amniotic sac in your body, you may
develop pain, bleeding, or a low grade fever. Besides antibiotics
and possible hospitalization, you may require additional surgery to remove
these remaining pieces.
-
Rh Incompatibility: If your doctor doesn't
check the blood type of the baby you are going to abort, even in very
early suction abortions done before eight weeks, fetal-maternal hemorrhage
can occur, thereby sensitizing you if you are Rh-negative.
-
Severe, Rapid Bleeding: You may develop DIC (disseminated
intravascular coagulopathy) from your abortion which means your blood does
not clot and you will bleed uncontrollably. DIC occurs in 2 out of
1,000 second trimester abortions.
-
Sterility: After an abortion, 1 out of 20 to 1 out of 50 women
become sterile.
Spiritual Consequences
People have different understandings of God. Whatever your present
beliefs may be, there is a spiritual side to abortion that deserves to be
considered. Having an abortion may affect more than just your body
and your mind; it may have an impact on your relationship with God.
What is God's desire for you in this situation? How does God see
your unborn child? These are important questions to consider.
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Advantages of Abstinence
Freedom from:
Freedom to:
-
become more creative in sharing feelings
-
develop skills and abilities
-
develop greater trust in marriage
-
achieve financial stability before having a family
-
develop healthy self-appreciation
Freedom to become the best person you can
be!!
Second Virginity
After having been sexually active, it is possible to regain
the advantages of abstinence. The advantages are free for the
taking. The price for having already been sexually active may still
be present, but here are some steps to regaining real sexual freedom:
Never give up! If at first you don't succeed, try,
try again! Renew your resolution and avoid persons, places, and
things that lead to sexual activity. Seek a trusted person to help
you be accountable for your decision.
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Sexually Transmitted Diseases
(STDs)
Did you know...?
-
50-80% of those infected don't know it.
-
Those who do know it, don't often tell.
-
Infections with no symptoms can still be spread.
-
STDs in women are more severe and leave more damage behind
than STDs in men.
-
The female body has a direct route from outside the body to
vital organs on the inside, plus the perfect, moist, warm breeding ground
for germs.
-
Only women get pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which can
produce terrible internal damage, sterility, and even death.
-
Cervical cancer in young women has become a major problem.
The probable cause of almost all cervical cancer is an extremely common
STD - the human papilloma virus (HPV).
-
Many women won't find out their female organs have been
destroyed until they try to have a baby. Then, it's too late!
What about condoms?
Condoms fail so often in preventing pregnancy (10-36%) that
doctors call them "antiquated birth control." Condoms fail even more
often in trying to prevent STDs. Medical studies show condoms are
useless in preventing human papilloma virus infections. Chlamydia
transmission was the same between condom and non-condom users in a study
done at Rutgers University. Condoms can't cover enough area to
protect against some other STDs either.
Some Common STDs
Viral (incurable)
-
Human Papillomavirus (HPV): Causes easily
spread warts, genital cancers in both sexes, painful intercourse.
Warts difficult to get ride of. Main cause of cervical cancer.
-
Genital Herpes: Recurrent, painful, genital
blisters, but disease can be transmitted even if sores not present.
Life-threatening for babies born to mothers with fresh outbreaks.
-
Hepatitis B: 10 times more infectious than
HIV, common cause of liver cancer. Produces symptomless carries.
Pregnant mothers can transmit to babies.
-
HIV/AIDS: HIV is contagious from the time
acquired even if not yet found by testing. Mother may transmit to
baby in utero or in milk. HIV almost always results in AIDS, AIDS in
death.
Bacterial (curable with right conditions)
-
Syphilis: Very contagious sore that disappears
untreated, yet disease is only dormant. Reappears as months and
years go by with serious results: blindness, insanity, bone and
heart damage, death. Mother can transmit to fetus.
-
Gonorrhea: Pus-producing infection that can
also affect other parts of the body: rectum, eyes, heart, throat,
joints, brain.
-
Chlamydia: Usually mild or no symptoms.
Can cause sterility in women and permanent damage to male urinary tract.
-
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): Female
disease caused by another infection (usually Chlamydia or Gonorrhea) that
travels up the reproductive tract to the pelvic, even abdominal cavity.
Can results in chronic pain, sterility, tubal pregnancy, adhesions, death.
Insects/Parasites (curable)
-
Pubic Lice: Adheres to pubic hair and passed
on during sexual intercourse. Red, pimply areas that can become
infected.
-
Scabies: Mite that burrows into skin causing
red, itching areas that can become infected. Also passed by infested
bedding and clothes.
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Adoption
If you are considering adoption for your child, you have
the right to expect:
-
To decide how much you want to participate in planning the
adoption
-
To receive counseling and support before and after the
birth of the baby
-
To see, hold and name the baby before deciding to consent
to adoption
-
To select the adopting family from pictures, profiles,
and/or interviews
-
To select parents before the baby is born, who are already
approved by the court
-
To request another responsible party makes the family
selection for you
-
To know all the options:
-
Confidential (Closed) Adoption: An anonymous adoption
where you request no further information or future contact from the
adopting family.
-
Semi-Open Adoption: You receive ongoing information
from the adopting family, such as letters and pictures, through an agency
or intermediary. You may also send information.
-
Fully Disclosed (Open) Adoption: You maintain an
ongoing relationship with the adopting family.
-
Relative Adoption: You select someone in your family
to adopt the child.
Hope CPC will help you through and provide support
throughout the process. Just ask—we
care about you!
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© 2006 Hope CPC
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