In the hidden world of life before birth, the most amazing
development humankind has ever imagined takes place.
It used to be that life before birth was a secret. It is certainly
not secret any more! Thanks to new technology that
enables us to peek into the womb as never before, we are
now able to witness the miracle of life in incredible detail.
© 2005 American Life League, Inc. phone: 540-659-4171 • e-mail: [email protected] • web: www.ALL.org
Fertilization: A new human being begins the
first day of his life when his father’s sperm and
his mother’s egg combine. At that moment a
new human person, who carries with him as
much information as 50 sets of the
Encyclopaedia Britannica, is formed. This genetic
information DNA—will determine all of this
little person’s physical characteristics and much
of his intelligence and personality.
Day 2: Our little friend is now three cells big.
His cells will continue to divide as he starts
down his mother’s Fallopian tube towards her
uterus (womb), where he will get the food and
shelter he needs to grow and develop.
Day 6-7: Implantation into his mother’s uterus
begins, and all the while, he continues to grow.
As his cells multiply they differentiate to perform
specific functions—circulatory, muscular,
neural and skeletal.
Day 14: Implantation is completed around
this time and his mother misses her first menstrual
period.
Day 20: His heart, brain, spinal column and
nervous system are almost complete and his
eyes begin to form.
Day 22: His heart begins to beat.
Day 28: This little boy is now approximately
1/4 inch long—10,000 times larger than he was
only three weeks ago. The blood flowing in his
veins is completely separate from his mother’s.
Week 4: His muscles are developing, and arm
and leg buds are visible. His large, distinct
head is clearly identifiable, along with the
major outlines of brain and eye vesicles, the
beginnings of his central nervous system, notochord,
mouth and pharynx, body cavity, and the
basis of his skeleton.
Week 5: Our small friend’s face is taking
shape; his forehead, eyes, nostrils and mouth
are evident; external ears are beginning; hand
and foot plates appear in his limb buds.
Week 6: The brainwaves of this little boy can
be recorded. His different muscles begin working
together.
Week 8: His fingers and toes are fairly well
defined, and fingerprints, a unique and defining
feature of every human being, are permanently
engraved on his skin. All of his organs are present,
complete, and functioning (except his lungs).
Fifty percent of the abortions performed in
America take place between now and Week 9.
Weeks 9-10: All areas of his body are sensitive
to touch. He sucks his thumbs, swallows,
squints, frowns and puckers his brow. If his
palm is stroked, he will make a tight fist.
Weeks: 11-12: He now has fingernails,
toenails and working taste buds. He can also
make all facial expressions, including a smile.
Week 13: Although this baby was already a
boy at fertilization, his sex is now identifiable.
Month 4: This little baby’s heart is pumping
six gallons of blood every day, and his mom
can now feel him jumping around and turning
somersaults, exercising the muscles and lungs
he will need to live outside his mother’s womb.
Rapid eye movement (REM) can be recorded,
indicating that he is dreaming.
Months 5-6: He now weighs about one
pound and is a foot long. If he were born now
he would have a 50% chance of surviving with
the help of dedicated doctors and nurses.
Months 7-8: He can open and close his eyes
and recognizes his mom’s voice. His weight
continues to increase and “baby fat” fills out
and smoothes his skin. If he were born now his
chance of surviving increases to 90%.
Month 9: When he is ready to be born he
will release hormones to trigger labor. He may
weigh between 7 and 9 pounds, and can be
between 18 and 21 inches long.
I have set
before you
life and death
... choose life.
—Deuteronomy 30:19
Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you . . . —Jeremiah 1:5