Copy of `Moms Who Think - Pregnancy index`

The wordlist doesn't exist anymore, or, the website doesn't exist anymore. On this page you can find a copy of the original information. The information may have been taken offline because it is outdated.

Moms Who Think - Pregnancy index Category: Health and Medicine > Pregnancy Date & country: 30/08/2013, USA Words: 599

Abdomen
The area of the body below the chest the cavity that includes the stomach, intestines, liver, and other organs. The uterus

Abortion
The loss of an embryo

Abruption
When the placenta

Abscess
A pus-filled cavity; an abscess in the breast of a nursing woman can result from untreated mastitis, or breast infection

Active labor
Part of the first stage of labor

Acupressure
A form of complementary and alternative medicine

Acupuncture
A form of complementary and alternative medicine

Afterbirth
The placenta

Afterpains
Cramping triggered by the contractions

Alexander technique
Teaching conscious control over posture and movement, this technique can be used in childbirth education to help women cope with labor pain.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
A protein produced by the fetus that can be detected in the mother's blood most accurately between weeks 15 and 18 of pregnancy.

Alpha-fetoprotein test
A blood test given to an expectant mother between weeks 15 and 18 of pregnancy to screen for an increased risk of the baby having a birth defect

Alveoli
Tiny milk-producing sacs that are arranged in clusters throughout the breast. Each breast has hundreds of alveoli. Once the milk is produced, it's secreted into tube-shaped ducts that travel to the nipple.

Amenorrhea
Absence of menstruation

Amniocentesis
A diagnostic test to determine whether the fetus has any abnormalities. Performed anywhere between weeks 14 and 20 of pregnancy (though more commonly between weeks 16 and 18), amniocentesis tests the fluid inside the amniotic sac

Amnioinfusion
Injection of a sterile saline solution into the amniotic sac

Amniotic fluid
The clear fluid in the amniotic sac that surrounds the fetus during pregnancy. Amniotic fluid cushions the fetus, protects it against infection, and stabilizes its temperature. Throughout pregnancy, the amniotic fluid is constantly being replenished.

Amniotic sac
The membrane

Amniotomy
Artificial rupturing of the membranes

Anal fissures
Cracks in the anus that can cause bleeding. Anal fissures can be accompanied by hemorrhoids

Analgesia
Any intervention that reduces the sensation of pain.

Analgesic
A medication that reduces the sensation of pain without loss of consciousness. Demerol

Anemia
A decrease in the number of red blood cells, usually due to a shortage of iron. The condition, detected through a blood test, causes such symptoms as fatigue, weakness, breathlessness, or fainting spells. Eating a diet rich in iron and taking an iron supplement during the second half of pregnancy is crucial to keep up with the increased need for r...

Anencephaly
A rare birth defect

Anesthesia
A general term describing techniques to ease pain. Types of anesthesia often used during childbirth include local anesthesia

Anesthetic
A medication that produces a loss of sensation, either partially or completely.

Antenatal
Occurring or formed before birth; prenatal.

Antepartal
Occurring before childbirth, with reference to the mother.

Anterior position
When the baby faces the mother's spine in utero

Aorta
The artery responsible for bringing blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Lying faceup during pregnancy can compress the aorta.

Apnea
A condition in which breathing stops briefly during sleep, temporarily reducing the amount of oxygen that is taken in.

Areola
The dark area on the breast surrounding the nipple

Aromatherapy
Scented oils that are used to heal body, mind, and spirit. Most experts advise caution when using aromatherapy during pregnancy, since some aromas in a concentrated form can be hazardous.

Artificial insemination
A process used to help a woman trying to conceive

Artificial rupture of the membranes
The bursting of the sac holding the amniotic fluid using an instrument resembling a crochet hook with a pointy tip. Practitioners often rupture the membranes

Aspiration
Drawing a substance into or out of the air passages. After a baby is born, the practitioner will aspirate the baby's mouth and nose using a bulb syringe to remove accumulated fluids or mucus and to prevent the baby from inhaling meconium

Assisted reproductive technology
Any procedure performed to help a woman become pregnant. See IVF

Augmentation of labor
An intervention to help labor that has begun naturally to progress more rapidly. Often, Pitocin

Autologous transfusion
A transfusion of a person's own blood. Sometimes, in anticipation of surgery, a woman may donate her own blood for use later.

AZT
An antiretroviral drug that may be used to treat an HIV

Baby blues
Mild depression that follows childbirth. It is usually the result of the postpartum

Back labor
Excruciating pain in the back during labor

Bacterial vaginosis
A type of sexually transmitted disease

Bag of waters
The membrane

Basal body temperature (BBT)
The body's temperature upon first waking up in the morning. The basal body temperature (tracked using a highly sensitive basal body thermometer) rises sharply around the time of ovulation

Belly sling
A crisscross sling used to support a pregnant woman's belly and lessen strain on the lower back. Belly slings may also help ease groin and sciatic pain, and many come with hot/cold packs to help further relieve discomfort.

