Plot Synopsis

9 MONTHS THAT MADE YOU is a three-part series that takes viewers through the journey of human gestation and its minute-by-minute genetic process. Told through a series of personal stories that introduce viewers to people born with surprising and unexpected differences, this series explores just how complex the human gestational process truly is. With the help of CGI, 9 MONTHS THAT MADE YOU goes inside the womb to re-create the growth process of a fetus and explains how genetics can cause fascinating and unexpected mutations. For instance, in the premiere episode viewers meet a family in Brazil whose multi-generational genetic mutation has caused half of them to grow six digits on each hand. Later, the series visits professional surfer Laird Hamilton, whose extreme sense of fearlessness is actually a genetic trait he may have passed on to his children.

The series opens by covering the first eight weeks, chronicling the story of how a fertilized egg acquires individual traits through the gestation process. Chart the metamorphosis from the various embryonic forms you once took on until the moment around 12 weeks when you became unmistakably human. Then, the second episode reveals how people become unique individuals, exploring how faces are shaped, why most are likely to be right-handed, and even how sexuality is formed. No two people -- even "identical" twins -- are identical. The finale chronicles how time in the womb, as senses mature, has determined your destiny on the outside. Plus, this episode surveys the latest epigenetic research that shows how the womb environment leaves its mark, even altering DNA.
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On Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 10pm (check local listings), PBS premiered the finale of NINE MONTHS THAT MADE YOU. In the finale, "The Final Countdown," see how a baby's time in the womb, as her senses mature, has determined her destiny on the outside. Survey the latest epigenetic research that shows how the womb environment leaves its mark, even altering everybody's DNA.