The fetus does not lead an independent existence. The umbilical cord proves that. The developing fetus which began as a zygote, a fertilized egg that took 24 to 48 hours to attach itself to the uterine lining of the woman who, at that point became a pregnant woman. Before implantation, no pregnancy. After that, a pregnant woman with a developing embryo that eventually became a fetus connected to the woman’s uterus grew an umbilical cord enclosed inside the developing placenta. The woman had no hand in any of that. Her body, independent of her reasoning faculty did it without consulting or advising her. Call it nature but don’t call it a decision made by the woman involved. Maybe she wanted to become pregnant, maybe not but regardless of her wants and desires, nature acted without her. She had no control of her egg, the sperm that impregnated the egg or how her body reacted or failed to act. She is not able to claim she got herself pregnant. No one can claim to have made her pregnant. She wasn’t impregnated with an embryo. She received sperm with no control over the sperm or her egg. She became pregnant through no act or action on her part. None was needed. Nature did it. She can however take steps to continue or stop her pregnancy. Her ability to affect her pregnancy changes as the fertilized egg changes to an embryo to a developing fetus. She remains connected to the fetus until shortly after birth when the umbilical cord ceases to function and the dependent fetus becomes an independent entity. Birth is the clear dividing line. Before that a developing fetus is part of the pregnant woman. After birth the fetus becomes and independent entity.
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