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Pregnancy > Your Health
Pregnancy Glossary
author image
by What to Expect Editors
reviewed mark Medically Reviewed by Lorene Temming, M.D., M.S.C.I.,
F.A.C.O.G. | November 16, 2021
Not sure what that medical term means? No worries, Mama, we've got
you covered. From "abdomen" to "zygote," here's your A-Z guide to
pregnancy terminology.
STARTS WITH
A
B
C
D
E
F
SHOW ALL
A
Abdomen: The area of the body below the chest — the cavity that
includes the stomach, intestines, liver and other organs. The uterus is
located in the lowest part of the abdomen, the pelvis, although it pushes
up as far as the chest as it expands throughout pregnancy.
Abortion: The loss of an embryo or fetus either spontaneously
(miscarriage) or induced (when a pregnancy is terminated on purpose)
before 20 weeks. After 20 weeks, the spontaneous loss of a fetus is
called a stillbirth or intrauterine fetal demise.
Abruption: When the placenta begins to separate from the wall of the
uterus before the baby is born. Symptoms of an abruption usually
include bleeding and abdominal pain.
Active labor: Part of the first stage of labor when the cervix dilates
from approximately six to 10 centimeters. Active labor lasts an average
of four to 10 hours. The contractions during active labor are strong,
long (40 to 60 seconds each) and frequent (three to four minutes apart).
Amniotic fluid: The clear fluid in the amniotic sac that surrounds the
fetus during pregnancy. Amniotic fluid cushions the fetus, protects it
against infection, stabilizes its temperature and helps a baby's lungs
develop. Throughout pregnancy, the amniotic fluid is constantly being
replenished.
Amniotic sac: The membrane that surrounds the baby in the uterus and
contains amniotic fluid in which the baby floats. Also called the bag of
waters, the amniotic sac will rupture naturally or be ruptured artificially
during labor.
Amniotomy: Artificial rupturing of the membranes (amniotic sac) by a
doctor or midwife to help speed labor. Amniotomy is done with an
instrument that looks like a long crochet hook with a sharp tip.
Anal fissures: Cracks in the anus that can cause bleeding. Anal fissures
can be accompanied by hemorrhoids or appear independently.
Constipation causes and/or compounds them.
Aorta: The artery responsible for bringing blood from the heart to the
rest of the body. Lying faceup during pregnancy can compress the
aorta.
Apgar score: A newborn baby's first test. Given one minute after a
baby is born, then again five minutes later, the Apgar assesses the
newborn’s skin color, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone and respiration.
A perfect Apgar score is 10; typical Apgar scores are seven, eight, or
nine.
Areola: The dark area on the breast surrounding the nipple. During
pregnancy, the areola can spread and darken. While breastfeeding, the
baby compresses the areola to extract breast milk.
Aromatherapy: Scented oils that are used to heal body, mind and spirit.
Most experts advise caution when using aromatherapy during pregnancy,
since some essential oils in a concentrated form could be hazardous.
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 to speed up a
labor that has slowed.
B
Baby blues: Mild depression that follows childbirth. It is usually the
result of the postpartum hormonal swings and the natural slump after
the excitement of labor and birth. Baby blues affects 60 to 80 percent
of all new mothers. See postpartum depression.
Back labor: Excruciating pain in the back during labor. It occurs when
the fetus is in an occiput posterior, with the back of its head pressing
again the mother's spine.
Bag of water: The membrane that surrounds the baby in the uterus and
contains amniotic fluid in which the baby floats. Also called the amniotic
sac, the bag of water will rupture naturally or be ruptured artificially
during labor.
Birth canal: The passageway the baby travels through during birth. It is
made up of the cervix, vagina and vulva.
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 and allow the
mother to relax.
Birthing room: A room designed and equipped for a woman giving birth.
Blood pressure: The amount of pressure blood exerts against the walls
of the arteries. The upper number refers to the systolic pressure (the
amount of pressure when the heart contracts), and the lower number
refers to the diastolic pressure (the amount of pressure when the heart
relaxes). During pregnancy, blood pressure drops toward the second
trimester and then rises again in the third trimester. High blood
pressure during pregnancy can be caused by preeclampsia.
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.
Practitioners often break the water using an instrument that resembles
a crochet hook with a pointy tip. This speeds up labor that has slowed.
