Participants: Patti Barnes
Series Code: DIV
Program Code: DIV000003A
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00:01 The contents of the following program
00:03 are not intended to substitute 00:05 for the advice of your healthcare provider, 00:07 and the producers of this series 00:09 assume no liability for the use or misuse 00:12 of the material presented. 00:21 Creation or evolution, 00:23 design or random chance, 00:27 they say it all began with a big bang, 00:31 but when we look at the amazing human body, 00:34 the answer is obvious. 00:36 The complexity of the design 00:38 exceeds anything man has ever made. 00:41 The body, it only have been designed 00:43 by the master designer we read about in the Bible. 00:49 Divine Design. 01:03 Hello, I'm Patti Barnes, 01:05 Director of the Midwifery program at Hartland College. 01:09 If you recall from our last session 01:11 the baby was at 16 weeks. 01:14 Although the eyes are still closed, 01:16 there is a sensitivity to bright lights 01:20 in the environment. 01:21 This reveals the importance 01:23 of establishing a regular schedule. 01:26 So the baby begins to distinguish 01:29 between night and day. 01:31 If you are a person that stays up all night, 01:35 you can expect your baby to do the same. 01:38 This is why it's so very important 01:41 to keep regular hours for bed time, 01:43 in order to train your baby properly while in utero. 01:47 It will make things a lot easier 01:50 when he or she is born. 01:52 At around 17 to 18 weeks, 01:54 the mother begins to feel movement, 01:56 even though the baby has been moving for quite sometime now. 02:00 An ultrasound is capable at this time 02:03 of determining the gender. 02:05 At 18 weeks the baby has grown to nearly 6 inches 02:11 and weighs almost a half a pound. 02:15 Now everyone knows what happens to your skin 02:18 when you stay for a long period of time in the water, 02:22 it wrinkles up like a prune, doesn't it? 02:25 God has taken care of this problem too. 02:28 It is around the 18th week that He provides a baby 02:33 with a creamy waxy like substance 02:35 called Vernix Caseosa. 02:39 This is from the Latin words Vernix meaning varnish, 02:43 and Caseosa meaning cheese. 02:47 This covers the baby skin and protects it 02:50 during the remaining time in the womb, 02:53 but this is no mere skin cream, 02:56 it is also made up of antibiotics 02:58 that protect the baby from skin infections. 03:02 Enzymes, proteins, and other valuable properties 03:05 are also found in Vernix. 03:08 It was reported 03:09 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 03:12 that a number of immunity factors 03:15 are present in Vernix. 03:18 This is why so many healthcare providers 03:21 choose not to wash it off immediately after birth, 03:24 but rub it into the baby skin. 03:27 Amazingly Vernix Caseosa is unique to humans, 03:32 not being found in any other mammals 03:35 including primates. 03:38 Jesus the creator of all life 03:40 made special provision for the human baby. 03:43 Indeed we are fearfully and wonderfully made. 03:47 At 20 weeks we have reached 03:50 the half way point of pregnancy, 03:53 which is generally considered to last 40 weeks. 03:57 The uterus should measure about 20 centimeters, 04:01 and from this time on the uterus should be growing 04:05 1 centimeter per week. 04:08 At 20 weeks the baby is about 7 to 8 inches long 04:12 and weighs anywhere from 9 to 10 ounces. 04:16 Toenails and fingernails are growing, 04:18 and the baby skin is getting thicker. 04:21 The baby is becoming a little more active, 04:23 and you might began to feel him hiccupping, 04:26 a sought of rhythmic movement or spasms. 04:30 This is normal 04:32 and it's caused by amniotic fluid 04:34 entering and exiting the baby's lungs. 04:38 This actually helps develop 04:39 the baby's respiratory functions. 04:43 At this point the baby's brain is in high gear 04:46 as it further develops a senses of hearing, 04:49 sight, touch, smelling, and taste. 04:54 That sounds the baby hear now 04:57 will be ones he will identify with more readily after birth. 05:02 He will also begin hearing and recognizing your voice. 05:06 Pathways in the brain are being formed 05:09 that will affect the baby's attitude 05:11 and disposition and moods. 05:14 In Adventist Home, page 258 we read, 05:18 "Every women about to become a mother, 05:21 whatever may be her surroundings, 05:23 should encourage constantly a happy, 05:26 cheerful, contented disposition, 05:29 knowing that for all her efforts in this direction 05:32 she will be repaid tenfold in the physical, 05:35 as well as the moral character of her offspring." 05:39 Kathleen Thomas, a cognitive development specialist 05:43 at the University of Minnesota has reported 05:47 that the lab experiments have clearly shown 05:50 that babies can remember 05:52 and recognize their mother's voice 05:54 almost immediately after birth. 05:57 They will also prefer a book 06:00 that they had read to them repeatedly in the womb. 06:04 In the book Mind Character and Personality, volume 1, 06:08 page 140 we read, 06:10 "What an enormous weight of responsibility 06:13 rests upon parents 06:15 when we consider that the course pursued by them 06:17 before the birth of their children has very much to do 06:21 with the development of their character after their birth." 06:25 At 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy, 06:28 the baby will have grown to about 10 to 11 inches long 06:32 and now weighs from 1 to 1 1/2 pounds, 06:35 the eyebrows and eyelashes are now fully formed, 06:39 and the eyelids can be as clearly seen. 06:43 At this point the baby may begin sucking his thumb. 06:47 Thumb sucking 06:49 helps improve the baby's hand muscle, coordination 06:52 and prepares the baby for nursing after birth. 06:56 Amazingly at 24 weeks 06:59 the baby has a 50 percent chance of survival 07:02 outside the womb. 07:04 Let us move forward to about 26 to 28 weeks. 07:08 The average size is now 14 to 15 inches 07:12 and the weight is about 2 to 2 and a quarter pounds. 