Pregnancy is the time when your baby depends on you for everything! Not long ago, the first nine months in the womb were a mystery. Recent technology has allowed us to see these unborn miracles grow from conception on! For a beautiful Flash movie of life in the womb, click www.justthefacts.org.

Pregnancy is calculated based on 40 weeks, beginning the first day of a pregnant women's last period. By the time a pregnant women realizes she is pregnant, she is already considered four weeks along, even though conception only took place two weeks before.

Day 21- The heart, now in tubular form, begins to beat by the 21st day (less than two weeks after a pregnant women misses her first period).

Day 40 - Brain waves can be detected and recorded.

Week 7	Week 8
Major organs are developing now. The liver is taking over the production of blood cells, and the brain begins to control movements of the muscles and organs. The mother has missed her second period and has probably confirmed that she is pregnant.	At a little more than an inch long, the developing life is now called a fetus (Latin for "offsping"). 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.
Week 12	Week 14
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. The fetus can suck its thumb and the kidneys are able to make urine.	By the end of the month, the fetus weights a half a pound or more. The mother will probably start to "show". 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 transports 300 quarts of fluids per day, completing a round trip every 30 seconds.
Week 24	Week 32
Survival is now possible outside the uterus. The pregnant woman has been able to feel movement for some time now. The fetus may have head and body hair, and has unique fingerprints. If a sound is especially loud or startling, the fetus may jump in reaction to it.	The baby now uses the four senses of vision, hearing, taste and touch. He can recognize his mother's voice. Development is almost complete, and while he waits to be born he will continue to store up fat for insulation and nourishment.

At what stage of fetal development are abortions legal?
Under the Supreme Court's decisions in Roe v. Wade, Doe v. Bolton, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, abortions may be performed for any reason (socioeconomic, failure of birth control, personal choice) prior to viability (about 24 weeks of pregnancy) and for any reason relating to the mother's physical or psychological health thereafter. In these cases (post-viability abortions), the term "health" has been defined very broadly by the Court to include any matter that might affect a woman's "sense of well-being". In effect, therefore, abortion is legal for any "health" reason throughout pregnancy.

Source: The First Nine Months, (brochure) Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 1999.