C
Candida: A yeast that can cause an infection.
Carpal tunnel syndrome: Numbness, tingling and pain in the hand and arm
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 and can't urinate
often have catheters placed into their bladders to allow the urine to
empty into a bag.
Cervical cap: A barrier method birth control device that fits over a
woman's cervix and keeps sperm from entering.
Cervical ripening: The process that prepares the cervix for labor,
making the cervix soft and thin. Cervical ripening either occurs naturally
or can be accomplished artificially using prostaglandins or misoprostol.
Cervix: The narrow, lower end of the uterus. During labor, the cervix
softens, thins and opens to allow the baby to leave the uterus.
Chromosome: The part of the cell that carries the genetic material of a
person.
Cleft lip: A birth defect in which the upper lip isn't formed properly.
The groove in the lip can be repaired with surgery, usually performed
before the baby is a year old.
Cleft palate: A birth defect in which the upper lip and palate (roof of
the mouth) do not grow together. Surgery to repair a cleft palate is
usually performed as early as possible, usually between 9 months and 14
months.
Clubfoot: A birth defect in which the foot or ankle is deformed and the
foot turns inward so that the bottom of the foot faces sideways. Club
foot is treated with exercises, splinting or surgery.
Coccyx pain: Pain in the tailbone area (coccyx) following delivery because
of injury to the muscles of the pelvic floor or because the tailbone is
fractured.
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.
Conception: When a sperm and egg join to form a single cell, usually in
the fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg travels into the uterus, where it
implants in the lining.
Contraction stress test (CST): A test to check on how the baby is doing
while inside the uterus. A CST tests how the baby responds to the
stress of uterine contractions. The mother is hooked up to a fetal
monitor and is given oxytocin via an IV, while the baby is monitored to
see how it responds to contractions.
Cord blood harvesting: Blood from the newborn's umbilical cord and
placenta is removed after the cord is clamped and cut. It can then be
banked, or stored for future use.
Cord compression: When the umbilical cord gets squeezed during labor
and/or delivery, reducing blood flow and oxygen to the baby.
Cord knots: When the umbilical cord becomes knotted, either during
delivery or when the baby moves around in utero. Knots usually remain
loose and pose no threat, but if the knot is pulled tight, blood flow to
the baby can be compromised.
Cord prolapse: When the umbilical cord slips through the cervix or into
the vagina ahead of the baby during delivery. If the prolapsed cord is
compressed, it may cut off the baby's blood and oxygen supply.
Corpus luteum: A small yellowish body of cells that form after ovulation
and occupy the space in the follicle formerly occupied by the egg in the
ovary. It produces progesterone and estrogen and during pregnancy it
supports the pregnancy until the placenta takes over the role at around
ten weeks.
Crowning: During labor when the baby's head has reached the external
vaginal opening and can be seen from the outside.
D
D&C: Abbr. See dilation and curettage.
Dehydration: When the body loses more fluid than it takes in.
Demerol: An analgesic used to reduce the sensation of pain during labor
and delivery.
Diabetes: A disorder in which the body does not produce enough insulin,
resulting in too much sugar in the bloodstream.
Diaphragm: A barrier type birth control method that covers the cervix
and prevents sperm from reaching the egg.
Diastasis recti: The separation of the muscles running down the middle
of the stomach, from the bottom of the rib cage to the top of the
pubic bone during pregnancy. The muscles slowly return to normal after
delivery.
E
Early term: A baby born between week 37 and week 39 of pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy: When a fertilized egg does not enter the uterus, but
instead implants elsewhere, usually in the fallopian tube. Symptoms of an
ectopic pregnancy include abnormal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, or
shoulder pain. The ectopic pregnancy must be surgically removed to
prevent rupture and damage of the fallopian tubes.
Ejaculate: The fluid emitted from a man's penis that contains sperm.
Ejaculation: When a man expels semen from his penis during orgasm.
Embryo: The name used to describe a developing fertilized egg from the
time of implantation through the eighth week after conception. After
eight weeks it is called a fetus.
Endometrium: The lining of the uterus into which the embryo implants.
Engaged: When the baby's head has moved down into the pelvis in
preparation for birth.
