Congratulations against all odds you were conceived from a single cell to a fully grown baby in just

nine months amazing you are a miracle my what you are about to see was my journey it was also
yours this baby is about to be forced from his calm and comforting cocoon and thrust it were noisy
bright and terrifying new world wonderful you’ll get more keep going keep going a new generation
of 4D ultrasound scans has opened up a window on the wall allowing us to see the development of
the fetus as never before during his odyssey Peters has learned to grasp with his fingers to smile and
frown he can recognize his mother’s voice and even dream before even being born

So during *********** a mature healthy man expels up to 50 million sperm inside a woman’s
vagina the journey begins each sperm carries its own copy of the father’s genetic code

With the basic sense of smell the sperm the smallest cell in the human body sniff their way up the
fallopian tube towards the egg the largest cell in the body each month a woman’s ovaries release
one egg containing her own genetic code, she made these eggs while she was still a fetus herself
they’ve been kept in storage ever since through childhood and adolescence and on into adulthood it
may take up to 10 hours before the actual moment of conception and the mother may be
completely unaware of the secret events inside her belly and so begins my journey through space
and microcosmos planets asteroids molecules chromosomes constellations swirling and genetic
Whirlpool worlds within worlds a Russian doll of universes bursting at each scene

This is not my voice no more than this is a human being what you see is a human about to be I
cannot talk or think or feel I am in limbo but at least I am I’ve passed from isn’t it is until now I
wasn’t but now I am a promise made by the past to the future the beginning I am the beginning of
flesh made word inside the fertilized egg the plans for this new human life will begin to unfold the
genetic code is stored in bundles called chromosomes, 23 from each parent each microscopic
contains over 2 metres of supercoiled DNA along the double Helix of the DNA molecules apply the
patterns of chemical codes that hold the key to our uniqueness, our genes, it is our genes that tell us
to become a human rather than a bird or tree as well as deciding exactly what kind of person we will
be the genetic code is a set of instructions for the cells, a sort of manual giving directions that tells
them how to grow am I already cast in stone, or can I b reak the mold Saint Francis of Assisi or Al
Capone which will I be when I’m old my DNA has lots of presents waiting I’ll find out on my birthday
what it brings secretly I’m hoping for a nice pair of wings

Our parents make an equal contribution to most of our genetic makeup, but the sex of the child is all
down to the father, his could be one of two types: X for a girl or Y for a boy

Although they won’t know for many months, for these parents, it was a wise fern that won the race,
and they’re going to have a boy, the genes he has inhereted will have pre-determined this looks
much of his character whether he’s stubborn, intelligent, a fruit seeker or good at music and even
his vulnerability to certain diseases like cancer, schizophrenia or diabetes the exact course of his life
will depend on many things his friends, his family, his whole environment, but at the instant of
fertilization, much of his future is foretold

The fertilized egg continues its journey traveling along the fallopian tube towards the safety of the
uterus, , (1day) about a day after fertilization the egg makes its first division, on cue the nucleus
splits in two and my cell divides, who’s keeping time, who makes the decision, the watchmaker with
2020 vision, this process of division continues as the clump of cells travels down the fallopian tube,
after four or 5 days the tiny ball now called the blastocyst has grown to around 100 cells and it
begins to divide in two the outer ring of cells is destined to become the placenta, while the inner
clump will become the embryo itself, at this stage these inner cells are all identical they are dividing
rapidly and are known as stem cells they have the remarkable capacity to turn into anyone of over
200 different types of cells and grow into any part of the human body, imagine drops of water frozen
into the perfect shape of snowflakes, each one unique, then imagine snowflakes tossed into the air
and falling to earth frozen into the perfect shape of a snowman I am being pulled in all directions
could go anywhere become anything and yet it feels as if nothing is left to chance.

(1week) after seven days the blastocyst reaches the end of the fallopian tube and arrives in the
uterus, it’s home for the next nine months.

(2weeks) the embryo is now starting to take shape, during the third week, the embryonic ball of
cells, no bigger than a pin head, folds on itself to form a long tube, the top of the tube will become
the head, while the trunk of the body stretches down below the head doesn’t look much like a head
yet but at day 15 nerve cells begin to form in the brain and in the spinal column exposed exposed
and totally unprotected by skin or bone, signals flicker through the neurons and the brain sparks into
activity. Is this it the point at which my life begins, cognition switched on, now there’s food for
thought “I am therefore, I think”.

Inside her body the mother is creating a safe environment for the baby to grow, protected from the
dangers of the outside world, as soon as she becomes pregnant drastic changes sweep through the
mother’s system. Her blood volume may leap by up to 50% to cope with the extra demand for
oxygen from the growth in her womb. Once the embryo embeds itself in the uterus, it will start to
draw from the mother’s bloodstream all it needs to grow.

