The birth of an infant is a wonderful process. The process takes place in
stages as described below.By nature, the male organ ejects sperms and the
female organ produces eggs. Ovulation is the release of an egg from the
ovaries. Normally, in women who haven't reached menopause, ovaries
release an egg once a month. This is known as ovulation. This egg travels
through the fallopian tube toward the uterus. When the male sperm reaches
the egg in the fallopian tube, fertilization occurs. The fertilized egg
continues its movement towards the uterus, implants itself in the uterine
wall and begins to develop into an embryo. Embryo is the earliest
manifestation of all humans. The woman becomes pregnant, and it takes
nearly 9 months, that is, three trimesters of 12 weeks, for the infant to
be born.Pregnancy causes a number of changes in a woman's body in the
first trimester (0 to 12 weeks). The very first change is the absence of
menstruation. Other symptoms include fatigue, nausea and vomiting and
enlarging breasts. However, a woman having these symptoms isn't
necessarily pregnant. The surest way to confirm pregnancy is a pregnancy
test.In the second (weeks 13 to 24) and third trimesters (weeks 25 to
delivery), a woman may experience additional symptoms including an
expanding abdomen, leg cramps, heartburn and hemorrhoids. These symptoms
and changes are due to pregnancy hormones and the fetal growth. Although
pregnancy involves a number of symptoms and changes in a woman, there is
no way to predict which symptoms a woman will experience. Each pregnancy
is different, even in the same woman.By the end of the first trimester,
the fetus is about three inches long and weighs about half an ounce. By
the end of the third trimester, the fetus is about 20 inches long and
weighs about seven pounds.The best person to discuss the changes and
symptoms associated with pregnancy is an obstetrician. The best source
for further information on pregnancy is Planned Parenthood Federation of
America. Its web address is http://www.plannedparenthood.org.