Estriol: A hormone produced by the fetus and passed into the mother's
bloodstream. Levels of this hormone can be tested via a blood test (quad
screen) during the second trimester. Low levels (combined with high
levels of other hormones) can indicate an increased risk of the baby
having Down syndrome.
Expressing breast milk: Removing breast milk from the breasts using a
pump to store for a later feeding.
External cephalic version (ECV): The most frequently used method to
turn a breech baby to the head-down position. Using ultrasound
guidance, a practitioner will gently guide the fetus into a head-down
position by applying his or her hands to the woman's abdomen.
F
Failure to progress: When labor has stopped due to weak contractions or
cephalopelvic disproportion.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): The U.S. Family and Medical
Leave Act of 1993 requires up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for
employees (of companies with more than 50 employees) to care for a
newborn or newly adopted child. Under this act, people can also take
time off to care for a sick child, parent or spouse.
Family practitioner: The updated term for the general practitioner who
provides medical service for the whole family.
Fertilization age: The age of the fetus based on the actual date of
conception, rather than on the first day of a woman's last menstrual
cycle.
Fetal blood sampling: A genetic test that screens blood from a fetus
umbilical cord for abnormalities.
Fetal heart rate: The rate of the baby's heartbeat while in the uterus
or during delivery. Normal fetal heart rate is between 120 and 160
beats per minute.
Fetal loss: When a fetus dies inside the uterus.
Fetal scalp stimulation: A test to check on how the baby is doing while
inside the uterus. This test assesses how a fetus reacts to pressure on,
or pinching of, the scalp.
Fever: When body temperature rises above its normal level. A fever is a
temperature above 100.4 degrees F. A fever is the sign of an immune
system at work and usually indicates an infection.
Fibroids: Growths on the uterus. Fibroids can be small or large and are
almost always benign.
Folic acid: This B vitamin, found in prenatal vitamins and its natural
form, folate, found in green, leafy vegetables, prevents anemia and has
been shown to reduce incidence of neural tube defects such as spina
bifida.
Fontanelles: The soft spots on a baby's head that allow its skull to
compress during birth and pass through the birth canal. At birth, there
are six fontanelles — they completely fuse by a child's second birthday.
Football hold: The position during breastfeeding in which the baby's legs
rest under the arm as the baby faces the mother and nurses.
Footling breech: When one of the fetus’s legs is lowered over the
mother’s cervix at term.
Forceps: Tong-shaped instruments that are inserted into the vagina and
placed around the baby's head to ease it out of the birth canal during
childbirth.
Frank breech: When the fetus is positioned buttocks down and his legs
are stretched up with feet near the head at term.
Fraternal twins: Twins born at the same time but resulting from the
fertilization of two different eggs.
G
Gamete intra-fallopian transfer: An infertility treatment similar to IVF
in which sperm and surgically removed eggs are inserted into the
fallopian tube at the same time, in the hope that the egg will be
fertilized and implant in the uterus.
Genital herpes: A virus that affects the genital area. A mother with
untreated genital herpes can pass the infection onto her newborn during
childbirth.
Gestational age: The age of the fetus while in the uterus, counted from
the first day of the last menstrual period.
Glucose tolerance test: This is the next step if a glucose screening test
comes back elevated. A fast is required prior to this three-hour study,
which consists of consuming a highly concentrated sweet glucose drink
before having blood drawn at specific intervals. If the blood work of a
pregnant woman comes back again with elevated numbers, there's a high
probability that she has gestational diabetes.
Glucosuria: Glucose in the urine.
H
Habitual miscarriage (or abortion): Three or more consecutive
miscarriages.
Heartburn: A burning sensation felt in the chest and throat when acid
from the stomach leaks up into the esophagus. During pregnancy, the
muscle at the top of the stomach that usually prevents digestive acids
from going back up relaxes, allowing gastric juices to splash back. The
pressure of the growing uterus also puts pressure on the stomach,
allowing acid to travel back.
Home birth: Labor and delivery that takes place at home, usually with a
midwife present.
I
Identical twins: Identical twins are formed from the division of one
fertilized egg that then grows into two fetuses. They are genetically
identical and will look exactly alike.
Incision: A cut made to open the body during surgery. During a cesarean
section, an incision is made in the abdomen and uterus.