(3weeks) one of the first recognizable organs to form, is the heart, without the heart, there is no way
of spreading around the food and oxygen, the embryo needs to flourish, until now the heart has
been a dormant clump of muscle cells. But after 22 days it bursts suddenly into life when still just the
size of a poppy seed. One cell spontaneously contracts triggering its neighbors and setting off a chain
reaction until all the heart cells are beating. “ someone tick-tock has put tick-tock a key me tick-tock
and so tick-tock my life tick-tock has just tick-tock a began tick-tock how long tick-tock will this tick-
tock go on tick-tock go on tick-tock go on tick-tock until (heart beating faster constantly). Later on
when the nervous system is more developed, the brain will carefully control the rate of contraction,
keeping it steadily beating and pumping for the rest of the child’s life. If he lives to 75 that will be
two and three-quarter billion heartbeats.

Some women will already be aware of the hormonal changes inside them and may realize they are
pregnant without the aid of a test. For others, this thin blue line may be the first clue to the dramatic
changes that are about to take place during the next eight months.

(4weeks) After four weeks the embryo is as big as a kidney bean, and is growing by about 1
millimetre every day. With the heart now pumping nutrients around the body, other organs begin to
grow. Black dots on the head at the beginnings of eyes and buds are forming along the body, that
will become arms and legs. At this stage the fetus still bears signs of our evolutionary past. The spinal
column extends beyond the leg buds to form a tail. There are rudimentary gills behind the ears,
these relics will disappear as the fetus grows but at day 30 even an expert would find it difficult to
tell just from looking at it if this embryo is going to become a human, a pig, or an ape.

Just one and a half percent of our genes make us humans, we share 98.5% of our DNA with
chimpanzees, three quarters with dogs, half with fruit flies, and a third with daffodils.

“Come closer, look at me do you recognise yourself for what you see is what you were to a summer
rose do I compare”.
(8weeks) after growing for eight weeks, the embryo looks more like a tiny human and becomes
known as a fetus which Latin means ‘offspring’. He has reached an important milestone, his placenta
is now mature. “Time to welcome my other half, all giving, all knowing whose sole purpose is to keep
me alive, inseparable, the two of us until birth, when the one without the soul will not survive”. Until
now the embryo has been dependent on the nutrients he could extract via his yolk sac, a floating
balloon connected to the base of the umbilical chord. A human yolk sac, is not like a chikens, it
contains no yolk to store food, but for the first few weeks it generates nutrients a blood cells for the
tiny embryo. By two months the yolk SAC has become redundant and shrivels away. The crucial job
of feeding and nurturing the fetus has been completely taken over by the placenta.

The mother and the fetus have totally separate blood supplies but inside the placenta, the fetus’s
network of very fine blood vessels reaches deep into the mother’s blood supply. Like the roots of a
tree, sucking nutrients from the soil, the placenta extracts everything the fetus needs from the
mother’s blood. Food oxygen water. And passes it into his bloodstream. The placenta also filters out
many harmful substances, like the hepatitis herpes or polioviruses it may be in the mother’s blood
but it can’t stop everything alcohol and nicotine for example could pass directly through to the fetus.
Everything the fetus doesn’t need or the waste products are siphoned out by the placenta and
passed back to the mother’s bloodstream.

”Fitness coach dietitian it always close at hand health advisor organizer each day carefully planned
bodyguard comfort blanket Angel is what you are, self sacrificing, self effacing placenta Guiding star.

Many women experience morning sickness during the early months of pregnancy, as the placenta
releases a host of hormones. One of these progesterone is secreted throughout the term and
prevents the mother releasing any more eggs. Others stop the mother’s immune system rejecting
the unfamiliar growth inside her. Nurturing protecting and controlling. The placenta is the nerve
center of pregnancy.

(9weeks) internally the mother would have been feeling the effects of pregnancy, changes in taste
mood swings anxiety and nausea. But now she will start to notice the first changes on the outside,
she will begin to gain weight, she will be thirstier than normal. And Her heart will beat faster as her
body begins to work harder.

In his first ten weeks status has been hidden from the world. But the mother is about to get her first
glimpse of the secret events unfolding inside her womb.

Between 10 and 14 weeks a pregnant woman will usually go for her first scan. Ultrasound scans have
revolutionized our understanding of fetal development. As well as our provision of care for pregnant
women, “so here we have your little baby here oops nice activity down “

professor Stuart Campbell of the create health clinic in London, is one of the world’s leading experts
in obstetrics babies. This first scan is also a chance to establish a more accurate due date based on
the baby’s sides rather than guessing from the date of the last menstrual period. The scan can also
show early but not conclusive diagnostic features pointing towards genetic abnormalities. Just do
the new translation no that’s a test for Down syndrome no it doesn’t definitely say babies Down
syndrome or not but it tells you if you’re at risk. Until recently non invasive research into the
development of the human fetus has been restricted to analysis of stillborn specimens or what can
be gleaned from grainy 2 dimensional ultrasound scan. But now this area of exploration has been
revolutionized with the development of three-dimensional scans and even more remarkably 3D
scans which move in real time known as 4D scans.
For obstetricians this tool has been the equivalent of the Hubble Space Telescope for the first time it
has been possible to open up a window on the womb and to see babies growing before our eyes.
These images show the incredible range of behavior that even a very young fetus is capable of.
These 4D scan some of the earliest ever taken inside the womb. This guy shows an embryo of just six
weeks old. Here is an embryo of just eight weeks less than 3 centimeters long making its first
movements. Obstetricians can directly observe how the fetus grows, how it behaves, how it reacts
to stimulation, how it’s reflexes help it prepare for birth and for survival outside the womb.
Professor camp a world renowned pioneer these new scans is responsible for taking these incredible
images this scan shows a 30 week fetus yawn and this one a 32 week fetus exploring the field of its
nose.

