Pregnancy facts for kids

A pregnant woman.

Pregnancy is a special time when a female mammal carries a new baby growing inside her body. When a female is pregnant, she is called "expecting" or "pregnant." For humans, a pregnancy usually lasts about 38 weeks. This is from when a new life begins (called conception) until the baby is born.

Most often, a mother has one baby at a time. Sometimes, a mother can have two babies at once; these are called twins. It's less common, but a mother can also have three or more babies at the same time.

How a Baby Grows During Pregnancy

When a woman's egg and a man's seed join together, they form a single cell called a zygote. This tiny cell is the very first stage of a new life.

• The zygote quickly starts to divide and grow.
• It then becomes an embryo. An embryo is the early stage of development, usually for the first eight weeks after conception.
• After about eight weeks, the embryo develops into a fetus. A fetus is the name for the growing baby from eight weeks until it is born.

The fetus continues to grow and develop inside the mother's body, getting everything it needs from her. When the fetus is fully developed and ready, the baby is born.

• 

  Embryo at 4 weeks after fertilization

• 

  Fetus at 8 weeks after fertilization

• 

  Fetus at 18 weeks after fertilization

• 

  Fetus at 38 weeks after fertilization

• 

  Relative size in 1st month (simplified illustration)

• 

  Relative size in 3rd month (simplified illustration)

• 

  Relative size in 5th month (simplified illustration)

• 

  Relative size in 9th month (simplified illustration)

Images for kids

• 

  Melasma: pigment changes to the face due to pregnancy

• PregnancyinCrossSection.jpg

  In the later part of pregnancy the uterus takes up much of the abdomen.

• 

  Fertilization and implantation in humans

• 

  The uterus as it changes in size over the duration of the trimesters

• 

  Linea nigra in a woman at 22 weeks pregnant

• 

  The Visitation: Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visiting pregnant Elizabeth, depicted as a statue at the Church of the Visitation in Ein Karem, Israel.

• 

  Taweret ancient Egyptian goddess of pregnancy.

• 

  The Deserted Wife aka The Waif, Octave Tassaert, 1852

• 

  Picture of the tragic and gory story about the life of a travelling actress called Okume.

• 

  Statue of a pregnant woman, Macedonia

See also

In Spanish: Embarazo humano para niños