Insulin: Insulin regulates the level of glucose in the blood and ensures
that enough is taken in by the body cells for nourishment.
Inverted nipples: A condition in which the nipples retract into the breast
tissues instead of sticking out when cold or when the breast is
compressed at the edge of the areola. Women with inverted nipples may
have to try techniques to draw them out before attempting to
breastfeed.
K
Kegel exercises: Simple exercise designed to tone the muscles in the
vaginal and perineal area, strengthening them in preparation for
delivery. To do Kegels, a woman firmly tenses the muscles around the
vagina, similarly to how you would stop the flow of urine, and holding it
as long as possible, then slowly releases the muscles.
L
Labia: The two sets of skin folds that protect a woman's genitals.
Lactation: The production of milk that usually begins between two and
five days after a woman gives birth.
Lamaze: This technique for preparing for childbirth is based on the idea
that the best way to control pain is through knowledge and relaxation.
The approach uses relaxation and rhythmic breathing patterns by the
laboring woman in conjunction with the support of her coach to deal with
the pain of labor and delivery.
Lanugo: The fine temporary hair that covers the fetus by the middle of
pregnancy; it begins to shed by the eighth month but is sometimes still
present at birth.
Large for gestational age (LGA): A newborn weighing more than most
babies born — usually ten or more pounds at term.
Last menstrual period (LMP): The first day of last menstrual period, the
date that is used to calculate the 40 weeks of pregnancy and a woman's
due date. See Naegele's rule.
Latching on: The movement in which the baby takes the nipple and
areola properly into the mouth to begin breastfeeding.
Latent labor: The first and longest phase of labor during which the
cervix effaces and dilates to three centimeters.
Leg cramps: Painful leg spasms common at night during the second and
third trimesters of pregnancy. Leg cramp pain can be relieved by
straightening the leg and flexing the ankle and toes slowly up toward the
nose.
Linea alba: The white line that runs down the center of the abdomen to
the top of the pubic bone. During pregnancy, it darkens and is renamed
the linea nigra.
Linea nigra: The so-called black line that runs down the center of the
abdomen to the top of the pubic bone. This darkening is caused by
pregnancy hormones. The linea nigra may be more noticeable in
dark-skinned women than those who are fair-skinned.
Low birth weight baby: A full-term infant weighing less than five pounds
eight ounces at birth.
Luteinizing hormone: A hormone produced by the pituitary gland that
stimulates other hormone of the reproductive system and causes the
release of a mature egg from the follicle.
M
Macrosomia: A condition in which a newborn has a high birth weight of 9
pounds 15 ounces or more. It is common to diabetic mothers.
Mammary glands: The glands of the breast that produce breast milk.
Maternity leave: Paid or unpaid time off work to care for a new baby.
Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, companies with 50 or
more employees are required to offer eligible employees up to 12 weeks
of unpaid leave to care for a new baby.
Meconium staining: When the baby passes meconium before birth into
the amniotic fluid.
Membranes: The sac that surrounds the baby in the uterus and contains
amniotic fluid in which the baby floats. Also called the bag of water or
amniotic sac, the membranes will rupture naturally or be ruptured
artificially during labor.
Morning sickness: Nausea, vomiting and food and smell aversions, that
affects more than 70 percent of pregnant women. Morning sickness,
which can occur any time of day, usually begins at four to eight weeks
gestation and subsides by week 14 or 16.
Mucus plug: A gelatinous "cork" of mucus often tinted with blood that
seals the opening of the uterus during pregnancy. At the start of labor,
or in some cases, a few weeks before labor actually begins, this thick,
gloppy, bloody plug becomes dislodged from the cervix and passes
through the vagina. See bloody show.
Multiple pregnancy: When a woman has more than one fetus in the
womb, as in the case of twins, triplets, or other higher order multiples.
N
Naegele's rule: The method used for estimating a pregnant woman's due
date. Take the first day of the last menstrual period and add 280
days. The estimation was first developed in the 1800s by Franz
Naegele, a German obstetrician.
Nausea: A queasy feeling in the stomach that can, but does not always,
lead to vomiting. Nausea is very common in the first trimester.
Neonate: A newborn.
Newborn: The term for a baby between birth and one month old. Also
referred to as the neonatal period.
Nipples: The small projection near the center of the breast containing
the outlets of the milk ducts.
