Immediately upon fertilization, cellular development begins. Before implantation the sex of the new life can be determined.
At implantation, the new life is composed of hundreds of cells and has developed a protective hormone to prevent the mother's body from rejecting it as a foreign tissue.
At 17 days, the new life has developed its own blood cells; the placenta is a part of the new life and not of the mother.
At 18 days, occasional pulsations of a muscle - this will be the heart.
At 19 days, the eyes start to develop.
At 20 days, the foundation of the entire nervous system has been laid down.
At 24 days, the heart has regular beats or pulsations.
At 28 days, 40 pairs of muscles are developed along the trunk of the new life; arms and legs forming.
At 30 days, regular blood flow within the vascular system; the ears and nasal development have begun.
At 40 days, the heart energy output is reported to be almost 20% of an adult.
At 42 days, skeleton complete and the reflexes are present.
At 43 days, electrical brain wave patterns can be recorded. This is usually ample evidence that "thinking" is taking place in the brain. The new life may be thought of as a thinking person.
At 49 days, the baby has the appearance of a miniature doll with complete fingers, toes and ears.
NAME CHANGED FROM EMBRYO TO FETUS. At 56 days all organs functioning - stomach, liver, kidney, brain - all systems intact. Lines in palms. All future development of new life is simply that of refinement and increase in size until maturity at approximately age 23 years. This is approximately two months before "quickening" yet there is a new life with all of its parts needing only nourishment. The mother will usually not feel the child's movements until four months after conception.
9th & 10th week, squints, swallows, retracts tongue.
11th & 12th week, arms & legs move, sucks thumb, inhales and exhales amniotic fluid, nails appearing.
16 weeks (four months), genital organs clearly differentiated, grasps with hands, swims, kicks and turns somersaults (still not felt by mother).
18 weeks, vocal cords working . . . can cry.
20 weeks, hair appears on head; weight - one pound; height - 12 inches. A fetus (little one, child, baby) is essentially no different at fertilization, ten weeks, twenty weeks or thirty weeks. A person is a person, no matter how small.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Diary of an Unborn Child
March 28: Today my life began. My parents don't know it yet. I am smaller than the seed of an apple. But already, I am I. And unformed as I am right now, I am going to be a girl.
April 12: I have grown a little, but I am still too small to do anything by myself. Mother does just about everything for me. And what is so funny is that she does not even know that she is carrying me here, right under her heart.
April 17: My mouth is just forming now. Just think, in a year or so I will be laughing. Later I will be able to speak. My first word will be, "Mother." Who says I'm not a person yet? I am, just as the tiniest crumb of bread is still truly bread.
April 22: My heart began to beat today. From now on it will gently beat all the rest of my life. Then, after many years, it will tire and stop, and I shall die. But now I am at the beginning - not the ending.
April 29: Every day I grow a bit. My arms and legs are beginning to take shape. But, I will have to wait a long time before my legs will carry me running to my mother's arms and before my arms can embrace my daddy.
May 14: Now tiny fingers are beginning to form. Strange how small they are, but how wonderful they will be. They will pet a puppy, throw a ball and touch another hand. They may even play a violin or paint a picture one day.
May 23: Today the doctor told mother I am living under her heart. They may expect a boy, but I am a little girl. I want to be called Dominique.
June 3: My face is completely formed. I hope I look like mother. Soon my eyes will see the sunshine, the flowers, the sea and the mountains.
June 10: Mother, I can hear your heart beating. You will have a healthy little daughter. I can hardly wait to touch your face and look into your eyes. Mother, why did you let them stop my life? We would have been so happy!
April 12: I have grown a little, but I am still too small to do anything by myself. Mother does just about everything for me. And what is so funny is that she does not even know that she is carrying me here, right under her heart.
April 17: My mouth is just forming now. Just think, in a year or so I will be laughing. Later I will be able to speak. My first word will be, "Mother." Who says I'm not a person yet? I am, just as the tiniest crumb of bread is still truly bread.
April 22: My heart began to beat today. From now on it will gently beat all the rest of my life. Then, after many years, it will tire and stop, and I shall die. But now I am at the beginning - not the ending.
April 29: Every day I grow a bit. My arms and legs are beginning to take shape. But, I will have to wait a long time before my legs will carry me running to my mother's arms and before my arms can embrace my daddy.
May 14: Now tiny fingers are beginning to form. Strange how small they are, but how wonderful they will be. They will pet a puppy, throw a ball and touch another hand. They may even play a violin or paint a picture one day.
May 23: Today the doctor told mother I am living under her heart. They may expect a boy, but I am a little girl. I want to be called Dominique.
June 3: My face is completely formed. I hope I look like mother. Soon my eyes will see the sunshine, the flowers, the sea and the mountains.
June 10: Mother, I can hear your heart beating. You will have a healthy little daughter. I can hardly wait to touch your face and look into your eyes. Mother, why did you let them stop my life? We would have been so happy!
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
When 1 + 1 = 3 (and sometimes more...)
When WE Created YOU
I am not a mathematician, so what I'll say next I speak without expert knowledge of the subject matter. I cannot therefore vouch for its accuracy, although feel free to correct me - my thirst for Knowledge is insatiable!
However, it seems to me that in the Natural World, this is probably the only time when the result of a mathematical formula can be influenced by external factors, to produce something rather different than just its pure logical result, in this case from making an Addition i.e. calculating a Sum. Indeed, the sum of the parts to conceive a whole new Being.
Sommer B. In't Veld © 2005
I am not a mathematician, so what I'll say next I speak without expert knowledge of the subject matter. I cannot therefore vouch for its accuracy, although feel free to correct me - my thirst for Knowledge is insatiable!
However, it seems to me that in the Natural World, this is probably the only time when the result of a mathematical formula can be influenced by external factors, to produce something rather different than just its pure logical result, in this case from making an Addition i.e. calculating a Sum. Indeed, the sum of the parts to conceive a whole new Being.
Sommer B. In't Veld © 2005
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