Week3-Conception through Infancy-Journet

While reading the three chapters about conception through infancy, I thought I was an expert because I already have three children of my own.  There was a lot of material that I did find very interesting.  Although I have read most of this before and have personally experienced it, I realized that it is not an easy process to go from conception through through infancy.  I personally had no complications with pregnancy or births and I'm blessed to have had three healthy children.  So my perception of the whole thing is that it was easy.  In reading the first chapter, I was surprised that a male ejaculation produces about 100 to 250 billion sperm but only about 200 make it up the Fallopian tubes(FioreChapter1).  The conditions must be perfect for fertilization.  Many fertilized eggs may self terminate if things are not right..  Environmental factors also play a roll in the prenatal period.  Assuming that everything goes well during pregnancy the mom will start the labor and delivery.

         We read in chapter 4 about the process of birth.  Once again thinking back to my personal experiences,   My labor and deliveries were rather simple and epidural free.  Within 3-4 hours of arriving at the hospital I delivered 3 healthy babies separately.  The book explains about the complications that may occur during labor and delivery such as a baby in breech position or the umbilical cord wrapped around the babies neck.  Complications may also also affect the mom such as fever or infections.  A women at risk of complications make deliver her baby through cesarean section to minimize any danger to her baby or herself.  Every new parents wish is that there baby is born healthy.  Unfortunately, genes and environmental factor may cause a baby to be born with a disorder such as spinabifida or downs syndrome just to name a few.  Some disorders  maybe evident at birth and some may not be evident until past infancy stage like autism or develop much later into adulthood.  After delivery many woman are affected by postpartum blues and some are hit a little heavier with postpartum depression.  It takes a lot of adjusting to a new baby and also a woman's body is still going through a lot of changes.

         In Chapter 5 we learn about the Infancy Stage which is from birth to age 2.  It talks about how babies are born with natural reflexes such as sucking which is crucial for eating and survival.  Infants are measured using milestones to make sure the are growing healthy.  Some of these milestones include lifting their heads, rolling over and crawling.  They explain the process of language acquisition and Vygotskys 3 stage of language development.  I have witnessed many infants and toddlers in these stages.  In cognitive development we read about Piagets sensorimotor stage and   Information processing in infancy. I was very interested to read about attachment and the challenges of attachment during infancy.  It talks about how important it is for an infant to form a secure and warm attachment with mom.  It made me think back to when I was about 2 years old, although I don't remember, my mom told me about when she sent my brother and I to Mexico.  She was a single mom who just found a job and wanted to earn money to rent an apartment for us three.  She sent us to Mexico where we were cared for by our aunts.  We were there 4 months.  My aunts later told me that I cried a lot.  My mom told us about our return to Chicago and our new apartment.  I believe I had just turned.  My mom was so excited to be reunited with us.  We were home and she remembers my brother crying and telling her that he wanted his mom.  It broke her heart to hear that.  I'm sure it affected us in some way.  Two youngsters leaving their mom and having to depend on strangers in Mexico.  I'm sure we established a bond and then we were sent back to Chicago to go through it all over again.