Life is a miracle in itself, and its development is an
unending wave of awe. We all know it starts with the fusion of two tiny cells,
but how it transforms into a unique living individual is something beyond
magical and nearly inconceivable. We are a miracle
of this beautiful gift of life, which has
thrived for centuries on end, flourishing into a world bursting with unique
differences. Every newborn child is proof that this life is infinitely diverse,
yet it all starts in the same wondrous way.
With the help of today's advanced technology, we can
appreciate how life begins in the womb. Scroll through the stages of an
embryo's development, starting at the moment of conception, aided by these
detailed photographs by Lennart Nilsson, from his book A Child Is Born.
Here's where it all begins: the sperm enters the Fallopian
tube.
At the end of its journey for survival, it approaches the
egg. So close.
When there's a lucky winner, the egg is fertilized 12 to 24
hours after penetration. This is the beginning of the whole complicated
process, which leads to a new human life. Did you know that the egg actually
chooses the sperm? It's not just a race, the egg decides which sperm is allowed
in.
The fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube, while
multiplying into cells. It then enters the uterus and burrows into the uterine
lining. From this point onwards, the baby will start to form.
After 3 to 4 weeks: From a ball of rapidly multiplying
cells, a baby starts to take shape.
After 5 to 6 weeks: Although the size of a lentil, the baby
starts to form shapes of nostrils, mouth and eyes on its face. Intestines and
lungs also start to develop.
After 7 to 8 weeks: You can see a human- embryo, which is
well protected in the fetal sac. It is growing rapidly, and its little hands
and feet start to show.
After 9 to 10 weeks: Still the size of a grape, but the
basic human physiology is now in place. The embryonic tail has now disappeared
and the embryo's eyelids are semi-shut. These eventually close completely.
By 10 weeks, the most critical portion of the baby's
development is complete.
After 12 weeks: The baby now has tiny limbs with fine
details, such as the nails. It can now kick, stretch, bend its legs and hands,
use its fingers to explore the world, and make suckling movements with its
mouth. Soon, the baby's tiny fingers will have their own fingerprints.
After 18 weeks: The baby is now the size of a bell pepper. A
lot more has started to function in its body, such as the kidneys and the
facial muscles. Bones start to thicken and flexing of the limbs is possible.
After 20 weeks: Smell, vision, touch, taste and hearing have
now kicked in, the digestive system can function and body movements slowly
increase. The first hairs start to grow on the head.
After 6 to 7 months: Now looking more a newborn, the baby
can inhale and exhale amniotic fluid, preparing it for the first breath of air
at birth. The eyesight develops further, the muscles and lungs get stronger,
and the head grows.
After 36 weeks: The weight is increasing by around an ounce
a day, the brain is maturing, and only the last preparations are left for it to
be ready to start its life in the outside world, where so much awaits it.
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