Amniotic Sac: or the thin membrane which encloses the baby and the amniotic fluid. At full term there is roughly a quart of amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. About one third of this fluid is constantly being replenished every hour.

AROM: Artificial Rupture of Membranes. The physician or nurse-midwife breaks the bag of water in order to: 1) Visualize the color of amniotic fluid before birth, or 2) As a means of helping increase the frequency and/or strengthen the uterine contractions.

Braxton-Hicks: Usually painless uterine contractions which the mother may feel from about the fifth month on. Less than four per hour is considered normal. Walking increases the intensity and resting usually decreases the intensity.

Colostrum: The first milk produced by mom. Higher in protein than mature breast milk, and contains immune properties (passive immunity) which protect the infant from infections.

Crowning: The baby’s head is visible as mom pushes. Crowning usually denotes that the head is still visible even in between pushes.

Dilation: The opening up of the cervix. Measured in centimeters.

EDD: Estimated date of delivery

Effacement: The thinning and shortening of the cervix. Measurement of effacement is described in terms of percentages.

Engagement: When the baby’s head is far enough into the bony pelvis that it no longer can move back up, or float freely in the amniotic fluid.

Engorgement: On about day three postpartum, sometimes the breasts become hard and swollen (engorged) as the milk comes in.

Fetal Heart Tones: The baby’s heartbeat. Normal range is 120 to 160 beats per minute.
(FHT)

Involution: The process of the shrinking of the uterus to its pre-pregnant size. This process takes approximately six weeks.

Lightening: The sensation the mother feels when the baby “drops” down or gradually settles into the pelvis.

Lochia: Discharge of blood, mucus and tissue from the placental implantation site and the uterus after the birth of a baby. May continue several weeks and vary in amount. Begins red, gradually clearing to colorless serum.

Mucus Plug: A plug of heavy mucus which blocks the cervical os during pregnancy.

Multigravida: A woman pregnant with her second or subsequent child.

Multipara (multip): A woman who has given birth to her second or subsequent child.

Perineum: The skin, and muscles which surround the urethra (the opening to the bladder), the vagina, and the anus.

Placenta: The vascular structure developed in pregnancy through which nutrition and excretion takes place between mother and baby.

Preterm Labor: More than four uterine contractions in an hour before 36 weeks of pregnancy. The true definition of Preterm labor is cervical change.

Primigavida: A woman pregnant with her first child.

Primipara (primip): A woman who has given birth to her first child.

SROM: Spontaneous Rupture of Membranes. If this occurs long before labor onset, it is called PROM (premature rupture of membranes). Usually labor naturally begins within a few hours (if it already hasn’t) after SROM.

Station: The relationship between the baby’s head to the bony pelvis of the mom. It measures how deep into the pelvis the baby is dipping.

True Labor: Unlike Braxton-Hicks contractions, true labor contractions usually come in a regular pattern, gradually get closer together and gradually increase in intensity. True labor results in the effacement and dilation of the cervix and the eventual expulsion of the baby.

Uterus: Muscular organ of gestation; consists of a pear-shaped fundus which is the top or uppermost portion,, and a narrower lower portion called the cervix. The cervix resembles a “neck” until the time of birth when it opens into the birth canal (or vagina) to allow passage of the baby. The cervical os (or opening) is the portion of the cervix which is measured during dilation.

For additional information, please contact Nancy Ores, Practice Administrator