Labor and delivery terms

Amniotic fluid :  The protective liquid surrounding the fetus. It is mostly made up of fetal urine and water and fills the amniotic sac.

Apgar score : A measurement  of the newborn’s response to birth and life after the womb. APGAR refers to  Appearance (color), Pulse (heartbeat), Grimace (reflex), Activity (muscle tone), and Respiration (breathing). It is taken 1 and 5 minutes after birth and scores ranges from 1 to 10.

Breech presentation : This is when the fetus is positioned head up  and to be born with one or both feet first or buttock first .

Cephalopelvic disproportion CDP : This  is when the baby is too  large to safely pass through  the mother’s pelvis.

Cervidil : This medication is used to ripen to cervix before induction .

Cesarean section : This is when an incision is made through the abdominal and uterine walls for the delivery of the baby. It can be a vertical incision but a horizontal incision is more common.

Colostrum :It is the first milk your breast produces during pregnancy. It is a thin, yellow fluid discharged from the breast in the early stages of milk production.

Complete breech :  This is when the baby’s buttocks are presenting at the cervix and the legs are folded “Indian style”. This makes vaginal delivery difficult or impossible.

Contractions : It is the regular tightening of the uterus which works to push the baby down the birth canal.

Crowning : This is when the baby’s head pass the birth canal and the top stays visible at the vaginal opening.

Dilation :  It is the extent to which the cervix has opened in preparation for childbirth. It is measured in centimeters with a full dilation being 10 cm.

Effacement : This is thinning of the cervix in preparation for childbirth. It is measured in percentages . You will be pushing  when you are 100% effaced.

Engaged : The baby’s ( usually the head) has settled into the pelvic cavity . It usually happens  during the last month of pregnancy.

Epidural :This is a common anesthesia given during pregnancy.  It is inserted through a catheter which is treaded through a needle into the epidural space near the spinal cord.

Episiotomy : It is an incision made through the perineum to widen the vaginal opening for delivery.

Fetal distress : This occurs when the baby is not receiving enough oxygen or experiencing some complications.

Fontanelle : It is the soft spots between the unfused sections of the baby’s skull. This allows the baby’s head to compress slightly during passage through the birth canal.

Frank breech : The baby’s buttocks are presenting at the cervix. His legs are extended straight up to his head.

Induced labor : This is when labor is started or accelerated through intervention.  This can be done by placing prostaglandin gel on the cervix using an IV drip of the hormone oxytocin (pitocin) or by rupturing the membrane.

Labor :Contractions of the uterus that are regular and result in dilation or effacement of the cervix.

Lightening : When the baby drops in preparation for delivery (engagement).

Meconium : This is excreted shortly after delivery. It is the greenish substance that builds up in the baby’s bowel.

Nubain :Synthetic narcotic pain reliever commonly used in labor and delivery.

Oxytocin : This is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. They stimulate contractions and the milk eject reflex. Pitocin is the synthetic form of this hormone.

Perineum : The muscle and tissue between the vagina and rectum.

Phenergan : A sedative that is administered to control nausea and vomiting.

Placenta : The tissue that connects the mother and fetus. It transports nourishment and takes away waste.

Placental abruption : This condition is when the placenta starts to separate from the uterine wall before the baby is delivered.

Placenta previa : A condition in which the placenta partially or fully covers the placenta.

Posterior position : This is when the baby is in a face up position during delivery. The normal position is the anterior.

Postpartum : The period after delivery .

Post term : Pregnancy lasting more than 42 weeks.

Preterm : Babies born earlier than 37 weeks

Prostagladin cream : Medication used to ripen the cervix before induction.

Raptured membrane : It refers to breaking of the amniotic sac. The fluid may come as a gush of water or  as a slow leak. Slow leaks are sometimes mistaken as incontinence.

Timing contractions : This is measuring contractions at the beginning of one contraction until the beginning of the next.

Transverse : Baby’s body length is  horizontal in the uterus. If the baby cannot be moved, it will be delivered through c-section.

Umbilical cord : This cord  transports oxygen and nutrients to the baby from the placenta.

Vacuum extractors : An instrument that attaches to the baby’s head  and helps guide it out of the birth canal during delivery.