OB Vocabulary list

Gestation: the average gestation is a species specific trait. As

calculated from first day of last normal menstrual periods 280 days,
with normal range of 259 days (37 weeks) to 287(41 weeks). Infants
born prior to 37 weeks is premature and after 41 weeks is post mature.

Parity: equal parity.

Term: a limit or boundary. A definite or limited period of duration such

as the normal period of pregnancy, approximately nine calendar
months or 38 to 42 weeks gestation.

Preterm: In obstetrics, occurring prior to the 37 week of gestation.

Post term: pregnancy continuity beyond the beginning of the 42nd

week (294 days) of gestation as counted from the first day of the last
normal menstrual period. Occurs usually 3 to 12 % of pregnancies.
Complications include: olihydramnios, me conium passage,
macrosomatia, and dymaturity, all of which may lead to prior
pregnancy outcome. The fetus should be delivered if any sign of fetal
distress is detected.

Antepartum: period of pregnancy between conception and onset of

labor, used with reference to the mother.

Intrapartum: the period from the onset of labor to its termination,

marked by delivery of the placenta. Happens during childbirth.

Postpartum: occurring after childbirth . A period of heightened

maternal emotions that follow the birth of the baby, typically beginning
tin the first three to five days after childbirth. Common symptoms are
irritability , emotional liability, and tearfulness, although exaggerated
happiness may also be reported. Unlike postpartum depression, (a
persistent mood disturbance after childbearing) postpartum blues
typically resolves in a week to ten days.

Abortion: the spontaneous or induced termination of pregnancy before

the fetus reaches a viable age. The legal definition if viability usually
20 to 24 weeks differs from state to state.

Stillborn: The birth of a dead child or fetus. A child or fetus dead at

birth

Nulligravida: a woman who had never conceived a child.

Primigravida: a woman during her first pregnancy.

Multipravida: a woman who is in her second or any subsequent

pregnancy. The number of pregnancies may be recorded as gravida II,
gravida III and so on.

Artifical rupture of membranes: ARM is Artificial Rupture of Membranes,

otherwise known as Amniotomy.
It involves splitting of the amnion and chorion (membranes) to release
Liquor. This is done using an amnihook (a tool, with a small hook on
the end), and as with all procedures carried out on the woman requires
informed maternal consent. This should be clearly given and the
reason for the ARM clearly stated in the maternity records.

Bloody Show: is a sign that labor will begin within 24 to 48 hours. Pink
tinged secretions. See pg. 406 in textbook.

Crowning: visible presentation of the fetal head at the vaginal introitus.

Cardinal movements:
Braxton Hicks contractions: false labor these contractions are not true
labor pains because they do not cause dilation and effacement of the
cervix, but are often interpreted as such.

Ultrasound: inaudible sound in the frequency range of approximately

20, 000 to10 billion cycle/second. Ultrasound has different velocities
that differ in density and elasticity from one kind of tissue to the next.

Physiological anemia of pregnancy:

Fetal deceleration:

early deceleration in fetal heart rate monitoring, a transient

decrease in heart rate that coincides with the onset of a uterine
contraction.

late deceleration in fetal heart rate monitoring, a transient decrease

in heart rate occurring at or after the peak of a uterine contraction,
which may indicate fetal hypoxia.

variable decelerations in fetal heart rate monitoring, a transient

series of decelerations that vary in intensity, duration, and relation to
uterine contraction, resulting from vagus nerve firing in response to a
stimulus such as umbilical cord compression in the first stage of labor.

Lithotomy: the incision of the duct or organ especially of the bladder

for removal of stone.

Amniotomy: intentionally breaking the amniotic sac with a sterile

amniohook Allis forceps or amniotone to stimulate or augment labor.

Contraction Stress Test: a procedure used to evaluate placenta

sufficiency by assessing fetal response to the physiological stress or
artificially induced uterine contractions. Contractions may be
generated by breast stimulation or by the oxytocin challenge test.

Nonstress Test: an external electronic monitoring procedure to assess

fetal well-being. An acceleration in the fetal heart should be evident in
response to fetal movement. Reactive test: two criteria indicate
satisfactory fetal status. The monitor records a minimum of two
episodes of heart rate acceleration accompanying fetal movement
within 20 minutes period and accelerations of 15 beats per minute
persist foe a minimum of 15 seconds per episode.

Vena Cava syndrome: supine hypertensive syndrome.

Frequency: the number of repetitions of a phenomenon in a certain

period or within a distinct population such as the frequency of
heartbeat, sound vibrations, or disease.

Intensity: the strength of uterine labor contractions at acme. Palpation

identification contraction as mild, moderate, or strong by identability.
Contraction strength can be measured in milliliters or mercury by
insertion of a saline filled intrauterine pressure cathether to a
transducer.

Lightening: the descent of the presenting part of the fetus into the
pelvis. This often occurs 2 to 3 weeks before the first stage of labor
begins. It may not occur in militaries until active labor begins.

Malpresentation: Abnormal position of the fetal presentating part,

making natural delivery difficult or impossible. Labor is longer, and
fetal descent may be impaired.
Molding: Shaping the fetal head to adapt itself to the dimensions of the
birth canal during its descent through the pelvis. A protective border
used in plastic surgery. The casting of reproduction.

Leopald’s maneuver: in obstetrics, the use of four steps in palpating

the uterus in order to determine the position an presentation of the
fetus.

Spontaneous Rupture of membranes: when the amniotic

sac/membrane ruptures before the onset of labor within 24 hours. After
ROM ,80% of these woman experience onset of labor within 24 hours.
If membranes rupture and labor does not begin spontaneously within
12-24 hours maybe induced to decrease infection.

Station: In obstetrics, the relationship in centimeters between the

presenting part and the level of the Ischia spines.

Duration: In obstetrics, the time between the beginning and the end of
one uterine contraction.

Effacement: In obstetrics, the thinning of the cervix as the internal os

is slowly pulled up into the lower uterine segment.

Engagement: the entry of the longest diameter of the fetal presenting

part into the pelvic inlet.

Fetal presentation: the part of the fetus that lies closest to or has
entered the true pelvis. Cephalic presentations are vertex, brow, face
and chin. Breech presentations include frank breech, complete,
incomplete and single or double footing breech.

Naegele’s rule: a numerical formula for estimating the date labor will
begin; by subtracting 3 months from the first day of the last menstrual
period and adding seven days to that date, a provisional date of
delivery is identified.

Amniocentesis: Trans abdominal puncture of the amniotic sac under

ultrasound guidance using a needle and syringe in order to remove
amniotic fluid. The sample obtained and is studied chemically and
cytological to detect genetic and biochemical disorders and maternal
-fetal blood incompatibility.

Tycodynameter: a device for estimating the force of uterine

contractions in labor.
Amnisure- a new procedure to test if membranes has been ruptured to
test microglobulin protein present for pre-term/pre-mature ruptured of
membranes. Swab vagina, solution at bedside, color changes right
away. RN can perform it.