Pregnancy Glossary - Remaining Healthy

Alpha-fetoprotein screening (AFP) - This blood test measures the levels of a substance called alpha-fetoprotein in the mother's blood. Abnormal levels can indicate a brain or spinal cord defect, the presence of twins, a miscalculated due date, or an increased risk of Down syndrome.

Amniocentesis - If necessary, this test is performed between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy and can indicate chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, or genetic disorders such as Tay Sachs disease, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and others. It also can detect the baby's sex and risk of spina bifida (a condition in which the brain or spine do not develop properly).

Birth Center - A special place for women to give birth. They have all the required equipment for birthing, but are specially designed for a woman, her partner, and family. Birth centers may be free standing (separate from a hospital) or located within a hospital.

Cesarean section (c-section) - When a woman cannot deliver a baby vaginally, or if a baby is in distress during labor, a cesarean section is performed. An incision is made in a woman's abdomen and her uterus to deliver the baby.

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) - If necessary this test is performed between 10 and 12 weeks of pregnancy and can indicate the same chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders as amniocentesis can. It also can detect the baby's sex and risk of spina bifida.

Epidural - During labor a woman may be offered an epidural, where a needle is inserted into the epidural space at the end of the spine, to numb the lower body and reduce pain. This allows a woman to have more energy and strength for the end stage of labor, when it is time to push the baby out of the birth canal.

Episiotomy - This is a procedure where an incision is made in the perineum (area between the vagina and the anus) to make the vaginal opening larger in order to prevent the area from tearing during delivery.

Intravenous analgesic - An analgesic is a drug that relieves pain. During labor, a woman can be given pain-relieving drugs intravenously (through a tube inserted into her vein).

Lamaze - There are different techniques for preparing for childbirth and Lamaze is one of them. It was developed by Dr. Ferdinand Lamaze and is based on the idea that being relaxed and knowing what is going to happen are the best ways to control pain during labor and delivery. Lamaze teaches women different breathing techniques to use during different stages of labor to stay relaxed and focused. Local analgesic - An analgesic is a drug that relieves pain. Pain-relieving drugs can be given to a woman during labor and delivery locally through a needle inserted into a muscle (intra-muscular) or under the skin (subcutaneous). ^ top

Nurse-Midwife - A nurse who has undergone special training and has received certification on birthing (labor and delivery). Nurse-midwifes can perform most of the same tasks as physicians and have emergency physician backup when they deliver a baby.

Ovulation Method - This is a natural planning method women can use to become pregnant. With this method, a woman has sexual intercourse just before or after ovulation (when eggs are released from the ovary) in order to become pregnant. Ovulation is determined by examining how much mucus is being produced by the cervix (or opening of the uterus) and how it feels. A woman looks at her cervical mucus (at the opening of her vagina) on a regular basis and learns to identify the changes in her mucus at the time around ovulation.

Pudenal Block - This procedure anesthetizes, or numbs, the area around the vulva to reduce pain during labor and delivery.

Symptothermal Method - This method combines two methods of natural family planning, the basal body temperature method and the ovulation method (see ovulation method defined above). With the basal body temperature method, a woman takes her temperature every morning before getting out of bed and records it on a chart. She plots her temperature over time, noting any rises in temperature. A rise in body temperature means that ovulation has occurred and she can have sexual intercourse to become pregnant. With the symptothermal method, both changes in cervical mucus and body temperature are monitored, along with looking for other signs of ovulation such as breast tenderness, vaginal spotting, and abdominal cramps.

Trimester - A typical pregnancy is 9 months long. Pregnancy is divided into three time periods, or trimesters, that are each about three months in duration - the first, second, and third trimesters.

Ultrasound - This screening is done with equipment that uses high-frequency sound waves to form pictures of the fetus on a computer screen. The test can verify due date; determine causes of bleeding; check the overall health, development, sex, and position of the baby; measure the amniotic fluid; and check the condition of the placenta.

Uterine Contractions - During the birthing process, a woman's uterus tightens, or contracts. Contractions can be strong and regular (meaning that they can happen every 5 minutes, every 3 minutes, and so on) during labor until the baby is delivered. Women can have contractions before labor starts; these are not regular and do not progress, or increase in intensity or duration.

Vulva - This term refers to the external genital organs on a woman. It includes the labia (the "lips" around the opening of the vagina) and the clitoris (a small mass of tissue at the opening of the vagina that helps a woman achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse).