Medical terms and definitions during pregnancy and birth

The following list provides definitions for some of the more common terms. – the liquid that surrounds a baby in the uterus (also called ‘waters’).

– bleeding from the vagina during pregnancy. A perfect Apgar score is 10; typical Apgar scores are 7, 8 or 9.

A score lower than 7 means that the baby might need help breathing#

Braxton Hicks contractions are not painful and do not get stronger and closer together like true contractions (also called ‘false labor’).

– when a healthcare practitioner bursts the sac holding the amniotic fluid using an instrument with a pointy tip. Often used to speed up a labor that has slowed. – when the baby is positioned inside the uterus with its bottom or feet down, instead of its head. in which a baby is delivered through a cut in the abdomen and uterus (also called a ‘C-section’). – the narrow, lower end of the uterus that softens and opens during labor to allow the baby to come out. – the process of becoming pregnant,when a sperm and egg join to form a single cell (alternative terms include ‘fertilization’, ‘impregnation’ and ‘insemination’).

– when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. In most cases, an is not viable. – the name given to a fertilized egg from the time of conception until the eighth week.

This is where fertilization most often occurs#

– see ‘Braxton Hicks contractions’. – being able to conceive and carry a baby though to the end of the pregnancy. that helps a woman conceive. – a tear involving only the perineal skin (adjacent to the vaginal opening) that occurs at the time of delivery that doesn’t always require stitches.

– the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. – a B vitamin found naturally in green leafy vegetables that helps prevent anemia and has been shown to reduce the incidence of some birth defects, including spina bifida (see definition below). – the 6 soft spots on a baby’s head that allow its skull to compress during birth so it can pass through the birth canal.

The fontanels completely fuse by the time the child is 2 years old. – tong-shaped instruments placed around the baby’s head to help it travel through the birth canal during childbirth. – when a pregnancy is a normal duration (37 to 42 weeks gestation).

– the length of time (in days or weeks) that a baby is in the uterus. that develops during pregnancy when the woman’s blood sugar levels become too high because of inadequate levels of. The condition is treatable and usually disappears after pregnancy.

It is caused by an excess of a chemical called bilirubin in the blood and in newborns often resolves itself. – the flaps of skin around a woman’s vagina. a woman’s body goes through when her baby is born. – when a baby weighs less than 2,500 grams at birth. who specializes in the health and development of children from birth to school age. – a tar-like substance passed by a baby as their first poo.

Passing meconium before birth may be a sign of fetal distress. who has been specially trained to care for women during pregnancy, labor, birth and the post-birth period. – the way maternity care is organized.

– birth without any interventions for example a vaginal delivery rather than a cesarean section. – the time from a baby’s birth to 4 weeks of age. (NICU) – a unit in the hospital for babies who need a high level of special medical care.

– the female reproductive organs that release eggs into the fallopian tubes, where they may be fertilized if sperm are present. – the monthly release of a mature egg from an ovary. A woman is most fertile around the time of ovulation.

– a tear of the perineum involving both skin and muscles, but not the anus. Second-degree tears often require stitches. – the time from the complete dilation of the cervix (10 cm) to the birth. – the time from 14 weeks to 26 weeks of pregnancy.

(SCN) – a unit in a hospital for babies who need special medical care. that occurs during the first month of pregnancy when a baby’s backbone does not fully close, leaving part of the spinal cord exposed. Spina bifida cannot be cured, but a range of treatments and management options is available.

They usually fade slowly after delivery#

Stitches are used to repair these tears#

Like all areas of medicine, pregnancy Medical terms and definitions Abortion – termination (end) of a pregnancy.

This can be achieved either through a surgical procedure or by taking a combination of prescribed medications ( medical abortion Amniotic fluid Amniotic sac Anesthetic – a drug Anesthetist Antenatal Antepartum hemorrhage Apgar score – a test given one minute after a baby is born, then again 5 minutes later, that assesses a baby’s a ppearance (skin color), p ulse, g rimace (reflex), a ctivity (muscle tone) and r Assisted reproductive technology – any procedure performed to help achieve a pregnancy Birth canal Birth plan – a written document Blood transfusion – a procedure where a woman is given blood Braxton Hicks contractions Breaking of water Breech Cesarean section – a surgical procedure Cervix Conception Contraction Crowning Dilation Ectopic pregnancy ectopic pregnancy Embryo Epidural Fallopian tubes False labor Fertility Fertility treatment – medical treatment First-degree tear First trimester Folic acid Fontanelles Forceps Full term Gestation Gestational diabetes – a condition insulin Gynecologist – a doctor Hemorrhage Home birth – labor and delivery that takes place at home Immunization – the administration of a vaccine In utero In vitro fertilization (IVF) – the process Incontinence Induced Jaundice – a condition where a person’s skin and the whites of their eyes take on a yellowish tinge Labia Labor – the process Lactation consultant – a healthcare professional who is trained to provide information and support about breastfeeding Low birthweight Maternal and child health nurse – a trained nurse Meconium Midwife – a person Model of care Morning sickness Morning sickness Multiple pregnancy Natural birth Neonatal period Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Neonate Newborn Nursery Obstetrician – a doctor Ovaries Ovulation Ovum Pediatrician – a doctor Pelvic floor exercises – exercises Perineal hematoma Perineum Placenta Postnatal Postnatal depression – also known as postpartum depression Postpartum hemorrhage Premature Prenatal Second-degree tear Second-stage labor Second trimester Special care nursery Spina bifida – a birth defect Spontaneous labor Stillbirth Stretch marks TENS machine Termination of pregnancy Theater Third- or fourth-degree tear Third-stage labor Third trimester Trimester Ultrasound – a scan Umbilical cord Uterus Vacuum cap or ventouse VBAC Viable pregnancy Walking epidural Water birth Waters

Where to get help#

Key Points#

• following list provides definitions for some of the more common terms
• – a type of anesthetic commonly used in labor where drugs are used to numb the lower half of the body
• that develops during pregnancy when the woman’s blood sugar levels become too high because of inadequate levels of
• caused by an excess of a chemical called bilirubin in the blood and in newborns often resolves itself
• Spina bifida cannot be cured, but a range of treatments and management options is available