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Fetal Development During the First Two Weeks of Pregnancy

Via its network of 144 nonprofit centers throughout Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives offers support and counseling to pregnant women considering abortion. The Real Alternatives website contains extensive information about fetal development through each stage of pregnancy.

Fertilization occurs when the sperm and egg join to form one cell called a zygote. A new life begins. Each of the parents contributes 23 chromosomes, this will determine the child’s sex, height, hair, eye color, emotional make up, personality and other characteristics. The zygote spends its first week traveling through one of the fallopian tubes.
At approximately eight days, the new life reaches the uterus and begins implantation in the uterine lining. At this stage, the child has approximately 500 cells, some of which split away to form the placenta, which will ensure the child receives the nutrients needed for its development.
After two weeks, the child is approximately the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Despite this small size, the fetus will already be developing the cells that will form the brain, heart, kidneys, spinal cord, and other organs.