Placenta & Fetal Development

The blastocyst is comprised of two layers-an inner cell mass and an outer layer. The inner cell mass is what becomes the embryo; the outer layer is what forms the fetal side of the placenta. When the blastocyst implants in the uterine wall, the cells... Full Answer

The general rule about organ development is that all of your organs are formed in utero and that's the set you live with, but you can think of the placenta as a kind of an organ transplant from your fetus to you that naturally forms inside you. After... Full Answer

Interestingly, since the spinal cord is further advanced in development than the brain for most of your pregnancy, it's responsible for the fetal movements and reflexes you feel as kicks. In the last few months of pregnancy, the hemispheres of the brain... Full Answer

Your child wants nutrients rather than calories, so concentrate on eating foods that don't come with labels. You want to avoid simple carbohydrates (i.e., white foods like refined sugar, pasta, white rice, and white bread). These foods force your blood... Full Answer

There aren't a whole lot of products out there that really tout their placental benefits so you may be unaware that there are indeed things that you can do to improve placental function. Above all, you want to maintain good arterial health yourself by... Full Answer

One of the reasons we care so much about a mother's health during pregnancy is because it will influence the way the placenta functions by determining the amount of surface area of the placenta available for the efficient exchange of nutrients. For... Full Answer

Besides filtering and exchange nutrients and gases, the placenta also has other duties, including making and secreting many hormones. Some of these include: Estrogen: In pregnancy, estrogen stimulates the growth of the uterus and improves blood flow... Full Answer

The placenta basically functions like this: Mom's blood flows into the blood lake on her side of the placenta, which bathes the chorionic villi that are threaded through with fetal blood vessels. Small molecules and nutrients (like oxygen, glucose,... Full Answer

Fetal programming refers to changes in gene expression that affect the growth and functioning of the placenta, the amazing organ that filters nutrients, oxygen, and waste between mother and baby. If a mother's genes for placental growth are turned off... Full Answer

The placenta is a large organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy and is connected to the fetus by the umbilical cord. Through the blood vessels in the umbilical cord and placenta, the fetus receives oxygen and nutrients from the mother and gets... Full Answer