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Information about the development of human beings before they are born. LIFE BEFORE BIRTH The life of a human being begins at fertilization (or conception), when a sperm cell fuses with an oocyte (egg) to produce a new human organism. This individual is called a zygote at the one-cell stage of development, an embryo through the first eight weeks, and a fetus from eight weeks until birth. Each of us was once a zygote, embryo, and fetus, just as we were once infants, toddlers, and adolescents. All of these terms refer to stages in the life of a member of the species Homo sapiens . Here are some of the milestones of human prenatal development. These dates are measured from the time of fertilization rather than from the last menstrual period (the dating method typically used during pregnancy), which occurs about two weeks earlier. Conception: A new member of the human species begins . The zygote has a complete and unique set of 46 chromosomes (23 from each parent), the entire genetic blueprint. He or she needs only a suitable environment and nutrition in order to develop himself or herself through the different stages of human life. 6 days: The developing embryo, called a blastocyst at this stage, begins attaching to the wall of the mother’s uterus. 17 days: Blood cells have developed. 19 days: The eyes start to develop. 20 days: The foundation of the nervous system has been laid. 18-21 days: The heart begins to beat. 28 days: 40 pairs of muscles have developed along the trunk of the new individual; arms and legs are forming. 30 days: Regular blood flow exists within the vascular system; the ears and nasal passages have begun to develop. 6 weeks: The skeleton is complete and reflexes are present. The child has measurable brain waves. 7 weeks: The baby has the appearance of a tiny infant, with fingers, toes, and ears. 8 weeks: All organs are functioning—stomach, liver, kidney, brain—and all systems are intact. 9-10 weeks: The baby squints, swallows, and retracts his or her tongue. 11-12 weeks: The baby sucks his or her thumb and inhales/exhales amniotic fluid. 16 weeks: The mother may begin to feel her child’s movements. The baby grasps with hands, swims, kicks, and turns somersaults 18 weeks: The vocal cords are working. 20 weeks: A wealth of evidence indicates that, at least by 20 weeks, unborn children can experience pain. In the fifth and sixth months, the child responds to outside stimuli, including music and voices. 22 weeks: Babies today are usually capable of surviving outside the womb (with assistance) at 22 weeks post-conception (24 weeks from the last menstrual period). They can often survive even earlier. This is called viability . 38 weeks: The unborn child dramatically increases in size and weight during the second half of pregnancy until birth at about 38 weeks (40 weeks from the last menstrual period). Birth, of course, is not the end of human development. The baby continues to grow and develop in the months, years, and decades to follow. The life of every human being is a continuum beginning at conception and proceeding (if all goes well) through the embryonic, fetal, infant, child, adolescent, and adult stages. More detailed information about human prenatal development, including photographs and videos, is available from the Endowment for Human Development .

See answers from 2026 gubernatorial candidates to MCCL's pro-life questionnaire.

Pro-life citizens can influence public policy by urging their representatives to support pro-life bills and oppose anti-life legislation. Here are some tips. TIPS FOR CONTACTING LAWMAKERS Elected officials work for you, their constituents, and they should know what their constituents think. Pro-life citizens can influence public policy by urging their representatives to support pro-life bills and oppose anti-life legislation. Here are some tips for contacting elected officials through emails, letters, phone calls, or personal visits. General tips Know beforehand your elected official’s voting record on life issues, political history, and relationship with MCCL. You can check our Legislative Accountability Ratings or contact MCCL to obtain this information. Be calm, reasonable, respectful, and politely firm. Threats (“I will vote against you!”) and open antagonism won’t work. Don’t just tell your elected official how you would like him or her to vote on a particular bill. You should also give reasons for your position. Press for specific commitments by asking questions such as, “Will you vote for this measure?” It is not enough for a legislator to just say “I’m pro-life” or to give vague expressions of sympathy. If you don’t have the answer to a question, don’t worry. Let your lawmaker know you will get back to him or her, and then do so in a timely manner. Contact MCCL if you would like help finding the answer. Whatever your contact method, one of your goals should be to establish a positive relationship with your elected official. For this reason alone, every contact is worthwhile. Always thank elected officials for their time, even when they don’t vote pro-life. Please forward a copy of your communication—and the response you receive from your legislator—to MCCL. If you visited or phoned him or her, write up a summary, note what was said, and forward a copy to MCCL. These are helpful to our lobbying efforts. Additional tips for visiting elected officials Be sure to make an appointment in advance and provide a list of who will be present with you. Be on time! You don’t want to keep your elected official waiting. Stay on topic and avoid small talk. You’ll want to get down to business as soon as you can to make the most of the time you have. Bring a few concise, reliable printed materials to leave with your lawmaker. You don’t want to overload him or her with information that won’t be read. Additional tips for calling elected officials You may ask for the elected official, but expect to leave a brief message with an assistant. When leaving a message, make sure you let the assistant know who you are (include your contact information), what issue you are concerned about, and specifically what you are asking of the legislator. Ideally, these will be one sentence each. Indicate if you would like a response from the elected official. Additional tips for writing elected officials Time is of the essence when contacting your elected official. Email is preferable, but if you decide to mail your correspondence, make sure to allow time for it to reach your legislator before commitments on issues have been made. Brevity is important! You don’t need to write an essay for it to make an impact. The shorter your message, the more likely your legislator will read it personally. If you are providing outside information, make sure it is concise and from a reliable source. Indicate if you would like a response from the elected official, and always include your return address. Contact the MCCL office with questions or for any additional information. We are here to help you!

