So, have you had your ultrasound yet? Have you seen your baby’s first picture or listened to his or her heartbeat? For many pregnant women, that’s the moment their baby becomes truly real to them. I encourage you to savor that prenatal appointment and to be sure to keep a copy of your baby’s ultrasound picture and/or video. It’s something you will always treasure.

Which reminds me: if you’re like most pregnant women, you are curious to know everything that’s happening with the baby growing and developing inside you. That’s why I wanted to pass along the news that the National Geographic Channel will be hosting a two-hour special called "In the Womb." It airs Friday, May 12 at 9P et/pt.

Here’s the description:

"Before it takes its first breath, a human baby has been through an incredible transformation from a single cell to a complex, self-sustaining organism. Ground-breaking photography, computer graphics, and 4-D imaging reveal this amazing process in real time inside the womb."

If you don’t get the National Geographic Channel, or won’t be able to watch, you can still learn more on the web. There are dozens of places to track your baby’s growth and progress, and to learn more. First, National Geographic’s own website has some additional information; just click here.

And there are many other sites devoted to a baby’s development. Here’s a popular one, with a week-by-week update on what’s happening with your baby.
Also at this page, there is a pregnancy calendar where you can sign up for e-mail alerts to arrive in your inbox each week, so that you don’t have to keep checking the site.

Adoption.com has a similar page, here.

Finally, Babycenter.com features pictures of how your baby progresses month by month.

I know that when your pregnancy is unplanned or you consider it a crisis, it's easy to forget about all the cool, fascinating aspects of being pregnant. But try to enjoy the experience and learn as much as you can about the baby inside you. I hope you'll find these good sources of information about fetal development.