Educating students about puberty and basic reproductive anatomy lays the foundation for them to learn the facts about reproduction. It’s important that students have accurate information about how pregnancy happens. Students should learn that penile-vaginal intercourse is when an erect penis is placed in a vagina. If the penis releases semen (a process called ejaculation) in the vagina or on the vaginal opening, and the ovary has released an egg, then a single sperm in the semen could unite with an egg and begin the process of reproduction. The fertilized egg would then implant inside of the uterus to begin a pregnancy. If a pregnancy does not occur, the uterine lining is shed about once a month during a process called menstruation. Students should also learn that sexual intercourse is just one way that an egg and sperm might join. There are also medical procedures that can be used to join a sperm and an egg.

Generally, one fetus develops at a time, but it is also possible to have twins, triplets or even multiple pregnancies developing at the same time, sometimes as a result of more than one egg being fertilized, sometimes as a result of a fertilized egg splitting and sometimes as a result of medical procedures designed to help a person become pregnant.

Educators can begin to demystify pregnancy by making sure students have basic information about reproduction, like learning that pregnancy lasts for about 40 weeks. Students can also learn about how pregnant people can have a healthy pregnancy. For example, for a pregnant person and the developing fetus to be as healthy as possible, it is advised that the pregnant person be under the care of a midwife or obstetrician as soon as they know they are pregnant. This health care provider may advise a pregnancy person to take specific vitamins as well as make changes to their diet and sleep routine in order to have a healthy pregnancy.

The 40 weeks of pregnancy are divided into three trimesters. Generally, in the first trimester, the pregnant person might feel some “morning sickness,” which can be mild to severe and can include nausea and/or vomiting and can happen anytime of the day or night. Additionally, it is common for a pregnant person to feel very tired, very sensitive to smell, have food cravings, have swollen and tender breasts and have to urinate more frequently. These are all normal signs of early pregnancy.

Weight gain is more noticeable in the second trimester of pregnancy, defined at weeks 13 to 28. During this trimester, the pregnant person will begin to feel the fetus moving around independently, which is called “quickening.” Some people also notice their skin is stretching, which may be itchy or cause stretch marks. Their breasts are getting larger, and they may experience backaches and/or swollen ankles, as the typical weight gain for a pregnancy is about 30 to 35 pounds. This is the trimester when the pregnant person can learn the biological sex of their fetus if they want to.

During the third trimester, from weeks 29 to 40, the pregnant person may have more pronounced experiences of heartburn, shortness of breath, backaches, trouble sleeping, swollen ankles and other body parts, and general discomfort. These experiences are the result of the uterus stretching. The uterus is expanding to accommodate a fetus that may be 7 to 8 pounds at birth; the placenta, which helps provide nourishment for the fetus; and the amniotic fluid, which surrounds the fetus in the uterus. Some people may start to feel contractions a few weeks or days before childbirth in preparation for birth.

During delivery, generally the uterus contracts to push the baby out through the cervix, into the vaginal canal and out the vaginal opening. Babies can also leave the body via a surgical procedure called a Cesarean section (or C-section), which is done when a vaginal birth is not advisable for a variety of reasons. After the baby leaves the uterus, the umbilical cord, which has been providing food and nourishment to the fetus while in the uterus, is cut and eventually becomes the belly button on all humans. While there are many medical issues and conditions that can have an impact on a pregnant person and their fetus, generally pregnancy and birth are very normal and natural process.