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Active and quiet periods for the fetus do not correspond to those of the mother; fetuses are most active from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. [21] During the last four to six weeks before birth, most of the fetus's kicking and jabbing movements occur while it is sleeping lightly.
Quickening indicates the start of fetal movements, usually felt 14–26 weeks after conception, or between the fourth and sixth month. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] A woman pregnant for the first time (i.e., a primigravida woman) typically feels fetal movements at about 20–21 weeks, whereas a woman who has given birth at least once will typically feel ...
Expectant mothers that experience high levels of stressors trigger a response from the HPA axis. This then triggers the release of glucocorticoids. This increases the level of glucocorticoid in the mother and the fetus. [3] Studies show that elevated levels of glucocorticoids can affect neurodevelopment in the fetus. [4]
The stress that the mother experiences affects the fetus and the fetus' growth which can include the fetus' nervous system (Reilly, 2017). Stress can also lead to low birth weight. Even after avoiding other factors like alcohol, drugs, and being healthy, stress can have its impacts whether families know it or not.
A human fetus, attached to placenta, at three months gestational age. In humans, the fetal stage starts nine weeks after fertilization. [7] At this time the fetus is typically about 30 millimetres (1 + 1 ⁄ 4 in) in length from crown to rump, and weighs about 8 grams. [7] The head makes up nearly half of the size of the fetus. [8]
The fetus reaches a length of 20 cm (8 in). Lanugo covers the entire body. Eyebrows and eyelashes appear. Nails appear on fingers and toes. The fetus is more active with increased muscle development. "Quickening" usually occurs (the mother and others can feel the fetus moving). The fetal heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope.
Electroencephalography indicates that the capacity for functional pain perception in premature infants does not exist before 29 or 30 weeks; a 2005 meta-analysis states that withdrawal reflexes and changes of heart rates and hormone levels in response to invasive procedures are reflexes that do not indicate fetal pain. [8]
Maternal fetal stress transfer is a physiological phenomenon in which psychosocial stress experienced by a mother during her pregnancy can be transferred to the fetus. Psychosocial stress describes the brain's physiological response to perceived social threat. Because of a link in blood supply between a mother and fetus, it has been found that ...