07:16 The eyes are open now. 07:18 And by the way did you know 07:20 that all Caucasian babies are born with blue eyes. 07:24 They won't get their final color 07:26 until months after they're born. 07:28 This is because they are not born 07:31 with enough a pigment called melanin. 07:35 Unlike African-American, Hispanic, 07:37 and Asian babies who have more melanin at birth. 07:41 The viability or survival rate outside the womb 07:45 now increases to about 70 to 90 percent, 07:49 although they will need probably a lot of support 07:52 in the neonatal intensive care unit. 07:55 One of the reason for this increase survival rate 07:59 is because of substance called surfactant 08:02 is beginning to develop. 08:04 This is another wonder of God's design. 08:08 Its purpose is to keep the lung tissue 08:11 from sticking together, helping the lungs to inflate. 08:16 Imagine if you had two wet sheets, a paper 08:20 and you put them together they would stick, 08:23 because of the surface tension, wouldn't they? 08:26 But the surfactant is designed to reduce that surface tension 08:29 between the tissues. 08:32 And the surfactant level does not reach its peak 08:34 until about 37 weeks. 08:37 This is why babies born before 37 weeks 08:41 are considered premature. 08:44 In Job 27:3 we read, 08:47 "All the while my breath is in me, 08:49 and the spirit of God is in my nostrils." 08:53 The word spirit here comes from the Hebrew word Ruach, 08:58 which means wind or breath of life, 09:01 that comes from God. 09:03 He not only gives the baby the breath of life 09:06 but provides everything necessary 09:10 to keep the breath sustain. 09:13 Okay, now we come to week 30 to 32. 09:17 The baby may weigh between 3 and 4 pounds 09:20 and reach 16 to 17 inches. 09:23 As you can see the size is gaining rapidly. 09:27 There is now less space in the uterus 09:30 and the mother might feel 09:31 like she's running out of room in her belly. 09:34 Generally baby will have settled 09:36 into a head down position by now, 09:39 for that is what they naturally tend to do. 09:42 Only about 5 percent or less that babies 09:45 will assume a breech position by full term. 09:49 Head down is a best position of course 09:52 making the delivery a little easier. 09:56 Hands are fully formed by this time 09:58 and the baby may be seen in an ultrasound 10:01 clasping his hands together or grabbing his feet 10:06 I have seen them taking hold of the cord, 10:09 this is all a part of muscle, nerve, 10:11 and brain development. 10:14 Now something else may happen about this time. 10:19 Have you ever heard of the term Braxton Hicks, 10:22 a man by that name discovered 10:24 that expectant mothers sometimes had contractions 10:28 that did not lead to labor. 10:30 These contractions can appear about this time, 10:34 but they've been known to occur even earlier. 10:37 These have also been considered practice contractions 10:42 as they will increase 10:44 and intensify the closer you get to delivery. 10:47 These contractions are not painful, 10:49 but they apparently have a purpose 10:52 toning up the muscles in the uterus, 10:54 and helping the blood circulation 10:57 to the placenta. 10:58 At 34 to 35 weeks, 11:00 the baby should be about 18 inches 11:02 and weigh between 4 and 5 pounds. 11:04 Fat deposits are beginning to develop 11:07 which will help regulate the baby's temperature. 11:11 The amount of fat will not be quite enough 11:13 to keep him warm if delivered at this time, 11:16 so an incubator might be necessary. 11:19 The volume of amniotic fluid 11:21 will generally peak at this point to about a quart, 11:25 and then gradually decrease until birth. 11:28 This decrease will allow more space for the baby. 11:32 Too much fluid or too little fluid could be a problem, 11:36 but fortunately 11:37 these conditions are somewhat rare. 11:40 Now could this optimal amount of amniotic fluid 11:42 just happened by chance, obviously not. 11:46 This is more evidence of God's divine design. 11:50 This brings us to our last 4 weeks of pregnancy 11:53 providing you don't go over. 11:55 The baby may grow half a pound or more per week, 11:59 now putting on that necessary fat 12:01 to maintain the right body temperature. 12:04 The baby is perfectly formed at this point, 12:07 but we would like to reach at least 37 weeks 12:10 before delivery 12:12 which will allow for the lungs to strengthen 12:14 and the proper amount of surfactant to be present. 12:18 His movement will probably decline somewhat 12:21 as he gets settled into the fetal position. 12:26 Okay, you're finally here, full term 40 weeks, 12:31 however there is no problem 12:32 if you should happen to go 42 weeks, 12:35 but problems could arise, if you go any longer than that. 12:39 Only about 5 percent of women give birth on their due day, 12:44 so don't be surprised if you don't give birth 12:47 right on your estimated due date. 12:50 On average the baby should weigh anywhere 12:52 from 7 to 8 pounds, but could be more or less. 12:56 His length will approximately be 20 to 22 inches. 13:00 Amazingly 13:01 the top of the baby's head is soft and pliable, 13:04 and the bones at the ridge of the skull 13:07 are not yet fused together, 13:09 so that they can overlap slightly 13:11 during that tight delivery. 13:14 This is another provision of our all wise creator 13:17 making it easier and safer 13:19 for the baby to pass through the birth canal. 13:23 All systems are functional and ready to go. 13:26 Lord willing, we will explore in the future 13:29 some amazing transition 13:31 that must take place at delivery. 13:35 In Isaiah 44: 24 we read, 13:38 "Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, 13:41 and he that formed thee from the womb, 13:43 I am the Lord that maketh all things, 13:46 that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, 13:49 that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself." 13:52 Join me next time for more of God's Divine Design. |
Revised 2016-09-13