•Abortion- Termination of pregnancy before even completion of full term, it may be done by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus.Also when an abortion occurs without any intervention then it is know as misscarriage or spontaneous abortion.
•Amniocentesis- A procedure in which a small sample of amniotic fluid is taken out from amniotic cavity for testing purpose.It may help for prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and fetal infections as well as for sex determination.
•APGAR score- APGAR stands for Appearance (skin color), Pulse, Grimace (reflex irritability/response), Activity (muscle tone) , Respiration.APGAR score is a simple method of quickly assessing the health and vital signs of a new born baby after delivery.
Score of 0-3 :- Critically low
Score of 4-6 :- Below normal
Score of 7+ :- Normal
•Bioidentical hormones- These are man made hormones that are similar to hormones produced by human body.They are made same as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help ease the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and mood swings
•Bloody show- It refers to vaginal discharge that occurs at the end of the pregnancy.It’s a sign that the mucus plug has loosened or already has been dislodged
•Breech position- In some ppregnancy baby doesn’t naturally turn head-down.Instead the baby is in breech position.Thrir are 3 types of breech position-Frank breech,Complete breech,Footling breech.
•Cesarean section- C section is a surgical procedure used to deliver baby through incisions in the abdomen and uterus
•Cerclage- Cervical Cerclage or known as cervical stitch it is done when cervix is weak and it starts to date too early in pregnancy which may cause a miscarriage or a pre term birth.
•Cervical dysplasia- It is a precancerous condition in which abnormal cell growth occurs on the surface lining of the cervix.
•Chorioamnionitis- It is a bacterial infection that occurs before or during labor.It happens more often when the bag of waters (amniotic sac) is broken for a long time before birth.
•Colostrum- First mother milk is referred to as Colostrum.It is the yellow and thick or may appear clear and runny.It is low in fat, high in protein and contains antibodies, lactoferin (lactoferin is anti inflammatory and aids with iron absorption)
•Colposcopy- It is medical diagnostic procedure to closely examine cervix, vagina, and vulva for signs of disease.The instrument used for this purpose is called colposcope.
•D&C- It means dilation and curettage i.e dilation of cervix and removal of the tissues / content of the uterus through scraping and scooping.
•Doula- Doula is a woman who is basically trained to provide guidance and support to a pregnant mother during labour.
•Dysmenorrhoea- It is menstrual cramps i.e pain during menstrual bleeding.This pain is usually in lower abdomen.
•Dyspareunia- It is a symptom of a physical or psychological disorder, defined as persistent or recurrent genital pain that occurs before, during or after sexual intercourse.
•Eclampsia- It means sezuires during pregnancy, it is a severe complication of pre eclampsia.
•Ectopic pregnancy- a pregnancy in which the fertilised egg implants in the wrong place i.e it doesn’t implants in uterus instead it get implants in fallopian tube.
•Effacement- It occurs towards the end of pregnancy when the cervix becomes thinner in preparation for birth.
•Endometrial ablation- It is a surgical procedure in which a thin layer of endometrial tissue is destroyed with the aim of reducing or stopping menstrual flow.
•Episiotomy- a procedure in whih a minor cut is made at the opening of vagina during child birth to facilitate delivery of baby.
•Essure- It is a birth control device for women which is permanently implanted into each fallopian tubes, it induces fibrosis and and blockage of the tubes.
•False labor- The irregular muscular contraction of uterus which most commonly occurs in the last two months of pregnancy. They differ from true labor in the sense that, false labor is non productive i.e there is no dilatation of cervix , also false labor gets weakens with time and generally stops with walking, resting or with change in position
•Fetal fibronectin- It is a protein which is responsible in holding fetal and maternal membranes together i.e it attached the amniotic sac to the uterine lining. If due to any cause this connection is disrupted then fetal fibronectin can be released into secretions near the cervix.
•HELLP syndrome– It stands for,
H- Hemolysis
EL- Elevated liver enzymes
LP- lower platelet count
HELLP syndrome is a rare but a serious complication that affects pregnancy, it is usually considered to be a variant of preeclampsia.
•HTA (Hydrothermal ablation)- Ablation means to destroy, basically HTA is a medical procedure perfomed in women who complains of heavy uterine bleeding. In this procedure doctor’s destroy the inner lining of the uterus.
•Induction of labor- It is procedure which initiates/ induces the uterine contractions which further causes smooth vaginal delivery of baby. This induction may include both pharmacological medication and physical approaches.
•Kegel excercise- It is an exercise which benefits to strengthen the pelvic floor, helps to prevent urinary incontinence , some researchers also suggested that women who do pelvic floor exercises may have a slightly shorter active phase of labor than other women.
•Meconium- It is collection of secretions and certain cells from digestive tract, waste products of ingested amniotic fluid which get accumulated in the colon. The first stool of neonate which is generally passed within 24 hours of birth is then referred to as Meconium.
•Menopause- Meno means menstruation and pause means ceasation i.e a natural end of the menstrual cycle in a woman of age 40s or 50s
•Morning sickness- Nausea and vomiting which occur commonly in early pregnancy is referred to as morning sickness, although it is called as morning sickness but it may occur at any time of the day.
•Perimenopause- peri means periphery or around i.e the time around the menopausal transition is referred to as perimenopause. So it means the time during which a woman starts to develop symptoms of declining estrogen levels.
•Preeclampsia- It is a pregnancy complication which is characterized by high blood pressure.It usually starts after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal.
Contributor- Medico Anant Singh Nanda
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