Obstetrics Glossary
Obstetrics Glossary
23 Obstetrics terms
Since I was 14 years old, I want to be a Doctor. More specifically, I want to be an obstetrician. This medicine's specialty focus on pregnancies and related health issues. Obstetricians are taking care of people who are pregnant during their pregnancy, but also during preconception and after childbirth. They learned what to do in an emergency situation too. Like every medicine's field, obstetrics have specific terms who are unknown by many people, but important to understand by people in this field. This is why my glossary could be helpful and useful for other in obstetrics.
- amniotic fluid
- Sometimes called liquor (lie-kwa), this is the fluid that surrounds the baby in the uterus (womb).
- amniotic sac
- The bag in which the fetus and amniotic fluid are contained during a pregnancy.
- anemia
- A reduction in the hemoglobin of red blood cells with consequent deficient of oxygen in the blood, leading to weakness and pallor.
- assisted delivery
- The use forceps or ventouse to speed up the delivery, or to move the baby if they have become stuck.
- breech presentation
- When baby is lying bottom or feet down in the uterus.
- caesarean
- An operation by which a fetus is taken from the uterus by cutting through the walls of the abdomen and uterus.
- cephalic
- Baby's position when he is head-down and facing your back or belly before birth / in or relating to the head.
- contraction
- Tightening and relaxing of the uterus muscles to prepare for childbirth.
- convulsion
- A violent involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles.
- dilation/ dilatation
- First stage of labor the cervix, or neck of the womb, gradually opens up to make space for the baby.
- ectopic pregnancy
- A pregnancy that develops somewhere other than the uterus, usually in the Fallopian tube. This pregnancy cannot be allowed to continue as it is dangerous.
- epidural
- An injection of local anesthetic into the lower back, given to pain relief during labor, takes away all the pain of contractions.
- episiotomy
- A cut made in the mother’s perineum to allow the baby to be born more quickly and prevent tearing.
- fetus
- Medical name for the baby before it’s born.
- induction
- Starting the labor artificially.
- labor/ labour
- A series of continuous, progressive contractions of the uterus that help the cervix dilate (open) and efface (thin). This allows the fetus to move through the birth canal.
- meconium
- The bowel contents of the baby at birth.
- numb
- A loss of the sensation of feeling in an area of the body, resulting from damage, the cold or from an anesthetic.
- obstetrician
- A doctor who specializes in the care of women during pregnancy and childbirth.
- perineum
- The area of skin between the vagina and anus.
- postnatal
- The period after the birth (28 day period following giving birth).
- postpartum
- Relating to the period of a few days after birth.
- quickening
- The first movement of the baby that the mother feels.