Civitas - Tools For Shaping Children's Lives

Fetal development by month.

Month 1: Cells teeming
The fertilized egg (zygote) explodes with activity, proliferating wildly and migrating to other areas of the "body" where cells organize according to specialized functions.

Month 2: Body formed
Main structural components — facial features, limbs, organs — are completely formed. About one inch in length, the fetus is starting to take a baby-like form.

Month 3 and 4: Constant motion
The baby swims, turns and stretches, exercising its developing muscles. It rarely stops moving, although most first-time moms don't feel any movement until the fifth month.

Months 5 and 6: Senses engaged
Several senses are highly developed. The baby strokes its face and body, hears sounds outside the womb and may detect fluctuation in daylight and open its eyes for the first time.

Months 7 - 9: Getting ready
The fetus looks and acts like the baby it will soon become. If born at seven or eight months, it will probably survive but may need breathing support.

From the book Understanding Children.

Tricks for In Utero Interaction
1.	Talk and read to your baby frequently. This way, she will know your voice well by the time she is born. With enough conversation directed her way, she can hear dad's voice also.
2.	Play your favorite music. Studies have indicated that babies can "remember" music they heard repeatedly in utero as late as one year of age.
3.	Engage him in a tapping game. When you feel the baby kick or move at a certain spot on mom's abdomen, gently tap in the same place.
4.	Provide a calming touch. If the baby seems restless, soothe her by gently stroking mom's abdomen.
5.	Take stress seriously. Babies in utero act differently when the mother is stressed or upset. Try to reduce or eliminate those stress-inducing factors that may be within your control. Stress management can also help decrease the risk of early, long and painful labor and better prepare mom to deal with the challenges of parenting.
6.	Create a pleasant environment. Although muffled by mom's womb, sounds from the outside do reach baby. Avoid unpleasant noise when possible to create a relaxing ambiance your baby.
From the book Understanding Children. How have you connected with your baby while in utero? Your ideas could appear on our site. Send them to Civitas.

	*Understanding Children* 207 pages price: $25.00

Do you know why certain nutrients are important for pregnant women? Where they are found? Which are the best nutrients to be consumed?

While pregnant women might have the pleasure of eating for two, they also have the obligation to make the right nutritional choices. What a pregnant woman eats directly impacts the baby's growth and development.

Our downloadable prenatal nutritional chart will give you the full scoop on:

o	Folic acid — in sufficient quantity, can help prevent birth defects
o	Protein — needed for brain development
o	Calcium — essential for bone development
o	Iron — ensures proper oxygen for the baby, among other benefits
o	Fluids — develops a baby's circulatory system
From the book Understanding Children.

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