Biofeedback
A method that helps patients learn how to control their biological responses to pain or stress by increasing awareness of bodily processes such as heart rate, blood pressure

Biophysical profile
A test to check on how the baby is doing while inside the uterus

Birth assistant
Someone who is trained in basic childbirth support skills and helps the laboring mother during labor and delivery.

Birth canal
The passageway the baby travels through during birth. It is made up of the cervix

Birth defect
An abnormality in a baby caused by an error during fetal development. Birth defects may or may not be genetic

Birth plan
A written set of directives created by expectant parents that expresses how they'd like labor to be managed. A birth plan might mention preferences about walking during labor, induction

Birthing ball
A large air-filled rubber ball that a woman can sit on during labor. It allows the woman to rock back and forth during labor and may help reduce back discomfort during contractions

Birthing center
A facility offering a homelike setting for childbirth. It is designed for women with low-risk pregnancies. Birthing centers often have less restrictive regulations than hospitals & for example, friends and family may be permitted to visit during the delivery.

Birthing chair
A birthing chair is designed to support a laboring woman in a sitting or squatting position during delivery, allowing for an assist from gravity.

Birthing room
A room designed and equipped for a woman giving birth.

Bishop score
An evaluation of readiness for delivery. The score is calculated by using the degree of cervical

Bladder
The part of the body that holds urine.

Blastocyst
The rapidly dividing fertilized

Blighted ovum
An egg

Blood pressure
The amount of pressure blood exerts against the walls of the arteries. The upper number refers to the systolic pressure

Body mass index (BMI)
The relationship of a person's height to weight. The formula the formula is calculated by multiplying 703 by a person's weight (in pounds) and dividing that number by the square of the person's height (in inches).

Bradley technique
This method of childbirth education teaches women to mimic their nighttime sleeping position and use deep, slow, abdominal breathing to manage the pain of labor. The approach in childbirth is one in which the woman's partner focuses on supporting her in various ways during labor and delivery.

Bradycardia
Slow heartbeat, usually fewer than 100 beats per minute for a baby.

Breaking of water
The bursting of the sac holding the amniotic fluid using an instrument resembling a crochet hook with a pointy tip. Practitioners often break the waters to speed up a labor that has slowed.

Breastfeeding
When a baby extracts breast milk from the mother's breasts.

Breech position/presentation
When the baby's bottom or feet, rather than the head, face the mother's cervix as labor nears. Three to four percent of full-term

Brow presentation
When the baby's head is bent backwards during birth, instead of with the chin resting on the chest, as is typical. Back to top

C-section
Abbr. See cesarean section

CAM
Abbr. See complementary and alternative medicine

Candida
A yeast that can cause an infection.

Carpal tunnel syndrome
Numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand caused by the compression of a nerve in the wrist. Carpal tunnel syndrome caused by pregnancy swelling usually goes away after delivery.

Catheter
A small flexible tube used to draw fluids from the body. During delivery, women who have received epidurals

Cephalic presentation
When the baby's head faces down toward the mother's cervix

Cephalopelvic disproportion
When a baby's head is too large to pass through the mother's pelvis

Cerclage
A stitch placed in a weak or incompetent cervix

Cerebral palsy
A disorder caused by a prenatal brain defect or brain injury during birth. It affects a child's ability to move, can result in seizures, and in some cases can lead to mental retardation or learning disabilities.

Certified nurse midwife (CNM)
A nurse (usually an R.N.) who has completed graduate-level programs in midwifery

Cervical cap
A barrier method birth control device that fits over a woman's cervix

Cervical mucus
menstrual cycle. The discharge resembles raw egg white around the time of ovulation

Cervical os
The opening of the cervix.

Cervical ripening
The process that prepares the cervix for labor

Cervidil
A medication used to ripen

Cervix
The narrow, lower end of the uterus

Cesarean section
A surgical procedure in which a baby is delivered through a cut in the abdomen and uterus

Chadwick's sign
An early sign of pregnancy. The cervix and/or vagina

Chlamydia
A common sexually transmitted disease

Chorioamnionitis
Inflammation of the membrane

Choriocarcinoma
An extremely rare cancer that grows in the uterus during pregnancy.

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
An early genetic

Chromosomal abnormality
A problem with the chromosomes

Chromosome
The part of the cell that carries the genetic

Chronic hypertension
Ongoing high blood pressure

Cleansing breath
Part of the Lamaze

Cleft lip
A birth defect

Cleft palate
A birth defect

Club foot
A birth defect

Coccyx pain
Pain in the tailbone area (coccyx) following delivery because of injury to the muscles of the pelvic floor

Colostrum
The thin, sticky, yellow fluid secreted by the breasts before the production of true breast milk. Colostrum is rich in fats, protein, and antibodies. Some women notice small amounts of colostrum during and toward the end of pregnancy.

Complete miscarriage
When all the products of conception