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Gestation
Period during the carrying of an embryo / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See also: Pregnancy
Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent).[1] It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time, for example in a multiple birth.[2]
![Drawing of a sagittal cross-section of a fetus in the pregnant parent's amniotic cavity.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Feminology%3B_a_guide_for_womankind%2C_giving_in_detail_instructions_as_to_motherhood%2C_maidenhood%2C_and_the_nursery_%281902%29_%2814761381441%29.jpg/640px-Feminology%3B_a_guide_for_womankind%2C_giving_in_detail_instructions_as_to_motherhood%2C_maidenhood%2C_and_the_nursery_%281902%29_%2814761381441%29.jpg)
The time interval of a gestation is called the gestation period. In obstetrics, gestational age refers to the time since the onset of the last menses, which on average is fertilization age plus two weeks.[3]