Non-reassuring fetal status: An indication, based on a nonstress test or
other test, that a fetus might be in distress.
Nonstress test (NST): A way to check on how the baby is doing while
inside the uterus. In a nonstress test, the expectant mother is hooked
up to a fetal monitor and the response of the fetal heart rate to fetal
movements is observed. If the heart rate doesn't respond as expected
to fetal movement, the results are considered non-reassuring. See
oxytocin challenge test.
Nuchal cord: A condition in which the umbilical cord wraps around the
fetus's neck in utero.
Nuchal fold thickness: A thickening of skin behind the fetal neck, visible
via ultrasound, that may indicate an increased risk of Down syndrome or
other conditions.
Occiput anterior position: When the baby faces the mother's spine in
utero and/or during labor. This is the most common position for emerging
babies.
Ovaries: The female reproductive organs that release eggs into the
fallopian tubes, where they may be fertilized if sperm is present.
P
Palpation: A procedure in which a doctor or midwife feels the mother's
abdomen to determine the position of the baby.
Pap smear: A routine medical test to check for abnormalities in the cells
of a woman's cervix. A pap smear is usually performed at the first
prenatal visit.
Peak day: The best time to conceive during the monthly cycle
(ovulation). The woman may look for her vaginal discharge (cervical
mucus) to have the consistency of egg white and for her basal body
temperature to begin to rise.
Pelvic floor muscles: The muscles at the base of the pelvis that support
the uterus, vagina, bladder and rectum. These muscles can be
strengthened by doing Kegel exercises.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): A bacterial infection of the female
reproductive organs, including the uterus, fallopian tubes and cervix.
PID can sometimes lead to infertility.
Pelvis: The bowl-shaped lower part of the abdomen between the hip
bones through which the baby passes during childbirth.
Perineal tear: A rip in the skin and muscles between the vagina and the
rectum.
Perineum: The area between the vagina and rectum. The perineum may
tear during childbirth.
Periodontitis: A gum disease that increases a woman's risk of having a
premature or low birth weight baby.
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.
Pituitary gland: A gland at the base of the brain that, among other
functions, produces the hormones that trigger ovulation and also signals
the breasts to produce milk.
Plasma protein A: A hormone produced by the fetus and passed into the
mother's bloodstream. Levels of this hormone can be checked via a
blood test during the first trimester. Low levels (combined with high
levels of other hormones) can indicate an increased risk of the baby
having Down syndrome.
Postpartum depression: More severe than the more common baby blues,
postpartum depression is characterized by crying, irritability, sleep
problems, restlessness, feelings of hopelessness and the inability to care
for the baby. Many women suffering from postpartum depression need
professional treatment.
Precipitous birth: A very fast labor and delivery, usually fewer than
three hours.
Preeclampsia: A complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood
pressure and protein in the urine after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Symptoms include rapid weight gain and increased swelling. If left
untreated, preeclampsia can lead to the more serious eclampsia.
Premature labor: Labor that occurs after 20 weeks gestation but before
37 weeks.
Preterm labor: Labor that begins after 20 weeks and before 37 weeks
gestation. Prompt medical treatment can sometimes halt or postpone
early labor, improving the baby's chances for survival.
Primipara: A woman who has given birth for the first time to a baby
older than 20 weeks gestation.
Pubic symphysis: The front part of the pelvis. During pregnancy, the
practitioner will use this point to measure the growth of the uterus.
Puerperium: The span of time from the end of delivery until the uterus
returns to its prepregnancy state, usually about six weeks.
Q
Quad screen: A prenatal blood test performed between 15 and 22 weeks
to check levels of four substances (AFP, hCG, estriol and inhibin-A) that
help determine whether a fetus is at increased risk for chromosomal
abnormalities or neural tube defects.
R
Rectum: The lower part of the large intestine, ending in the anal
opening.
Rectus abdominis: 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 spontaneous abortion): When a woman has had
two or more miscarriages.
Relaxin: The hormone that causes joints and ligaments to soften and
become stretched during pregnancy, allowing the pelvic bones to expand
more easily during labor and delivery. Relaxin is also responsible for
body changes, such as an increase in an expectant mother's foot size.
Round ligament pain: Discomfort in the lower abdomen and groin during
pregnancy as the ligaments that hold the expanding uterus stretch.
