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| Amniocentesis | A before-birth diagnostic procedure during which a long needle is used to obtain amniotic fluid from within the uterus. Done between 16th and 20th week to diagnose fetal abnormalities. Rhogam must be given after the procedure to a Rh negative woman. |
| Amnion | The thin inner membrane that surrounds the fetus during pregnancy. Forms the sac |
| Antepartal | occurring before birth, from conception to labor |
| Ballotment | a sharp upward pushing against the uterine wall with a finger inserted into the vagina for diagnosing pregnancy by feeling the return impact of the displaced fetus, occurs around 4-5 months |
| Blastocyst | A thin-walled hollow structure in early embryonic development that contains a cluster of cells called the inner cell mass from which the embryo arises |
| Chorion | The outermost of the two fetal membranes (the amnion is the innermost) that surround the embryo. Chorion is closest to the intrauterine wall and gives rise to the placenta. |
| Chorionic villus sampling | A procedure for first-trimester prenatal diagnosis (CVS). CVS may be done between the 8th and 12th weeks of pregnancy. Cannot pick up on neural tube defects. Can get results in 24 hrs. Rhogam must be given mother Rh negative after procedure. |
| Chromosomes | The microscopically visible carriers of the genetic material. The fertilized egg contains 23 pairs for a total of 46 chromosomes. One of each pair is contributed by the mother and one by the father. The father determines the sex with the Y chromosome. |
| Conception | The union of the sperm and the ovum. Synonymous with fertilization. The onset of pregnancy, marked by implantation of the blastocyst into the endometrium. |
| Ectoderm | One of the three primary germ cell layers, it is the outermost of the three layers. Develops into skin, nails, hair. |
| Endoderm | One of the three primary germ cell layers. (Innermost) Develops into internal organs, instestines |
| Mesoderm | The middle layer part of the three primary germ cell layers deelops into connective tissue, bone marrow, muscle and blood |
| Fertilization | The process of combining the male gamete, or sperm, with the female gamete, or ovum to form the zygote |
| Gamete | a mature male or female germ cell (an ovum or a spermatozoon) contains one half of the chromosomes |
| Gestational | Pregnancy from conception to birth. For humans averages 40 weeks. |
| Goodell's sign | An indication of pregnancy. It is a significant softening of the vaginal portion of the cervix from increased vascularization. Occurs second month of pregnancy |
| Gravida | Pregnancies The number of pregnancy or woman's status regarding pregnancy. If gravida 1 means pregnant for the first time |
| Para | Births A woman who has produced an infant regardless of whether the child was alive or stillborn. The term is used with numerals to indicate the number of pregnancies carried to more than 20 weeks gestation. Para 2 means two births. |
| Hegar's sign | This is softening and compressibility of the lower uterine segment just above the cervix in early pregnancy |
| Implantation | The very early stage of pregnancy at which the conceptus adheres to the wall of the uterus. Embedding of the blastocyst into the uterine wall. |
| intrapartal period | The period spanning between true labor and birth and delivery of the placenta |
| Lactation | The process of milk production. |
| Lanugo | Downy hair on the body of a fetus or newborn baby, the first hair to be produced by the fetal hair follicles. |
| Midwife | A person who assists women in childbirth. Specialists in childbirth, postpartum, and well-woman health care who has received training and is licensed/registered to practice. Practices in hospitals, clinics, maternity home, birth center or private home. May or may not be a nurse. |
| Morula | A fertilized ovum while in the Fallopian tube. An embryo at an early stage of embryonic development consisting of cells |
| Obstetrician | A physician who specializes in pregnancy and childbirth |
| Parturition | Childbirth, the process of delivering the baby and placenta from the uterus to the vagina to the outside world also called labor and delivery |
| Perinatal | Pertaining to the period immediately before and after birth. |
| Placenta | A fetal organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply, fight against internal infection and produce hormones to support pregnancy (also known as afterbirth). |
| Postpartal | Monitoring and management of the patient who has recently given birth. |
| Prenatal | Monitoring and management of the patient during pregnancy to prevent complications of pregnancy andpromote a healthy outcome for both mother and infant |
| Quickening | The moment during pregnancy when the baby is first felt to move. Occurs between 16 and 20th week of pregnancy. |
| Teratogen | A substance that can disturb the development of the embryo or fetus causing developmental abnormalities in the fetus. Accutane is an examples. |
| Trimester | In obstetrics, one of the three divisions of three months each during pregnancy, in which different phases of fetal development take place. |
| Trophoblast | Outermost layer of cells of the mammalian blastocyst that attaches the fertilized ovum to the uterine wall and serves as a nutritive pathway for the embryo. |
| Ultrasound | The use of a small transducer (probe) and gel placed directly on the skin. High-frequency sound waves are transmitted from the probe through the gel into the body. |
| Wharton's jelly | A gelatinous substance that provides insulation and protection within the umbilical cord. Is yellow white in color. |
| Zygote | Fertilized egg. The cell formed by the union of a male sex cell (a sperm) and a female sex cell (an ovum) |
| Chadwick sign | An early sign of pregnancy around 6-8 weeks, blue discoloration of the cervix, vagina and labia due to increased blood flow |
