1. Upon conception, the fertilised ovum for the foetus Liam will undergo extensive cell division will travel to the uterus within the next 3 to 4 days and will proceed to undergo implantation in the lining of the uterus during the first and second weeks commencing ovulation and fertilization. During the 3rd and 4th week of gestational age after the conception of the foetus Liam, the heart of the foetus will begin to undergo formation, which further initiates blood circulation. The 6th week will witness the adequately developing its head and upper body components coupled with the proliferation of limb buds. The premature tubular heart of the foetus will begin beating followed by proliferation of its neural tube (Giedd et al. 2015, p. 43). By the 8th week, the foetus Liam will develop a heart which is has four chambers, proliferate fingers and initiate nerve impulse transmission from the brain and spinal cord developing from the neural tube. The foetus at 10 weeks will display distinctive limbs, bone cell formation in replacement of cartilage, formation of eyelids and increased head size. At 12 weeks, the foetus will demonstrate fused eyelids, developing fingernails, formation of almost all major body organ systems and minor, negligible detection of motor movements (Kruggel 2018, p. 625). The foetus at 14 weeks is able to open its mouth and swallow and blood formation is demonstrated by its bone marrow. It will now be possible to determine the gender of the foetus at 16 weeks. It will demonstrate an erect head, developing legs and ‘lanugo’ or fine hair growth. By the 18th week, the facial characteristics of Liam will be prominent and he will show response to sound (Song et al. 2017, p. 561). The 20th week will demonstrate sebaceous gland formation and Liam’s mother Eloise may be able to feel him kicking and moving. Liam may show grasping and sucking abilities through thumb sucking if observed from ultrasound. At 22 weeks, Liam will have developed toenails, complete lower limb formation and thickening of his lanugo. At 24 weeks, the foetus will demonstrate weight gain, a length of 12 inches and approximate weight of 2 pounds. The 26th will demonstrate Liam’s ability to response to sounds from Eloise and her surroundings. By the 28th, 30th and 32th week, the foetus Liam will display a protective layer of vernix caseosa, thick hair, pulmonary maturation, overall skin thickening and reaching a length of approximately 16 inches and weight of 4 pounds (Yu et al. 2016, p. 4385).
2. Upon conception and during pregnancy, Eloise will experience key physiological and structural changes such as gaining of weight, extension of her abdomen, enlargement of her breasts, enhancement and development of her mammary glands and most importantly, development of her placenta (Hoekzema, et al. 2017, p. 287). Further, the interplay of a number of hormones during pregnancy such as human chorionic gonadotropin and oxytocin to name a few, results in concentration of the grey matter in the maternal prefrontal cortex resulting in Eloise feeling anxious, depressed, nervous with frequent mood swings. After pregnancy during the post-partum period, Eloise’s uterus will undergo major contraction and size reduction followed by development of her breast tissues for the initiation of lactating and feeding baby Liam (Quinn et al. 2016, p. 78). The crying of the baby will further increase secretion of oxytocin in Eloise which in turn will stimulate her breast milk secretion. Oxytocin will also result in post-partum emotional and social changes in Eloise leading to her feeling a sense of bonding, attachment and need to engage in social interaction with Liam. Such emotional effects will enable Eloise to feel more protective towards Liam (Soma-Pillay et al. 2016, p. 89).
3. Exercise during pregnancy can combat fluctuating emotions in Eloise, resulting in mood improvements. Exercise during pregnancy will also induce strengthening of the pelvic and vaginal muscles which will Eloise in reducing her labour pains during giving birth to Liam vaginally. Further, increased insulin resistance to induce maternal blood glucose transfusion to the foetus during pregnancy may lead to gestational diabetes which can be regulated through exercise (Eclarinal et al. 2016, p. 2546). Further, post-partum exercise will not only help Eloise in reducing her excess weight but will also strengthen her pelvic, abdominal and cardiac muscles which were otherwise weakened due to labour. Exercise also helps in reducing postpartum depression and labour associated symptoms of constipation and backache in Eloise (Magro?Malosso et al. 2017, p. 927). Exercise during and after pregnancy enhances oxygen uptake in the mother which in turn results in improved oxygen and hence, nutrient transportation in the baby, Exercise will also result in improved cardiac circulation and muscle tone in the foetus. Hence, this will result in Liam being born post-partum with an improved nutritional and haemoglobin status, and a healthy heart free from malfunctioning (Barakat et al. 2016, p. 649).
