| A | B |
|---|
| personal hygiene | Keeping the body clean and fresh |
| tub bath | A body cleansing by being immersed in water |
| sponge bath | A body cleansing using just a sponge and some water, without immersion; usually performed on someone confined to bed |
| Kegel exercise | Strengthens the pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder and bowel |
| pelvic floor | The lower pelvic area of a female |
| nutrient dense | Foods having calories that are packed with important nutrients including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products |
| mercury | A heavy metal toxin that can harm fetal nervous tissue |
| fontanels | A soft, membrane-covered space between the bones at the front and the back of a newborn’s skull |
| foodborne illness | Hazards that make food unsafe to eat |
| listeriosis | A disease of the nervous system of humans that can cause fever, meningitis, miscarriage, or premature birth and is spread by eating food contaminated with listeria |
| obstetrician | A medical doctor who specializes in pregnancy and delivery |
| folic acid | A B-complex vitamin found in many vegetables, beans, fruits, whole grains, and some fortified breakfast cereals and it helps prevent birth defects |
| alternative birth center | A facility where the baby is delivered in a room with the family present |
| home delivery | Giving birth to a baby at home |
| standard hospital delivery | Having a baby in a medical hospital with a doctor and staff in a delivery room |
| natural childbirth | The act or process of giving birth using limited medication |
| Lamaze method | A woman is physically and psychologically prepared through prenatal training in the use of controlled breathing and coached by a partner to facilitate the process of natural childbirth |
| Doulas | A person who helps with the comfort of pregnancy and focuses on breathing. |
| Leboyer method | A method of childbirth where delivery occurs in a quiet, dimly lit room and the infant's head is not pulled, minimizing the trauma for the newborn and allowing for immediate bonding between mother and child |
| Cesarean method | A surgical procedure to remove the baby from the mother’s uterus in case of complications prohibiting a vaginal delivery |
| breech birth | Baby is delivered feet or buttocks first |
| early labor | Mild contractions, last 8 to 12 hours |
| active labor | Fetal monitor may be used, cervix 3 centimeters, lasts 3 to 5 hours |
| transition | Intense labor, cervix 7 centimeters, last 30 minutes to two hours |
| episiotomy | A small cut made at the opening of the birth canal |
| genetic counseling | The process by which patients or relatives, at risk of an inherited disorder, are advised of the consequences and nature of the disorder, the probability of developing or transmitting it, and the options open to them in management and family planning in order to prevent, avoid, or reduce the likelihood of an inherited disorder |
| amniocentesis | A prenatal test that involves removing a small amount of the amniotic fluid that surrounds the developing fetus and may be performed to check for Down syndrome in a mother over age 35 |
| ultrasound | A test that makes sound waves to create video and still images of the fetus inside the uterus |
| Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) | A blood test that measures the level of alpha-fetoprotein in the mothers' blood during pregnancy as an indicator of possible birth defects in a fetus |
