Hello Child Development students! So far this semester we have learned about the various stages of prenatal development and how each stage is considered critical from conception to birth. Today, some of you have had the opportunity to meet with me and explore the museum of Embryology in Loma Linda where it houses a collection of fetuses and models illustrating various stages of development. The purpose of this expedition was to bring together the academic information we have shared over the last few weeks of class and provide you with visual insight so you can share your personal thoughts and ideas in relation to child development.
Having seen these stages of prental development, has this experience shed any new light on what you have learned in the course over the last few weeks? Think about the exhibits you saw at the museum, while considering the “wives’ tales” and prenatal traditions we discussed in class. Now I invite you to share and provide examples of prenatal traditions that were considered appropriate for the pregnant women in your family. How did these traditions influence the developing fetus and do you think these actions are considered appropriate in today’s society?
Visiting the embryology museum was helpful in seeing the different stages of a developing embryo and fetus that we have been studying. Watching and reading about it doesn’t come close to seeing actual embryos and fetuses. It’s amazing how one single cell unites with another and multiplies into billions and trillions of new cells to create a human being. I have had a baby, and myself as well as many other women was not even aware of what occurs during pregnancy. We all know our babies are growing every day, but until learning about all that takes place and all that can go wrong, you just take for granted that you will get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby. I think life is a miracle in itself but to see from start to finish how our bodies work, I am amazed and believe that can only be the work of God. Seeing the two-headed baby and the baby with his legs fused together is proof that medicine and technology have come a long way. There are two programs on TLC (The Learning Channel) that have children that would not have survived had they been born 30 or 40 years ago. One is called the “Mermaid Girl” and her legs are fused together and the other one is about two sixteen-year old sisters that are conjoined and basically only have separate heads.
As for traditions in my family, we just make sure we do not smoke, drink or do drugs during pregnancy to minimize the possibilty of birth defects. I enjoyed the trip to the museum and found it very educational. Thank you for the opportunity.
Hello my name is Gricelda Valdez and I attented the embryology museum tour today. I must say it was an experience I wont forget! It definately helped me understand the developing stages of a fetus. In today’s society some woman seem to not understand that smoking, alcohol, and prescription drugs won’t harm baby. I learned so much today how some babys are born deformed or weigh less when a mother does not take care of herself from environmental influences. I also learned that the first three months of the embryo are crucial! Thank you so much for the experience.
What we have learned in class these couple weeks of a developing baby has scared, worried, and excite me a little also. I myself dont have childern yet because I just got married, but I am looking forward to having a child and did have worries and concerns like anymore woman. Since Mrs.Bailey lectured about all and everything that can affect a baby it has me even now taking extra care of myself it even has me telling my husband, brother, mom, and dad to stop smoking please for my health. The babies in the museum made everything Mrs.Bailey lectured more real like this can happen if your not careful so all this new information has me in alert for anything that can harm me. My child development is really helpful to me.
I never thought of working with kids, even though I’ve been told that I would be really great at it. I’m taking this class because I need it for my present job. This class has been very interesting, and I’m learning something new and different. It totally opened my eyes! The visit to the museum was very educational, and made me think what can really happen. I myself don’t have kids, but would love to have some day. I think it’s really neat that these days we have such a great technology and we’re able to actually see what is really going on in the women’s body during her pregnancy. I never would’ve imagine that even a little thing like fetus plays a huge part of our lives, especially for a woman. It was really amazing to see all these different fetuses in different times of its life. I’ve learned that the first three months of pregnancy is the most crucial time for a fetus to grow.
In today’s society we have so many things to prevent pregnancies, like birth control pills, patches, shots and other things, but really, have all these things been researched fully? I’ve read this article in the magazine a couple of years ago, about a girl who was taking birth control pills and she did not know she was pregnant. She was 5 months pregnant not knowing it. She didn’t have any general symptoms that noramlly pregnant woman would. But, then again, every body is different.
The Embrology museum was quite an eye opener! What a wonderful place for doctors and nurses to see and learn for their future careers in medicine. It amazed me to see the whole development of an embryo and the fetus in the various stages, unbelievable to see actual fingers and toes on an eight week embryo. The examples of babies with anomalies was startling, I thought cyclops were fiction, never have I seen one. Some of the examples were truly unreal. I understand that taking care of our bodies before and during pregnancy is so important. I took allergy pills when I was pregnant and my son had some issues, not like what we I saw in the museum but I now realize that those issues may have come from that particular drug, who knows. I also know a child that has an undeveloped arm, the mom also took somesort of allergy pill. Makes you think. Wish I had this class and the museum before I had my sons.
I was really taken with the cut a way of a couple of the babies, I was interested to see the fully formed organs and muscles. I do not know if they were term babies but I was fascinated by the internal view of the tongue and esophagus and larnyx and pharnyx. I recently had a speech class in which I studied the physiology of speech.
The museum was a trip worth the drive!
