The Period Of Embryo - Two weeks to two months

The second stage of pregnancy is the period of embryo, it extends from the end of the second week to the end of second month. It is a time of rapid change and by the end of the this stage, when you are barely aware of your pregnancy, the embryo has developed into a miniature human. During the period of embryo, special structures form to provide nourishment and protection until the baby is born. These are the placenta, umbilical cord, amniotic sac and amniotic fluid, all inside the uterus. The umbilical cord is attached to the embryo’s abdominal wall at one end and the placenta at the other hand. The cord is composed of blood vessels. There are no nerve cells in the cord thus making transfer of the mother’s emotions to the embryo impossible. In due course, the chord becomes about twenty inches long and as thick as a man’s finger. The amniotic sac contains amniotic fluid which protects the embryo and later the foetus from external shocks and injuries. Just before birth the sac breaks, releasing the amniotic fluid which helps to lubricate the passageway for delivery. The embryo is nourished through the maternal blood flow into the placenta from the arteries in the uterine wall, thus permitting oxygen, water and food material in the mother’s bloodstream to be transported through the umbilical cord to the embryo. Through the same cord, embryonic waste products are filtered back.