4. In accordance to the guidelines recommended by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, pregnant women can exercise for 3 to 4 days weekly and non-consecutively, at a duration of 150 to 300 minutes. The exercise so incorporated must comprise of a moderate level of intensity associated with a achievement of a target heart rate of 102 to 124 and 101 to beats per minute, for women aged 20 to 29 years and 30 to 39 years respectively (Obsese-Gafa et al. 2016, p. 477). According to ‘Physical Activity Australia’ – an organization associated with the registration of physical activity professionals in Australia, recommends aerobic exercises such as swimming, walking, jogging, cycling, yoga or aqua-aerobics as safe for pregnancy. Hence, Eloise should aim to exercise for 3 to 4 days of mild exercise, for no more than an hour during her exercise and must monitor her heart rate or stop exercise if encountered with symptoms of pain, dizziness, breathlessness, swelling or excessive vaginal fluid secretion (Ceprnja, Chipchase & Gupta 2017, p. 6).Further, after pregnancy, she can gradually get back to the exercise guidelines recommended by the Department of Health which would include, exercising for almost every day of the week for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity coupled with resistance training twice a week (Bennie et al. 2015, p. 73).
Reference list
Barakat, R, Pelaez, M, Cordero, Y, Perales, M, Lopez, C, Coteron, J & Mottola, MF, 2016, Exercise during pregnancy protects against hypertension and macrosomia: randomized clinical trial. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, vol. 214, no. 5, pp.649-e1.
Bennie, JA, Pedisic, Z, van Uffelen, JG, Gale, J, Banting, LK, Vergeer, I, Stamatakis, E, Bauman, AE & Biddle, SJ, 2015, The descriptive epidemiology of total physical activity, muscle-strengthening exercises and sedentary behaviour among Australian adults–results from the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. BMC Public Health, vol. 16, no. 1, p.73.
Ceprnja, D, Chipchase, L & Gupta, A, 2017, Prevalence of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain and associated factors in Australia: a cross-sectional study protocol. BMJ open, vol. 7, no. 11, p.e018334.
Eclarinal, JD, Zhu, S, Baker, MS, Piyarathna, DB, Coarfa, C, Fiorotto, ML & Waterland, RA, 2016, Maternal exercise during pregnancy promotes physical activity in adult offspring. The FASEB Journal, vol. 30, no. 7, pp.2541-2548.
Giedd, JN, Raznahan, A, Alexander-Bloch, A, Schmitt, E, Gogtay, N & Rapoport, JL., 2015, Child psychiatry branch of the National Institute of Mental Health longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging study of human brain development. Neuropsychopharmacology, vol. 40, no. 1, p.43.
Hoekzema, E, Barba-Müller, E, Pozzobon, C, Picado, M, Lucco, F, García-García, D, Soliva, JC, Tobeña, A, Desco, M, Crone, EA & Ballesteros, A, 2017, Pregnancy leads to long-lasting changes in human brain structure. Nature Neuroscience, vol. 20, no. 2, p.287.
Kruggel, F, 2018, The macro-structural variability of the human neocortex. NeuroImage, vol. 172, pp.620-630.
Magro?Malosso, ER, Saccone, G, Di Tommaso, M, Roman, A & Berghella, V, 2017, Exercise during pregnancy and risk of gestational hypertensive disorders: a systematic review and meta?analysis. Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 96(8), pp.921-931.
Okesene?Gafa, K., Chelimo, C., Chua, S., Henning, M. and McCowan, L., 2016. Knowledge and beliefs about nutrition and physical activity during pregnancy in women from South Auckland region, New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, vol. 56, no. 5, pp.471-483.
Quinn, KE, Reynolds, LP, Grazul-Bilska, AT, Borowicz, PP & Ashley, RL, 2016, Placental development during early pregnancy: Effects of embryo origin on expression of chemokine ligand twelve (CXCL12). Placenta, vol. 43, pp.77-80.
Soma-Pillay, P, Catherine, NP, Tolppanen, H, Mebazaa, A, Tolppanen, H & Mebazaa, A, 2016, Physiological changes in pregnancy. Cardiovascular journal of Africa, vol. 27, no. 2, p.89.
Song, L, Mishra, V, Ouyang, M, Peng, Q, Slinger, M, Liu, S & Huang, H, 2017, Human fetal brain connectome: structural network development from middle fetal stage to birth. Frontiers in neuroscience, vol. 11, p.561.
Yu, Q, Ouyang, A, Chalak, L, Jeon, T, Chia, J, Mishra, V, Sivarajan, M, Jackson, G, Rollins, N, Liu, S & Huang, H, 2016, Structural development of human fetal and preterm brain cortical plate based on population-averaged templates. Cerebral Cortex, vol. 26, no. 11, pp.4381-4391.
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