The sex of the baby depends on the father’s sperm. Some sperm have what scientists call an ‘x factor’, which means they are capable of uniting with an ovum and making a female baby. Other sperm have a ‘y factor’, which means that they are capable of uniting with an ovum and making a male baby. If a y-factor sperm fertilizes the ovum, the baby will be a boy. If an x-factor sperm fertilizes the ovum, the baby will be a girl.
How long is a woman pregnant before she has a baby?
A woman is usually pregnant for about nine months. However, sometimes pregnancy can last for a little longer or a little less than nine months. If the baby isn’t born by the end of nine months, the doctor will carefully watch the woman for a few weeks or so. If the baby still isn’t born, the doctor may give the woman some medication that will make her have the baby because it isn’t healthy for the baby to stay in the uterus too long. But, this is unusual and most babies are born by the end of, at most, ten months.
Sometimes a pregnancy will last for less than nine months. If the baby is born at the end of only eight months or earlier, we say it is ‘premature’ or ‘pre-term’. Premature babies sometimes need special medical care, and if a baby is born too prematurely, before six months or so, its chances of surviving are much lower.
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