{"id":32564,"date":"2024-04-15T13:00:08","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T13:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/?p=32564"},"modified":"2025-10-29T16:28:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T16:28:27","slug":"what-is-the-placenta-when-does-it-form-what-does-it-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/us\/2024\/04\/what-is-the-placenta-when-does-it-form-what-does-it-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Placenta, When Does it Form, and What Does it Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

The formation of the placenta represents a pivotal moment in pregnancy. Often thought of as the life support system for the growing fetus, the placenta represents the beginning of the nurturing bond between mother and child.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An intricate organ, the placenta undergoes a process of development that is at once fast and yet also remarkable, and is essential to the growth and health of your new baby.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this blog, we\u2019ll answer some of the most important questions about the placenta, like \u2018what is the placenta?\u2019, \u2018when does the placenta form?\u2019, and \u2018what does the placenta do?\u2019. We\u2019ll also cover how the placenta could hold the key for unlocking the future of medicine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is the placenta?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The placenta is a temporary organ that is a bit like a pancake in shape and comes to measure around 20 cm in diameter and is on average 3 cm thick at the point of delivery. <\/span>[1]<\/span><\/a> It forms in the womb, also known as the uterus, during the first few weeks of pregnancy and attaches to the uterine wall where it is connected to your baby via the umbilical cord.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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When does the placenta form?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The formation of the placenta usually begins at around week four of pregnancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Approximately a week after a sperm fertilizes an egg about 120 cells called the blastocyst implant themselves into the wall of the womb. Around two thirds of these cells split away and implant themselves deeper into the uterine wall where, instead of preparing to develop into the arms, legs and other body parts of your baby, they will prepare to form into the placenta. <\/span>[2]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

From there the placenta will continue to develop over the next two months, taking over the role of the corpus luteum – a collection of cells that produce progesterone, a hormone necessary for sustaining the fetus during the early stages of pregnancy – at around weeks 10-12. <\/span>[3]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

The placenta will then be solely responsible for sustaining your baby into the second and third trimesters.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What does the placenta do?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The placenta has a myriad range of functions that help to sustain and protect your baby while it grows in the womb. <\/span>[4]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

These include:<\/span><\/p>\n