In the book Get Me Out by Randi Hutter, M.D., you will read about the history of the delivery process from Midwives to the use of forceps and more! In this Prologue to Get Me Out, you will read about what occurs leading up to the delivery starting with conception. As the fetus develops in different stages the mother experiences many physical and emotional changes. Learning about what happened prior to the delivery room is essential to have a full understanding of not only the book but the entire process of pregnancy.
Fetal Development
The first stage of three in prenatal development is the germinal stage. At conception the sperm fertilizes the egg and forms a zygote. Approximately 36 hours after conception the zygote begins to divide rapidly. After this process the divided zygote moves from the fallopian tubes ton the uterus. The zygote is then embedded in the wall were the placenta begins to from. The placentas job is transfer nutrients from the mother to the fetus as well as to remove waste from the fetus. The next stage is the embryonic stage of development. This stage beings about two months after conception and is when more cells begin to develop and major organs form. The Last stage is the Fetal stage, the fetus bones and muscles continue to grow and fetal movements become noticeable. In this stage the brain forms rapidly and other body systems being to work independently. It is in this stage, about 28 weeks that the fetus cam first be able to survive outside of the womb. At the climax of fetal develop the mothers uterus can expand to about 40cm.
Changes in The Mother
Now that you have a basic understanding of the Fetal development I am going to shift the focus onto the changes that the mother experiences. When pregnant, the body goes through many significant changes.
Some change experienced are:
- Lungs become Compressed by the growing uterus causing difficulty breathing
- Stomach is compressed making large meals difficult to eat
- The uterus quadruples in size, causing ligaments to be stretched resulting in discomfort
- Bladder is compressed by the baby’s head increasing the urge to urinate
The mother also experiences various discomforts including:
- Lighting- the dropping of the baby in the pelvis
- Braxton Hicks Contraction- the uterus tightening and releasing, warming itself for labor
- Constipation-difficulty passing stool
Reflection
After learning about the process of pregnancy my perspective has been completely changed. The biggest thing for be was when I learned that the uterus expanded 40cm. I remember hearing that the lungs were compressed which cased the mother difficulty breathing, I kind of cringed. The dramatic changes to the mothers body was fascinating to me considering that after delivery the body can mostly return to normal. Looking back on over the summer when I read Get Me Out, and reflected on the process of delivery, I wish that I would have had the knowledge that I have now on child birth.
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