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💡 Nine months of growing
A single implanted cell becomes an embryo, then a foetus, then a baby ready to be born — all in about nine months, split into three stages.
What happens during pregnancy and childbirth?
Pregnancy — Three Trimesters
First — embryo forms; organs begin; foetus by week 9 Second — foetus grows; mother feels movements Third — baby grows fast, gets ready for birth Childbirth — uterine muscles push the baby out
- Pregnancy lasts about nine months , divided into three stages called trimesters (Fig. 11.22).
- First trimester: the embryo forms and major organs start developing; from about the ninth week it is called a foetus . Second: the foetus grows and the mother feels its movements. Third: the baby grows fast and gets ready for birth.
- During childbirth , strong contractions of the uterine muscles push the baby out through the birth canal; if needed, doctors use medical or surgical procedures.
After birth, a baby needs special care: breastfeeding provides complete nutrition and protection, and newborns must be kept warm, vaccinated on time and handled gently. The mother’s well-being matters equally — nutritious food, adequate rest, and avoiding harmful habits like smoking or alcohol.
🌎 Bridging Science and Society
- More than 10 lakh ASHA workers serve across India.
- ASHA means Accredited Social Health Activist.
- They promote hygiene, immunisation and family planning.
- They work under the National Health Mission, mainly rural.
- They advise on maternal care, safe deliveries and contraception.
🧵 Threads of Curiosity
- Some mothers feel anxiety and fatigue after delivery.
- This is called post-partum depression.
- It is a recognised condition that can be treated.
- Encourage mothers to talk to a healthcare worker.
- A doctor, nurse or ASHA worker can help.
⏸▶ Pause and Ponder
- 6. Ravi growing taller with broadening shoulders and a cracking voice is entering puberty (adolescence) .
- 7. With a 28-day cycle and a last period on 5th March, Rina’s next period is most likely around 2nd April (about 28 days later).
- 8. A human zygote has 46 chromosomes (23 from each gamete).
✅ Test Yourself
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On roughly which day of a 28-day cycle does ovulation happen?
Show Answer
Around day 14 — though it varies from person to person. -
What is menstruation?
Show Answer
The shedding of the thick uterine lining when the egg is not fertilised. -
How long does human pregnancy last, and in how many stages?
Show Answer
About nine months, in three trimesters . -
When is the embryo first called a foetus?
Show Answer
From about the ninth week of pregnancy.
Important Definitions
- Trimester — one of the three stages into which the roughly nine months of pregnancy are divided.
- Foetus — the name given to the developing embryo from about the ninth week onwards.
- Childbirth — the delivery of the baby, pushed out by strong contractions of the uterus.
