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

Oxytocin
A hormone

Oxytocin challenge test (OCT)
Also called a contraction stress test, an OCT is a test to check on how the baby is doing while inside the uterus

Palpation
A procedure in which a doctor or midwife

Pap smear
A routine medical test to check for abnormalities in the cells of a woman's cervix

Paracervical block
The injection of a local anesthetic

Partial molar pregnancy
An abnormal pregnancy in which there is an abnormal mass growth and identifiable fetal

Parturition
The act of giving birth.

Patient-controlled analgesia
Intravenous pain medication controlled by a small pump, which is activated by a laboring

Peak day
The best time to conceive

Pediatrician
A physician who specializes in treating infants and children up to adolescence.

Pelvic adhesions
Scar tissue from a cesarean section

Pelvic floor muscles
The muscles at the base of the pelvis

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
A bacterial infection of the female reproductive organs, including the uterus

Pelvimetry
Measurements of the dimensions of the birth canal

Pelvis
The bowl-shaped lower part of the abdomen between the hip bones through which the baby passes during childbirth.

Perinatal
The time before, during, and immediately following birth.

Perineal massage
Long recommended by midwives

Perineal tear
A rip in the skin and muscles between the vagina

Perineum
The area between the vagina

Periodontitis
A gum disease that increases a woman's risk of having a premature

Phenylketonuria (PKU)
PKU is a genetic abnormality

Pica
The urge some pregnant women have to eat nonfood items such as dirt, chalk, or clay. It is thought to be connected to iron-deficiency anemia

Pitocin
The brand name of a synthetic form of the hormone

Pituitary gland
A gland at the base of the brain that, among other functions, produces the hormones

Placenta
A pancake-shaped organ that develops in the uterus

Placenta accreta
A condition in which the placenta

Placenta previa
A condition in which the placenta

Placental abruption
A condition in which the placenta

Plasma protein A
A hormone

Polycystic ovarian syndrome
A condition in which a hormonal

Polyhydramnios
The condition that exists when there is too much amniotic fluid

Post-term pregnancy
A pregnancy that has lasted 42 weeks or more.

Postdate pregnancy
A pregnancy that lasts 42 weeks or more is considered to be postdate, or overdue.

Postdural headache
A headache that results when the needle used for an epidural

Posterior presentation
When the baby's head is facing away from the mother's spine. If a baby is in this position during labor

Postmature pregnancy
An infant born at 42 weeks or later is considered postmature.

Postnatal period
The time following delivery until four to six weeks after birth.

Postpartum
The first six weeks after delivery.

Postpartum depression
More severe than the more common baby blues

Postpartum hemorrhage
Heavy bleeding from the uterus

Postpartum psychosis
Much rarer and more serious than postpartum depression

Postpartum thyroiditis
Fluctuating thyroid function after childbirth. Symptoms begin with hyperthyroidism

Precipitous birth
A very fast labor

Preeclampsia
A complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure

Pregnancy Discrimination Act
A federal law barring discrimination against women for conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.

Pregnancy test
A test of a woman's blood or urine to determine whether she's pregnant. The test works by detecting the pregnancy hormone

Premature baby
A baby born before 37 weeks gestation

Premature labor
Labor

Prenatal
Before birth.

Prenatal care
Medical care during pregnancy.

Presentation
The position of the baby such as feet down (breech

Presenting part
The part of the baby's body that is facing down during labor

Preterm baby
A baby born before 37 weeks gestation

Preterm delivery
The birth of a baby before 37 weeks gestation

Preterm labor
Labor

Primigravida
A woman pregnant for the first time.

Primipara
A woman who has given birth for the first time to a baby older than 20 weeks gestation

Prodromal labor
contractions

Progesterone
A hormone

Prolactin
The hormone

Prolapsed cord
When the umbilical cord

Prolonged labor
A labor

Prolonged pregnancy
A pregnancy that lasts longer than 40 weeks of gestation

Prostaglandins
Hormones

Proteinuria
When protein is found in the urine. It is often a sign of preeclampsia

Protracted labor
A labor

Pruritis gravidarum
Itching during pregnancy.

Pubic symphysis
The front part of the pelvis

Pubic symphysis dysfunction
Pain in the pubic symphysis

Pudendal block
A regional nerve block used during labor

Puerperium
The span of time from the end of delivery until the uterus

Pyogenic granuloma of pregnancy
A lesion a pregnant woman may have on her gums that bleeds easily. It is perfectly harmless and goes away on its own after delivery.Back to top

Quad screen
A prenatal blood test performed between 15 and 18 weeks to check levels of four substances (AFP

Quickening
The first fetal

Rectum
The lower part of the large intestine, ending in the anal opening.

Rectus abdominus
The central muscle that runs down the front of the abdomen and supports the back. During pregnancy it may separate, but it returns to normal after delivery.

Recurrent miscarriage (or abortion)
When a woman has had two or more miscarriages

Reflexology
A CAM

Regional anesthesia
Numbing a part of the body during labor

Relaxin
The hormone

Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
A condition that affects one in four pregnant women. Symptoms include a feeling of restlessness, creeping, crawling, and tingling in the legs or feet that keeps the rest of the body from settling down at night. The cause is unknown but usually disappears after delivery.

Retained placenta
A placenta

Retroverted uterus
In 20 percent of women, the top of the uterus

Retrovir (AZT)
An antiretroviral drug used to treat an HIV

Rh factor
A protein that is found on red blood cells. If the Rh factor protein is present on the cells, a person is Rh-positive. If there is no Rh factor protein, the person is Rh-negative. An Rh-negative woman carrying an Rh-positive fetus

Rh immunoglobulin
See Rhogam

Rh incompatibility
A condition in which a baby's blood type and Rh factor

Rhogam (RhIg)
Rhogam, also known as Rh immunoglobulin, is a specially developed blood product that can prevent an Rh-negative mother's antibodies from attacking the fetus

Ripening
Thinning and softening of the cervix

Rooming-in
When a newborn

Rooting
One of the reflexes present at birth in which the baby opens his or her mouth and turns the head to nurse when the cheek is stroked.

Round ligament pain
Discomfort in the lower abdomen and groin during pregnancy as the ligaments that hold the expanding uterus

Rubella
Also called German measles, rubella is a highly contagious viral disease with a mild red rash that can cause serious birth defects

Rupture of membranes
The bursting of the sac

Saddle block
A regional nerve block anesthetic

Scan
Another word for ultrasound

Sciatic nerve
The largest nerve in the body that runs from the buttocks down the length of the thigh. It provides sensory and motor function to the lower extremities.

Sciatica
A painful condition characterized by pain in lower back, buttocks, and leg. In pregnant women, it is often caused by pressure of the enlarging uterus

Sea bands
Elastic bands worn on both wrists that put pressure on acupressure

Secondary infertility
When a woman is unable to get pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term