Pregnancy and Child Birth

The term "pregnancy" refers to the time when the foetus develops and grows within the mother's womb. This period normally lasts nine months, or forty weeks. There are three trimesters in a pregnancy. The first trimester lasts anywhere from one to twelve weeks. It is the stage in which a zygote transforms into a foetus from a collection of cells. The second trimester might last as long as 28 weeks. Ultrasonography can detect birth anomalies in the foetus at this point, and footprints appear, as the sleep-wake cycle begins. The third trimester can last for up to 40 weeks. Babies delivered in week 40 are considered fully term.