Pregnancy and birth
Pregnancy and childbirth.
Months of waiting
A family waits for a new baby for many months. The mother's body protects and feeds the growing baby throughout.
About how long do you think pregnancy lasts in humans?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Pregnancy lasts about nine months in three trimesters; the embryo is called a foetus from about the ninth week, the uterus protects and nourishes it, and at birth uterine muscle contractions push it out through the birth canal.
Months of waiting
A family waits for a new baby for many months. The mother's body protects and feeds the growing baby throughout.
About how long do you think pregnancy lasts in humans?
- About nine months
- About nine days
- About nine years
Three stages
Open each tab.
Trimesters and birth
Pregnancy is divided into three stages called trimesters. The uterus protects and nourishes the baby, and at birth the muscles of the uterus push it out.
Pregnancy lasts about nine months in three trimesters. The embryo is called a foetus from about the ninth week. The uterus protects and nourishes it, and at birth uterine muscle contractions push it out through the birth canal.
Notes
Pregnancy lasts about nine months in three trimesters; the uterus protects and nourishes the baby, and contractions of its muscles push it out at birth.
Check yourself
About how long does pregnancy last in humans?
Into how many stages, called trimesters, is pregnancy divided?
Answer: 3
First, second and third trimester: 3 stages.
From about when is the developing embryo called a foetus?
What pushes the foetus out through the birth canal during childbirth?
- About three months. Pregnancy lasts about nine months, which are divided into three stages called trimesters.
- About nine months — correct. Yes!
- About two years. Pregnancy in humans lasts about nine months.
- From the first day. The fertilised egg develops into an embryo during the first two months. From about the ninth week it is called a foetus.
- From the day of birth. The developing embryo is called a foetus from about the ninth week, well before birth.
- From about the ninth week — correct. Yes!
- Strong contractions of the muscles of the uterus — correct. Yes!
- The ovaries. The ovaries produce eggs and hormones.
- The oviducts. The oviducts connect each ovary to the uterus.