Current abortion legislation in Minnesota: 2026 THREATS TO LIFE IN MINNESOTA: 2024 BILLS The pro-abortion "Equal Rights Amendment" (ERA) Legislators in 2024 are proposing a so-called “Equal Rights Amendment” to the state Constitution that Minnesotans would vote on in November of 2024 or 2026. The current proposal would enshrine a right to abortion up to birth in the Minnesota Constitution. It also removes protection for "creed," which puts the religious and conscience rights of Minnesotans in grave jeopardy, including the right not to be forced to participate in abortion. Tell your legislators to VOTE NO on the dangerous ERA. Learn more about the dangers of the ERA . Mandated abortion coverage A health bill (H.F. 4053 / S.F. 3967) would require that every health insurance plan cover elective abortion. I f the measure becomes law, Minnesotans would be forced to support abortion through their health insurance premiums. Tell your legislators to VOTE NO on the bill to mandate abortion coverage. Assisted suicide The so-called "End-of-Life Option Act " (H.F. 1930 / S.F. 1813) would authorize a doctor to prescribe a lethal drug overdose in order for a patient to intentionally end his or her own life. This bill poses serious risks to members of our society. Tell your legislators to VOTE NO on the bill to legalize assisted suicide. Learn more about the dangers of assisted suicide . Take ac tion now Contact your state lawmakers here , or call your senator at 651-296-0504 and your representative at 651-296-2146. Don't know who represents you? Find out here .

Not so "Minnesota Nice." Click here to learn more.