“ lights action here we go the magic of ultrasound and it’s on with the show I don’t like the title
although it’s obviously true I play the leading role in a womb with a view you but seriously I’m
nervous will they like what they see if I’m not the perfect baby will it be curtains for me?”.

Ultrasound scans provide a crucial service in predicting any possible complications in pregnancy but
they also offer a beneficial role in developing a bond between the baby and his parents. Seeing your
baby’s face and while its still inside the womb can be an intense experience and such an early
bonding can provide an important boost to the baby’s development once it’s born a to the long-term
relationship between the child and his parents. As well as checking the health of the baby this scan
will be the first opportunity to tell if you’re pregnant with one baby or two or more.

”Twins like his new pins triplets quadruplets even quins sounds cozy but overcrowded I’d say I’m
pleased to be single so far anyway.

Multiple births run in families if your mother’s family has a history of non identical twins then you
are far more likely to have twins yourself.

If two eggs are released and fertilized at the same time then the twins will be non identical or
fraternal. In this case the twins will be separated in the womb they will also have separate placentas
and the blood flow to each twin is carefully monitored throughout pregnancy.

“Twins twins alike as new pins friendly neighbours living back-to-back each with their own amniotic
SAC

When an egg splits in two identical twins are formed in this case twins will be in the same sack in the
world and will share a placenta identical twins show early contact at 12 weeks and by 14 weeks a
touching arms legs bodies and mouths. This Constant contact in the womb, is mirrored in early life
that is partly responsible for the incredible close bonds that twins feel throughout their lives.

Even though he won’t be able to walk until he is around a year old the building blocks to his first
steps are there after just 11 weeks in the womb. These 4D scans show 10 and 11 week old fetuses
kicking and pushing out their legs in what is known as the stepping reflex. (11weeks) a reflex action
is a pre-programmed biological impulse, when his feet touched the base of the uterus, the nervous
system triggers an automatic muscle reaction in the legs.

“I skip I hop look I’m jumping tire I stop listen I’m thumping.

At this stage there is so much space in the uterus the fetus bounces and leaps around using the walls
of the womb as a trampoline. The ability to walk is an important survival skill and the more the fetus
moves, stronger the reflex will grow.
“I’m Humpty Dumpty without the wall rockabye baby without the form I’m a rubber duck bouncing
without a rubber ball”

The period from 6 to 11 weeks has seen the most dramatic transformation of the entire pregnancy.
With the fetus undergoing a metamorphosis from being to human being.

I didn’t have any idea about how much the mother affects the fetus. I now know how cautious and
careful mother’s need to be with their physical and mental state during pregnancy. I also learned
very useful information about what happens to the fetus during this

time, which is important to know if I decide to have children one day.

The “life before birth” documentary is an epiphany of how fascinating life works. The film focuses on
the significant phase we experienced throughout birth to conception. At this young age of mine,
even-though I had encountered this, to one of the lessons taught in science on my high school years,
yet the film did tell me lot of things I’m still not aware of. Like how precious the bond between the
mother and baby during pregnancy, the mysteries of the baby’s soul and life inside the womb, and
how 4D scans provide a crucial service in predicting any possible complications in pregnancy and also
offer a beneficial role in developing a bond between the baby and his parents.

The documentary provides an overall perspective on pregnancy as it demonstrates how a baby

develops inside a pregnant mother's womb. The video shows how we started from a tiny single cell,
to an embryo, and into fetus and what it's like to develop new things every day, week, and even
month until we became a fully grown baby. Thanks to the scanning techniques that provides window
for the doctors and parents to see the fatal development of the baby. And with that, obstetricians
can directly observe how the fetus grows, how it behaves, how it reacts to stimulation, how it’s
reflexes help it prepare for birth and for survival outside the womb.

Walking into motherhood is something I don’t know about, since I haven’t experienced it at all, and
all I know is that it’s pretty complicated we yet to experience in the future. I had no clue how much
the mother impacts the developing fetus. But, I am now aware of the necessity for mothers to take
extra cautiousness when it comes to their physical and mental health during pregnancy. Additionally,
I gained a lot of knowledge about the fetus during this process.
Knowing the passage of time is crucial to me as it affects my decision-making, if I choose to become
a parent in the future.

Based on the 2 photos, the physical characterisctics of preschoolers that came out is their increase
of muscle tone on their body, they also develop their gross motor and fine motor skills as they do
exploration like climbing in the 1st pic and doing arts in the 2nd pic to improve their artistry skills, and
apart from that they improve their confidence and self-esteem as they interact with other children
when they play and explore so they’ll be less likely to be shy.