fee-tus) floats in amniotic (

 


fee-tus) floats in amniotic (pronounced: am-nee-ah-tik) fluid inside the amniotic sac. The fetus receives oxygen and nourishment from the mother's blood via the placenta (pronounced: pluh-sen-tuh), a disk-like structure that sticks to the inner lining of the uterus and connects to the fetus via the umbilical (pronounced: um-bih-lih-kul) cord. The amniotic fluid and membrane cushion the fetus against bumps and jolts to the mother's body.
Pregnancy lasts an average of 280 days - about 9 months. When the baby is ready for birth, its head presses on the cervix, which begins to relax and widen to get ready for the baby to pass into and through the vagina. The mucus that has formed a plug in the cervix loosens, and with amniotic fluid, comes out through the vagina when the mother's water breaks.
When the contractions of labor begin, the walls of the uterus contract as they are stimulated by the pituitary hormone oxytocin (pronounced: ahk-see-toh-sin). The contractions cause the cervix to widen and begin to open. After several hours of this widening, the cervix is dilated (opened) enough for the baby to come through. The baby is pushed out of the uterus, through the cervix, and along the birth canal. The baby's head usually comes first; the umbilical cord comes out with the baby and is cut after the baby is delivered. The last stage of the birth process involves the delivery of the placenta, which is now called the afterbirth. After it has separated from the inner lining of the uterus, contractions of the uterus push it out, along with its membranes and fluids.
Things That Can Go Wrong With the Female Reproductive System
Girls and women may sometimes experience reproductive system problems. Below are some examples of disorders that affect the female reproductive system.