Minnesota’s law against asisted suicide has been challenged over the last few years—both in court and in the Legislature. ASSISTED SUICIDE IN MINNESOTA 2016 MN Senate assisted suicide bill hearing Minnesota law currently prohibits assisted suicide —when one person assists in the suicide of another, such as a doctor prescribing a lethal overdose of medication. Our law, which dates to 1963 but was clarified and tightened in 1992, provides criminal penalties for anyone who “intentionally advises, encourages or assists another in taking the other’s own life” (Minnesota Statutes section 609.215, subdivision 1). Although the state Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that “advising” or “encouraging” suicide is protected speech under the First Amendment, the prohibition on “assisting” suicide remains in place. But Minnesota’s protective law has been challenged over the last few years—both in court and in the Legislature. Assisted suicide court cases Two recent Minnesota court cases have concerned assisted suicide. The first case involved William Melchert-Dinkel of Faribault, who was convicted in 2014 of assisting the suicide of a British man and attempting to assist in the suicide of a Canadian woman. He served six months in prison. Melchert-Dinkel sought out people with depression online and tried to manipulate them into killing themselves. Posing as a compassionate, suicidal female nurse, he entered into fake suicide pacts with his victims and provided them with key information about how to take their own lives. He urged them to set up a webcam so that he could watch. He says he made about 10 suicide pacts and believes five of the people he targeted actually killed themselves. Melchert-Dinkel was originally convicted in 2011 under Minnesota’s law against assisted suicide. But in 2014 the Supreme Court struck down the “advising” and “encouraging” provisions of the law. The case was then remanded to the lower court to determine whether Melchert-Dinkel “assisted” in suicide. He was convicted again on Sept. 9, 2014, and finally sentenced on Oct. 15. The second court case involves Final Exit Network (FEN), an assisted suicide advocacy group that actively helps people take their own lives. FEN was convicted and fined in 2015 for breaking Minnesota’s law against assisted suicide. Members of FEN had flown to Minnesota and facilitated the suicide of a depressed Apple Valley woman using helium and a plastic bag. Final Exit appealed the conviction, aiming to defeat Minnesota’s protective law in court, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the conviction in 2016. Assisted suicide legislation As part of a recent wave of assisted suicide efforts initiated by the group Compassion and Choices, legislation was introduced in Minnesota in 2016 to legalize assisted suicide. The bill (S.F. 1880), authored by Sen. Chris Eaton, DFL-Brooklyn Center, would have authorized doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication for patients to intentionally end their own lives. The Senate Health, Human Services and Housing committee took up the bill on March 16, 2016. The hearing stretched more than two hours until Eaton abruptly decided to pull the bill from consideration because it did not have enough support to pass. The committee first heard testimony from Dan Diaz, husband of the late Brittany Maynard, the California woman whose heavily publicized death by assisted suicide helped spark the recent nationwide campaign for legalization. But more than 100 opponents of the bill attended the hearing, and 17 different people—physicians, nurses, professors, attorneys, and disability rights advocates—testified against it. They effectively made the case that assisted suicide threatens the lives of vulnerable people. “We have an obligation to the terminally ill and their loved ones. But this bill will not help that cause,” testified Thomas Nobrega, M.D., a St. Paul cardiologist. “This bill is about giving a patient the means to die by a drug overdose. It creates an irreconcilable conflict between the doctor as a compassionate guide and healer, and the motivation to expedite death.” Kathy Ware, R.N., is a disability advocate and mother of a son with disabilities. “People wouldn’t pursue assisted suicide if they had the help and care they needed for their loved one,” she told the committee. “We in the disability community are not asking for pity. We want help and we want to be treated with value.” Elizabeth Bakewicz, who suffers from terminal brain cancer, begged the committee members to reject assisted suicide. “Under this bill I am treated as nothing but a list of burdens. But I am a human being,” she said. Despite the failure of the bill, the threat of assisted suicide in Minnesota remains. Legislation to legalize assisted suicide will likely be introduced again in the future. Minnesotans Against Assisted Suicide (MNAAS) , a project of MCCL, is a coalition created to oppose the legalization of assisted suicide in Minnesota. More information is available on the MNAAS website . Related articles: Euthanasia and assisted suicide The case against assisted suicide

MCCL relies on faithful pro-life volunteers for many of our activities. We have many opportunities to help educate and save lives. VOLUNTEER WITH MCCL MCCL relies on faithful pro-life volunteers for many of our activities. If you would like to participate in this important work, here are some volunteer opportunities. County fairs Volunteers staff the MCCL booths at county fairs across the state each summer. Consider volunteering for a shift at your local fair. Volunteers at MCCL's State Fair booth State Fair Volunteers staff the MCCL booth at the State Fair at the end of the summer. Each volunteer shift is four hours. Electrician, Plumber MCCL occasionally needs electrical and plumbing work done in our south Minneapolis office. Please let us know if you are willing to volunteer your skills in these areas. Office work Some volunteers help with office tasks at the MCCL office. Translation MCCL is looking for volunteers to help translate English-language pro-life documents into Spanish and French. This work can be done from home using a computer that has email and Microsoft Word. Internships MCCL offers internships to college students. Learn more about internships on our employment page . Contact MCCL if you would like to participate in one or more of these opportunities.

MCCL creates and makes available pro-life signs as well as larger billboards. PRO-LIFE SIGNS + BILLBOARDS One easy way to keep the message of life at the forefront in your community is by placing an MCCL billboard or sign on your property. MCCL offers powerful pro-life designs: See below for our new "Support Her, Protect Them" design (which comes in multiple colors). Older designs are also included below. Our standard sign is 4 by 8 feet and made of durable, corrugated plastic. The price is approximately $114 for a single-sided sign, and $168 for a double-sided sign. We also offer traditional yard signs that are 18 by 24 inches. If you are interested in ordering a pro-life sign, check out our sign design options and contact MCCL to order or to receive more information . If you have an existing sign that needs replacement, please contact us to order a new one.

Many Minnesota programs and agencies exist to assist you with your unique circumstances. PREGNANCY AND POST-ABORTION HELP Many resources are available to help you. Click on one of the categories below to find programs and agencies that will assist you with your unique circumstances. Pregnant? Need Help? Pregnancy care centers provide support and assistance to women facing unexpected pregnancies. We can help you find what you need. Additional Pregnancy Services These centers and organizations—including maternity homes and adoption agencies—offer additional kinds of pregnancy help. Post-Abortion Support Many organizations help women and men who have been involved in abortion find healing.