All I can say about this museum is WOW! The specimens that are in this museum are astonishing. I was so amazed with all the stages of the pregnancy and how a child grows in a woman. I never seen such a great visual. At first I thought this was unreal and I kept on asking myself if the specimens were real? He kept on insisting that they were! What I was mostly amazed by was all the fetuses that had abnormalities, these fetuses are great examples that a woman should watch out for teratogens. Smoking, drinking, and a small amount of stress can cause a baby to have defects. Or even just genetics from both the parents can cause these defects. I was so surprised about two specific fetuses and it was the one that had a tail in its back. It seemed completely normal but once I looked at its back it had a tail! There was also another fetus that broke my heart and that was the one with all its intestines outside its body. These are the defects that Dr. Bailey was talking about that a woman is bound to see when she is introduced to teratogens. After I left the museum I couldn’t stop talking about the museum and I wanted to bring all of my girlfriends to experience these things and especially those who drink. I would seriously take my body seriously and especially if I want to begin a family one day. I would definitely take all these risk factors into consideration and have these specimens into consideration as well. I would definitely go back!
In Feb. 18, 2010 I attended the embryology museum tour. It’s something so amazing that I cannot explain with words. I wish that woman that do not understand that smoking, alcohol, and prescription drugs harm baby would be able to see what could happened to their baby, like we did. If before I didn’t support abortions before I definitely do not support it now. At the moment I don’t have kids because I’m not married or feel ready but now that I seen the little embryo and fetus; I want to take care of my body more than I do now so I can prepare my body for an amazing experience of being a mother. I don’t understand how anyone could hurt an in defenseless baby that is growing inside of them. I wish that my boyfriend could of experience what I experienced that day.
I am really glad I attended the embryology museum it was very educational and an eye opener. It’s important to take special care while you are pregnant and avoid teratogens such as smoking, alcohol, drugs and even prescription drugs. The fetuses that had no spines. The fetus that had a cleft lip and the cyclops baby I saw was amazing to me. We are very lucky in California to have one of the best embryology museums that has a complete collection of the different stages of embryos, fetuses, and other specimens. I know that in this day in age we are less likely to see such as the ones in the museum. I have to say I am a mother of two lovely daughters and for me the thought that there was a mother behind these embyos, fetuses, and babies that donated them to science was breath taking and a amazing expierience .
Hello my name is Mariana Al-hawash, on February 18. I attended to embriology museum were I was able to experience how amazingly life is,
I sincerely thank Mrs. Bailey for giving us this opportunity. As I began my journey in the museum, I began to see all the embryos. I remembered when my doctor told me during my first pregnancy that I had diabetes. I was very shocked at first, not knowing what to do or what could happen to me or my baby. Then I began to question myself and not finding an answer, I question
my husband, Why me? Why is this happening to me? I didn’t know why diabetes had been found in my blood because I always consider myself a healthy person with good eating habits. On my next doctor’s appointment, my doctor gave directions on what I needed to do in order to control my blood sugar, and he warned me about giving me insulin on my next visit, if my blood sugar wasn’t control by then. He also mentioned that my baby had risk of being born with malformations or addicted to insulin. As soon as I heard everything the doctor had told me I began to follow his instructions step by step. Luckily, my sugar was controlled and insulin was never needed. That is why a lot of memories came across my mind when I saw the teratogens in the museum, especially when I saw the one was caused by diabetes. then I realize the importance of a healthy baby, ans I said to my self , “Thank you God for giving a healthy baby”
I have to admit that while the Embryology Museum was a very neat experience, it left me with a queasy stomach. The guide (I think he was a doctor as well) said that the deformities were rare, but it still made me sad to see all those fetuses and babies like that. I had a hard time eating the rest of the day. I felt empathy for the moms who had to carry those babies for so long, only to have them turn out that way. That being said, it was amazing to see how developed the fetus is at only 4 months. You could see the arms, legs, even the toes! The uterus looked like a wonderful protective shell.
Some prenatal traditions in my family are to stay away from smoking, drinking, and doing drugs. Something I’ve always heard is not to tell anyone (except close family members) you’re pregnant until after 3 months, when the likelyhood of a miscarriage has passed. I think these traditions are appropriate for the developing fetus and in today’s society. Most women I know wait to tell everyone they’re pregnant after 3 months, when they start to “look fat”.
Its was a very good learning experience. Seeing all the embryos made me realize how blessed I am that I have healty child. This field trip made me a million times closer to my son and his mother. That was really a life changing experience for me. I never seen anything like it. Sites like these only come once in a life time. It’s sad that all those embryos didn’t get a chance to enjoy the world. But that should be a lesson for anyone in the future who wants to have kids. They key is to stay healthy and close to god.
Thank you for the Field Trip. Amazing! Totally a good experienced to see the embryo process. My stomach was queasy when I left the museum. I was amazed how the human fetus is formed. What a miracle! It was so sad to see and witness some of the developing fetus’, we hope and wish that it doesn’t happen but unfortunately teragons and diseases do exist. Every mother to be should be very careful and take every precaution of human life. I have learned a whole lot through this field trip, it will help me stay educated and help me educate my children and grandchild with the prenatal care process so they may have healthy babies in the future.