Birth Vocabulary!
Y’all there are so many acronyms and medical words in the birth world 😂 This is literally just going to be a list of words with their definitions. And I’m sure I’m not going to get ALL of them, but I will for sure try and get all the ones that you would typically hear during your pregnancy/gestation.
Well fuck, here it goes:
Pregnancy/Gestation Period:
Amniotic Fluid/Waters –The fluid or liquid that surrounds your baby while they are in your womb/uterus
Amniotic Sac – the sac that surrounds your baby in your womb/uterus
Antenatal/Prenatal/Antepartum – they all mean “before birth”
Braxton Hicks contractions/false labor – uterus tightenings that can sometimes feel like a labor contraction but are not painful, do not get closer together, and do not change the cervix.
Breech – when a baby’s butt or feet are down at the cervix instead of its head
Cervix – the bottom the uterus that opens and closes when needed based on pressure and hormones (opens during menstruation, ovulation, and birth, closes during pregnancy)
First Trimester – The first 14 weeks of pregnancy
Full Term – Any pregnancy that has reached a gestation of 37-42 weeks.
Gestation – The length of time that a baby is in utero
Gestational Diabetes – A condition that develops during pregnancy when the person’s blood sugar levels are too high because of insufficient levels of insulin (usually disappears after birth).
Optimal Position - The easiest position for baby to enter the pelvis (they are head down, body facing left, and feet up)
Perineum – The area of skin between the vagina and anus
Placenta – The organ that connects to the wall of the uterus while providing nourishment to the baby through the umbilical cord
Premature – When a baby is born before 37 weeks gestation.
Second Trimester – From 14 weeks to 26 weeks of pregnancy
Third Trimester – The time from 26 weeks of pregnancy until birth.
Transverse - Baby’s position when they are laying across the cervix (their head and feet are to the sides of the birth givers belly instead of head down and feet up)
Umbilical Cord – A typically three vessel cord that connects the baby to the placenta, where the baby receives its nutrients and oxygen through.
Birthing Time:
APGAR – a test given at one minute and 5 minutes after a baby is born (assesses a baby’s appearance {skin color}, pulse, grimace {reflex}, activity {muscle tone}, and respiration).
Artificial Rupture of Membranes (AROM) – when a doctor or healthcare provider breaks the amniotic fluid sac.
Augmented Labor – After labor has begun spontaneously, if it slows, medications are typically given to “help” labor along or speed it up.
Birth Canal – one of the exits during birth (typically involves the cervix and vagina)
Birth Plan/Preferences – a thoughtful piece of paper given to your medical team laying out your preferences of care during labor and birth
Cesarean Section – A major abdominal surgery where baby is born through a cut in the abdomen and uterus
Contraction – The tightening of the uterus. During labor is strong and powerful to open the cervix and push baby down through the birth canal.
Crowning – Right before is born when you are able to see their head in the opening of the birth canal from the outside
Dilation – Measurement of how open the cervix is
Epidural – A type of anesthetic/medication that typically numbs the lower half of the body.
First-Degree Tear – A tear involving only the perineal skin (sometimes needs stitches)
Fontanelles – Six soft spots on baby’s head that allow its skull to move and compress during birth so it can pass through the birth canal.
Forceps – Metal tong-shaped instruments used to aid in birth that are placed around a baby’s head in the birth canal.
Fourth-Degree Tear - A severe tear of the perineum involving the skin, muscles and through the anus (stitches are needed to repair)
Hemorrhage – Excessive bleeding
In Utero – in the uterus
Induced – Artificially “starting” labor either through medications or AROM (or a combination).
Postpartum Hemorrhage – When a person loses more than 500 ml of blood after birth
Second-Degree Tear – A tear involving both skin and muscles, but does not involve the anus (often requires stitches).
Second-Stage Labor – The time frame from the complete dilation of the cervix (10 cm) to birth.
Spontaneous Labor – When labor starts naturally by itself
Spontaneous Rupture of Membranes (SROM) – When a birthing person’s amniotic sac or waters ruptures on its own.
Stillbirth – The death of a baby after 20 weeks’ gestation but before it was born.
Third-Degree Tear – A severe tear of the perineum involving the skin, muscles and top of the anus (stitches are needed to repair)
Third-Stage Labor – The time from when baby is born to when the placenta is born.
Vacuum – A suction cap that is placed on top of a baby’s head to help baby out of the birth canal (only used if baby is showing signs of fetal distress and is very close to being born)
VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) – When a birth giver has a vaginal birth after having had one or more previous caesarean sections
Postpartum Period:
Baby Blues – a period of sadness or feeling low/mild depression that is usually a result of hormonal swings after giving birth.
Clogged Duct - When. one of the ducts in the breast/chest tissue becomes clogged with milk preventing milk from exiting during feeding.
Jaundice – A condition where an excess of built up bilirubin in their blood makes a person’s skin and white’s of their eyes turn yellowish. Typically resolves itself in newborns.
Lactation Consultant – A healthcare professional who is trained in the support of breast/chest feeding
Lochia - The vaginal bleeding after childbirth.
Mastitis – An infection in the breast/chest tissue typically due to a clogged duct (commonly needs antibiotics)
Meconium – A baby’s first poop (a dark, thick, tar-like substance)
Postpartum/Postnatal – means after birth
Postpartum Depression – A sometimes severe condition that affects some people in the days, weeks or months after giving birth. Any diagnosis in the first 12 months after birth is considered PPD.