j. Bloody show -- small amount of blood-tinged discharge due to rupture of
small capillaries in the cervix.
k. Breech -- birth with baby's buttocks or feet coming first.
l. Catherization -- emptying the bladder by insertion of a small pliable tube
through the urethra.
m. C-section (cesarean section) -- delivery of the baby and the placenta through
an incision made into the abdominal wall of the uterus.
n. Cephalic delivery -- in normal circumstances, presentation of the head first.
o. Cervix -- neck of the uterus; "mouth of the womb" that dilates and effaces
during labor (dilates to 10 centimeters to accommodate the head of the baby passing
through the cervix during the birth process).
p. Colostrum -- thin, yellowish fluid preceding breast milk; usually present by the
second day after the birth of the baby. Sugar content of this fluid is the same as breast
milk. Colostrum contains as much or more protein material and salts as breast milk, but
less fat. Colostrum carries protective antibodies.
q. Contractions -- also called labor, the term contraction refers to the muscles of
the uterus contracting rhythmically and forcefully just before birth. Terms associated
with contractions are:
(1)
Intensity -- strength of the muscle contractions.
(2)
Duration -- length of time from start to end of the contraction.
(3) Frequency -- time from the beginning of one contraction to the beginning
of the next contraction.
(4) Braxton Hicks contractions (also called false labor) -- irregular uterine
contractions occurring after the 28th week of pregnancy, felt mainly in the abdomen;
changes in the woman's activity will usually cause these contractions to go away.
r. Crowning -- appearance of the baby's head at the vaginal opening.
s. Dilation (or dilatation) -- opening of the cervix. The cervix opens from 1 to 10
centimeters during the birth process.
t. Effacement -- shortening and thinning of the cervix. During childbirth, the
cervix becomes a part of the body of the uterus. Measurements are from 0 to 100
percent.
MD0584
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