Can you describe how the developing baby obtains food and oxygen during the pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the developing baby obtains food and oxygen through the placenta, an organ that forms in the uterus. Maternal blood supplies nutrients and oxygen, which diffuse across the placental barrier into the fetal bloodstream. The baby's waste products and carbon dioxide are transferred back to the mother's circulation for elimination. This exchange is facilitated by a network of blood vessels that connect the mother and fetus without their blood mixing directly.