PROCESS OF BIRTH

PROCESS OF BIRTH

The emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being.

The Main Steps Before Birth

(According to a deep study by a researcher)

Step 1: Sperm and Egg Development

Females are born with 1 to 2 million immature eggs, about 400 of which are released over the course of her reproductive years, beginning with menarche  and ending with menopause.She will not produce any more eggs during her lifetime. On the other hand, males are not born with pre-made sperm. Instead, they are constantly producing millions of sperm cells throughout their lifetime.

Sperm Development

Sperm development begins in a male’s testicles, which are glands in the scrotal sac  located beneath the penis. The testicles hang outside of the male’s body in order to regulate scrotal temperature, as healthy sperm is produced at 94 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about 4 degrees cooler than body temperature. It takes 64 to 72 days to create a new sperm cell, and due to the fact that about 100 to 300 million sperm cells are released with each ejaculation, a male is continuously producing sperm. Once the sperm cells are produced, they are stored in the epididymis. Just prior to ejaculation, the sperm cells are mixed with semen. The liquid portion of semen aids the sperm by providing it with nourishment, protection from the acidic vaginal canal, and direction by coagulating in the female’s vagina to form a barrier. This protection only lasts about 30 minutes before the semen returns to liquid form and any sperm that has not made it through the female’s cervix dribbles out of the female’s vagina.

Egg Development

The development of a female’s egg is much more complex than sperm production. As previously stated, a female is born with all of her eggs. These millions of immature eggs are contained in follicles  (small, fluid-filled cysts), which are stored in the female’s ovaries (two almond-shaped structures on either side of the uterus).  Approximately once every month, the female’s hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which prompts several follicles to develop into mature eggs. Only one of these several follicles will mature completely, with the others reabsorbing into the body.

Step 2: Ovulation

Once one egg has completely matured, it erupts from the follicle and pushes through the wall of the ovary. This process is called ovulation. The follicle of the mature egg develops into the corpus luteum, which releases a luteinizing hormone that helps thicken the lining of the female’s uterus. The follicle then sends out signals for increased estrogen  production, which indicate to the body that an egg is mature. Sometimes, though rare, more than one egg is released from a female’s ovaries within 24 hours. Fraternal twins can be the result of two released eggs becoming fertilized.
Some females can feel a slight ache on one side of their lower abdomen during ovulation. Depending on which side the ache is coming from, these females can determine which of the two ovaries produced a mature egg. It is also possible for some females to track when they are ovulating by observing changes in their cervical secretions, which become stretchy, clear, and thin before and during ovulation. Other possible identifying effects of ovulation are temperature changes, increased sex drive, light spotting, bloating, and heightened senses of taste or smell.

Each ovary is attached to the uterus by a 4-inch-long, half-inch-wide canal called a fallopian tube. After the egg is released, it is picked up by the fimbriated (finger-like) end of the fallopian tube and stays in the tube for 24 hours waiting for a single sperm to fertilize it. Tiny hairs called cilia help the egg travel through the fallopian tube towards the uterus. During the egg’s several day journey through the fallopian tube, the follicle that originally formed the egg releases signals causing the uterus to form an internal lining called the endometrium. This endometrium is full of blood and nutrients necessary to house and nurture an egg if it becomes fertilized.

If there is no sperm to fertilize the egg, the egg will move through the uterus and disintegrate, the female’s estrogen and progesterone hormone levels will return to normal, the female’s body will shed the thick endometrium lining of the uterus, and the female’s period (menstruation) will begin.

Step 3: Fertilization

Many factors need to line up in order for fertilization, or the joining of a male’s sperm cell and a female’s egg, to occur. These factors include favorable environmental conditions, timing in the female’s menstrual cycle, fertility of the male’s semen, ability of the male’s sperm cells to penetrate the egg (also known as sperm capacitation), and development of the embryo. If all of these factors are present, fertilization between sperm and egg will most likely occur.

Step 4: Implantation

By the time the fertilized egg reaches the uterus, it is a cluster of about 100 cells, and it forms a blastocyst. The blastocyst is a hollow structure, with the cells on the inside continuing to develop. At this point, it has been about 5 to 7 days since the sperm fertilized the egg. These developing cells in the blastocyst will eventually become the fetus, and the outer wall of the blastocyst will develop into the placenta and other tissues that will provide important nutrients for the growing fetus.

After another day, the embryo then emerges from its membrane (the zona pellucida) and begins the process of implanting in the female’s uterus. When the blastocyst comes into contact with the endometrium lining of the uterus, hormones will be exchanged allowing the blastocyst to connect to the uterine wall. Simultaneously, the lining of the uterus gets thicker, and the cervix is closed off with a mucus plug that will stay in place until the end of the pregnancy term. Around the time of implantation, some females may notice spotting (light bleeding), which should only last about 48 hours.

In the coming weeks and months, the cells will continue to divide and exponential cell growth will occur. These cells will be very specialized and different, and within approximately 3 weeks the first nerve cells will develop.

Please note that irregularities may cause an embryo to implant somewhere other than the female’s uterus, such as in one of the fallopian tubes. This irregularity is called an ectopic pregnancy and it can be very dangerous. In these cases, the female will either need to take medication to stop the embryo from growing, or have surgery to prevent the fallopian tube from rupturing.

Step 5: Detection

Naturally, about half of all fertilized eggs are lost before a female even knows that she is pregnant. This loss could be due to many reasons, including the blastocyst implanting but not growing, or the blastocyst growing but ceasing development.

After implantation occurs, a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is present in the female’s blood.6 After about 3 to 4 weeks from the first day of the female’s last period, there are high enough levels of this hormone to be detected by pregnancy tests. It may be a few weeks until the female misses a period and even suspects that she may be pregnant.

The 3 Stages of Birth

* The most common way of childbirth is a vaginal delivery.

* It involves three stages of labour: the shortening and opening of the cervix, descent and birth of the baby, and the delivery of the placenta.

* The first stage typically lasts twelve to nineteen hours

* The second stage twenty minutes to two hours

* The third stage five to thirty minutes.

* The first stage begins with crampy abdominal or back pains that last around half a minute and occur every ten to thirty minutes. The crampy pains become stronger and closer together over time.

* During the second stage pushing with contractions may occur.

* In the third stage delayed clamping of the umbilical cord is generally recommended.

* A number of methods can help with pain such as relaxation techniques, opioids, and spinal blocks.