About Video

This award winning film was made by one of the worlds leading science documentary makers, Pioneer Productions, for National Geographic Channel....., and explores the previously untapped world of non-human mammalian development. Using cutting edge technology, revolutionary 3D and 4D ultrasound imagery, and state-of-the-art model making techniques, the film follows, in step-by-step detail, the process through which our individual species-specific traits develop from a common blueprint which, in the very early stages of pregnancy, all mammals share. We follow the journey of three of the most loveable mammals on the planet all the way from conception to birth: a pet dog, a dolphin and an Asian elephant.

A mesmerizing, revelatory, ambitious, and unforgettable film.

Winner Popular Science and Natural History Category Banff World Television Awards 2007.

Reviews

Daily Telegraph UK "... bursting with wonders of nature . And what a spectacular journey it was, replete with never-before-seen images that brought every step of the process to vivid life before our eyes."

Wall Street Journal, "beautiful"

Oprah Winfrey, "incredible. deserves the word Amazing"

New York Post, "The images will knock your socks off"

Houston Chronicle ".these images of gestating life pack a powerful wallop"

The Times UK ".. the journey of three of the most loveable mammals on the planet - the Asian elephant, the golden Labrador and the dolphin - from conception to birth. This is not an assemblage of Disney-style "aaah" moments; the program is dense with information about each stage of development, at the same time shedding light on their evolutionary heritage. It is not often that one gets a chance to see a dog panting in the womb or a dolphin learning to swim in amniotic fluid. Or, for that matter, to watch an elephant being born."

Testimonials

This was pretty fascinating, great for animal lovers or anyone interested in how pregnancy in other species works. I now have more of an idea what my expecting alsatian is going through! Visually I couldn't fault it either, it was almost hypnotic

This DVD is absolutely wonderful! My daughter is 7 years old. We have had some discussions about sex, but I decided I wanted her to have a better understanding of how things work. With this DVD being about animals, it's a little less intimidating for me and a little less uncomfortable for her. They do demonstrate mating, but it is a very small portion of the material presented. My daughter was amazed to watch the baby animals develop and loved hearing how small they were, etc. It also amazed her how so many of us (humans being animals too) start out exactly the same way. This is a very useful educational tool, but it's also great for anyone who simply has an interest in the pregnancy process, animal or otherwise.

As an enthusiastic animal lover I watched this programme when it aired last year on channel four, after I learnt about it from all the press it received. I was over the moon when I found out that I could get my hands on it. The DVD tells the story of an asian elephant, a dolphin and a golden retriever (an adorable golden retreiver!!!) as they go through their own pregnancies. The pictures are literally AMAZING and the most incredible part of all is when the dolphin gives birth under water.

This documentary, part of National Geographic's great 'In the Womb' series, takes us into the wombs of three different animals. Using new 4-D ultrasound imaging, we're able to see a picture of life in the womb like never before. All of the embryonic/fetal animals are very different, yet they're all mammals, and all have a number of similarities in addition to their differences. Following a Golden Retriever, a dolphin, and an elephant, we find out about such subjects as the mating techniques (none of them are exactly the same, which would probably surprise most people), how long the gestational period lasts (the Golden Retriever has the shortest pregnancy by far, and is the only animal mother having a litter instead of just one baby), important milestones happening along the prenatal journey, when each fetal animal does things like opening the eyes, growing hair, showing characteristics of a male or female, and getting more lung power, what happens during the delivery, and what their lives are like shortly after birth. It really makes one marvel at what a miracle the journey from conception to birth is, and makes prenatal development seem interesting and fun instead of boring and for the scientific-minded only. One can only hope that perhaps one day there will be other installments in this series, bringing us the prenatal journey of some other mammals, such as rabbits, bears, cats, horses, and goats.