Glossary

Amniocentesis. A test that takes a small sample of the fluid around the baby, usually after 15 weeks, to diagnose chromosomal and genetic conditions.

Amniotic fluid. The fluid inside the amniotic sac that cushions your baby; mostly made of your baby's urine from mid-pregnancy.

Anomaly (anatomy) scan. The detailed ultrasound at 18 to 22 weeks that checks your baby's organs, growth, and the placenta.

Anti-D. An injection given to Rh-negative parents to prevent their immune system making antibodies against an Rh-positive baby's blood.

Apgar score. A quick check of a newborn's colour, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone and breathing at one and five minutes after birth. Braxton Hicks contractions. Painless, irregular tightenings of the uterus that are practice for labour.

Breech. When the baby is bottom or feet first instead of head down. Caesarean birth (C-section). Birth through a cut in the abdomen and uterus.

Cervix. The neck of the uterus, which softens, thins and opens during labour.

Cholestasis of pregnancy. A liver condition causing intense itching, usually in the third trimester, that needs monitoring.

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS). A test that takes a small sample of the placenta, usually at 11 to 14 weeks, to diagnose chromosomal and genetic conditions.

Colostrum. The first, concentrated milk, made from mid-pregnancy and fed in the first days after birth.

Crown-rump length (CRL). The length of the embryo or fetus from the top of the head to the bottom, used to date a pregnancy.

Dilation. How far the cervix has opened, measured from 0 to 10 cm. Ectopic pregnancy. A pregnancy growing outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube; a medical emergency.

Effacement. Thinning and shortening of the cervix before and during labour.

Embryo. The name for the developing baby from conception to the end of the 10th week of pregnancy (8 weeks after conception).

Engagement. When the baby's head moves down into the pelvis, often in the last weeks.

Epidural. Pain relief given through a fine tube in the lower back that numbs the lower body.

External cephalic version (ECV). Turning a breech baby head-down by pressing on the belly, usually offered from about 36 or 37 weeks. Fetus. The name for the developing baby from the 11th week of pregnancy until birth.

Folic acid. A B vitamin that reduces the risk of neural tube defects when taken before and in early pregnancy.

Fundal height. The distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus, measured to track growth.

Gestational age. How far along a pregnancy is, counted from the first day of the last period.

Gestational diabetes. High blood sugar that develops during pregnancy and usually goes away after birth.

Group B streptococcus (GBS). A common bacterium that is harmless to most adults but can, rarely, make a newborn seriously ill; antibiotics in labour reduce the risk.

hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). The pregnancy hormone detected by pregnancy tests.

Hyperemesis gravidarum. Severe, persistent nausea and vomiting in pregnancy that needs medical treatment.

Induction. Starting labour artificially with medication, a balloon catheter, or breaking the waters.

Lanugo. Fine, soft hair that covers the fetus from mid-pregnancy and is mostly shed before birth.

Linea nigra. A dark vertical line that can appear on the belly during pregnancy.

Lochia. Bleeding and discharge from the uterus after birth, lasting up to about six weeks.

Membrane sweep. A procedure during an internal exam to help labour start, by separating the membranes from the cervix.

Mucus plug (show). The plug of mucus sealing the cervix, often lost before or during early labour.

Neural tube. The structure in the embryo that becomes the brain and spinal cord; it closes by about 6 weeks.

NIPT (cell-free DNA screening). A blood test from 10 weeks that screens for common chromosomal conditions using fragments of placental DNA in your blood.

Nuchal translucency. The fluid at the back of the baby's neck, measured on ultrasound at 11 to 14 weeks as part of screening.

Oxytocin. The hormone that causes contractions and the let-down of milk; a synthetic form is used to start or speed labour.

Perineum. The area between the vagina and the anus.

Placenta. The organ that connects your baby to your blood supply, bringing oxygen and nutrients and removing waste.

Placenta previa. When the placenta lies low in the uterus, covering or near the cervix.

Pre-eclampsia. A condition of high blood pressure with signs of organ strain, usually after 20 weeks, which needs close care.

Preterm. Born before 37 weeks.

Quickening. The first movements you feel, usually between 16 and 22 weeks.

Rh factor. A protein on red blood cells; people without it are Rh-negative. Round ligament pain. Sharp or pulling pain low in the belly or groin as the ligaments supporting the uterus stretch.

Term. Born between 37 weeks and the end of 41 weeks; 39 weeks 0 days to 40 weeks 6 days is called full term.

Trimester. One of the three stages of pregnancy.

Umbilical cord. The cord that links your baby to the placenta. Vernix. The creamy, white coating that protects your baby's skin in the uterus.