Glossary of pregnancy terms: L
Lanugo A fine covering of tiny hairs over the baby’s body at birth. Premature babies often have a great deal of this fine hair which eventually falls out. Lie The position of the baby in the uterus....
View ArticleGlossary of pregnancy terms: K
Ketones These are substances found in the blood which show that the body has used up all the available carbohydrate for energy and has begun to utilise protein instead. Often a woman in labour with...
View ArticleGlossary of pregnancy terms: I
Induction A medical stimulus to get labour started. Induction may be necessary, for example, if the mother has pre-eclampsia or is overdue. Inverted nipples Nipples that do not protrude when cold or...
View ArticleGlossary of pregnancy terms: H
Haemorrhage Sudden and severe bleeding. In pregnancy it is usually called antepartum haemorrhage and after the birth it is called postpartum haemorrhage. Any bleeding in pregnancy should be reported to...
View ArticleGlossary of pregnancy terms: F
Fallopian tubes Part of the female reproductive system. The eggs produced in the ovaries have to travel down the fallopian tubes before embedding in the lining of the uterus. Occasionally a fertilised...
View ArticleGlossary of pregnancy terms: E
Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) The continuous monitoring of the baby during labour, either through transducers which are attached by belts to the mother’s abdomen, or by a scalp electrode which is...
View ArticleGlossary of pregnancy terms: D
Deep transverse arrest A condition of vaginal delivery that occurs when the baby’s head fails to rotate despite steady descent down the birth canal. Dilation In the first stage of labour the cervix, or...
View ArticleGlossary of pregnancy terms: C
Cephalic presentation Your baby is lying with his or her head above your vagina ie head down. Cephalopelvic disproportion When a baby’s head or body is too large to fit through the mother’s pelvis....
View ArticleGlossary of pregnancy terms: B
Baby blues A short period of mild depression, the ‘baby blues’ which affect almost half of all mothers in the first few days after birth. BP or bp Blood pressure. Braxton Hicks contractions Braxton...
View ArticleGlossary of pregnancy terms: A
Abruptio Placentae / Placental abruption Normally, the placenta remains firmly attached to the wall of the womb until after the baby has been born. In a small number of cases (about 1 per cent),...
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