S
Saddle block: A regional nerve block anesthetic that is injected into the
fluid surrounding the spinal cord and used to block the pain associated
with a forceps or vacuum extraction delivery.
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.
Sea-bands: Elastic bands worn on both wrists that put pressure on
acupressure points on the inner wrists and often relieve nausea. May be
used to treat morning sickness.
Shoulder dystocia: When a baby's shoulders get stuck in the birth canal
after the head has already been delivered.
Small for gestational age (SGA): A baby who is not growing as well as it
should given his or her gestational age. Unlike premature babies, SGA
babies are small because of slow development, not because they've had
less time in the womb.
Spider veins: Small red or blue blood vessels that appear close to the
skin's surface and resemble a spider. Spider veins may result from the
hormonal changes of pregnancy and usually fade after delivery.
Spina bifida: A neural tube defect resulting from the improper closure
of the fetal spine. Folic acid reduces the likelihood of spina bifida, and
women are advised to take supplements (in the form of prenatal
vitamins) before and during pregnancy.
Spinal headache: A headache that results when the needle used for a
spinal anesthesia or an epidural punctures the covering of the spinal
cord, allowing spinal fluid to seep into the epidural space.
Spontaneous labor: Labor that begins on its own without any medical
augmentation. During the first phase of labor, the cervix dilates and
thins out and contractions begin, usually lasting 30 to 45 seconds each
with five to 20 minutes between them.
Stages of labor: Labor is divided into three stages. The first stage
begins at the onset of contractions and ends when the cervix is
completely dilated. The second stage is the delivery of the baby. The
third stage is delivery of the placenta.
T
Tay-Sachs disease: A genetic disorder (most commonly seen in
Ashkenazi Jews) in which the baby lacks an essential enzyme and dies in
early childhood. A preconception test can determine whether potential
parents are carriers of the disease.
Transducer: The device used in ultrasound that emits sound waves and
transmits them to a computer, resulting in the ultrasound image.
Transitional labor: The end of the first stage of labor when the cervix
dilates from eight to ten centimeters. This is the most demanding stage
of labor because the contractions are very strong, very close together,
and very long. The transition stage lasts only a short time.
Tubal pregnancy: When a fertilized egg does not enter the uterus, but
instead implants elsewhere, usually in the fallopian tube. Also called an
ectopic pregnancy, symptoms include abnormal bleeding, severe abdominal
pain or shoulder pain. The tubal pregnancy must be surgically removed to
prevent rupture and damage of the fallopian tubes.
U
Ultrasound: A procedure that uses high frequency sound waves to create
a moving image of a baby in utero. During pregnancy, ultrasound is
routinely used to monitor the health and development of the fetus.
Umbilical cord: The flexible cord of tissue connecting the fetus to the
placenta that brings oxygen and nutrients from the expectant mother to
the fetus and removes waste products. The umbilical cord contains two
arteries and one large vein.
Unripe cervix: When the cervix is not ready for delivery. Usually, as
the end of pregnancy approaches, the cervix moves forward in the pelvis
and begin to soften. If the cervix does not soften on its own,
prostaglandins may be needed to ripen it to jump-start labor or to
prepare for an induction.
Urge to push: The natural impulse felt by a laboring woman toward the
end of the first stage of labor to bear down and push the baby out.
Your practitioner will not have you begin to push until dilation is
complete.
V
Vacuum-assisted birth: When vacuum extraction is used during
childbirth.
Vagina: The female genital passage that leads from the uterus to the
opening between the labia.
Vaginal birth: The birth of a baby through the birth canal, as opposed
to a cesarean section, which is the birth of a baby through a surgical
incision in the abdomen and uterus.
Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC): The vaginal birth of a baby after
a woman has already delivered by cesarean in a prior pregnancy.
W
Walking epidural: An epidural that maintains sensation in the legs,
allowing a laboring woman to stand or walk.
Y
Yeast infection: A vaginal infection common during pregnancy. Symptoms
include itching and a white strong-smelling discharge from the vagina.
Z
Zidovudine (ZDV): An antiretroviral drug used to treat an HIV-positive
expectant mother. See AZT, Retrovir.
Zygote: The fertilized egg before it begins to divide and grow into an
embryo.