Fetal Development

Your Options Medical offers a host of services including pregnancy testing, ultrasound, and options counseling. When serving patients, some women want to know details about early fetal development.

We receive a lot of questions, but here are a few answers to the most common fetal development questions that come our way.

“What is the difference between an embryo and a fetus?”

The terms embryo and fetus signify the unborn baby’s level of development. Similar to using the terms infant, toddler, adolescent, teenager or adult.

A preborn human begins life being known as a zygote. The zygote stage is when sperm fertilizes an egg creating a single cell. The embryo stage of development occurs from conception to nine weeks after fertilization. Finally, the stage of development when the unborn baby is known as a fetus occurs from nine weeks after fertilization to birth.

 “When does the heart begin to beat?”

It has been proven that a fetal heartbeat can be detected at just 22 days after conception. Only three weeks of development, the baby is already using its own blood for his or her developing heart.

At Your Options Medical, we perform early ultrasounds, and part of the ultrasound scan includes checking for a heartbeat to see if the pregnancy is likely to continue. Fun Fact: The heartbeat appears on an ultrasound as a flicker of light.

“When can the baby feel pain?”

By eight weeks after fertilization, the nerve cells have developed and many of the body’s major functions are continuing to grow and mature. Studies show that a fetus will react to touch and recoil in pain.

In order to determine exactly how far along you are and if your baby has reached the stage where it can feel pain, an ultrasound exam must be performed to track accurate dating of your pregnancy.

If you think you might be pregnant, make an appointment with Your Options Medical today! Our staff is trained to provide information on early fetal development. Additionally, you can receive pregnancy testing, an ultrasound, and options counseling. All of our services are confidential and free of charge– no insurance is required. 

Your Options Medical provides confidential services and care you can trust. Contact Your Options Medical today!