By the fifth week of pregnancy, the baby will have a fully functioning heart.

I have no idea why people call this controversial because there is nothing controversial about life and science. Life begins at conception. It’s science and basic biology.

Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed into law the bill “Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act.” This bill “prohibit abortions in the state after a heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.”

The Bill

Before everyone loses their mind, the bill exempts those in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother’s life is in danger.

Georgia State Rep. Ed Setzler stated that “science, law, and the simple fact that common sense says a beating heart is a sign of life and those children should receive the full protection of the law.”

No matter how many leftist Hollywood activists complain, Kemp explained that “Georgia is a state that values life” and the people will always “stand up for those who are unable to speak for themselves.”

Kemp acknowledged others will challenge the bill, but promised to “not back down” and “continue to fight for life.”

Georgia Republican Rep. Jody Hice celebrated the signing in a press release via email:

“When you have a heartbeat, you have a life, and we should honor and protect life at all costs,” said Congressman Hice. “With the signing of the LIFE Act today, this event is more significant than simply the enactment of a new law. This is a crucial confirmation of the self-evident truth that all innocent lives are precious and sacred – and should be treated that way. I applaud Governor Kemp and the Georgia State Legislature for proving their unwavering commitment to the most vulnerable among us, and I am optimistic that we are seeing a change of heart on a national scale.”

The bill goes into effect in January 2020.

Governors in Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Ohio have all signed similar bills into law. Legislatures in Louisiana, South Carolina, and West Virginia have started to consider heartbeat bills.

SCIENCE!

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Let’s talk about this science. From Healthline.com (emphasis mine):

A fetal heartbeat may first be detected by a vaginal ultrasound as early as 5 1/2 to 6 weeks after gestation. That’s when a fetal pole, the first visible sign of a developing embryo, can sometimes be seen. But between 6 1/2 to 7 weeks after gestation, a heartbeat can be better assessed. That’s when your doctor may schedule your first abdominal or vaginal ultrasound to check for signs of a healthy, developing pregnancy.

The sex of the unborn human happens right at conception, which happens during the third week (emphasis mine):

So will your lone little cell miraculously become a girl or a boy? Though it will be months before you can find out for sure (if you decide to before delivery day), that remarkable determination has already been made, believe it or not. Ready for a crash course in biology? The fertilized egg contains 46 chromosomes — 23 from you, 23 from Dad. The mother (that’s you!) always provides an X chromosome, but the father can provide either an X or a Y. If the sperm that fertilizes your egg carries an X, the XX zygote will be a girl. If the sperm is Y-bearing, your XY zygote will be a boy.

It does not take long for this unborn human being to begin development. By the fourth week, the heart takes shape along with the digestive system, sex organs, bones, kidneys, and muscles. The cells on the outer layer immediately begin to form the nervous system, hair, skin, and eyes.

By the next week, the fifth, the unborn human being has a circulatory system and blood…along with the heart (emphasis mine):

When those tubes fuse together, your baby will have a fully functioning heart, though he almost certainly has his grip on yours already! Also in the works this week are several other organs, including the neural tube — the precursor to your baby’s brain and spinal cord — which hasn’t yet sealed. But by next week, that open-door policy is over.

Most pregnant women receive their first ultrasound at 6 weeks. It is vaginal because the unborn human being is only the size of a grain of rice. But that “clump of cells” has the most beautiful sound in the world: a loud heartbeat.

You know what else develops fast at 6 weeks? The unborn human being’s kidneys, liver, and lungs. Obviously the heart has already developed. More from What to Expect:

You might be coping with full-blown pregnancy symptoms (poor girl), but there’s plenty of good news too. The folds of tissue in the prominent bump on top — the head — are developing into your baby’s jaw, cheeks and chin, which will eventually become one adorable face. And are those little indentations on both sides of the head the sweet dimples you always hoped your baby would inherit from your mom’s side of the family? No, they’re ear canals in the making. Small dots on the face will form the eyes and button nose in a few weeks. Also taking shape this week: her kidneys, liver and lungs, along with her little heart, which is now beating about 110 times a minute (and getting faster every day).

You have a human being inside of you. A separate entity with his or her own DNA and body.



