Maternity Nursing Keyterms

Front 1

amniotic fluid

Back 1

Pale, straw-colored fluid in which the fetus floats. Itserves as a cushion against injury from sudden blows or movementsand helps maintain a constant body temperature for the fetus. The fetusmodifies the amniotic fluid through the processes of swallowing,urinating, and movement through the respiratory tract.

Front 2

ballottement

Back 2

Rebounding of the fetus against the examiner’s finger onpalpation. When the examiner taps the cervix, the fetus floats upwardin the amniotic fluid. The examiner feels a rebound when the fetusfalls back.

Front 3

Chadwick’s sign

Back 3

Violet coloration of the mucous membranes of thecervix, vagina, and vulva that occurs at about 4 weeks of pregnancy;caused by increased vascularity. This is considered a probable sign ofpregnancy.

Front 4

delivery

Back 4

Actual event of birth; the expulsion or extraction of the neonate

Front 5

embryo

Back 5

Stage of fetal development that lasts from day 15 untilapproximately 8 weeks after conception or until the embryo measures3 cm from crown to rump.

Front 6

fertilization

Back 6

Uniting of the sperm and ovum, which occurs within 12hours of ovulation and within 2 to 3 days of insemination, the averageduration of viability for the ovum and sperm.

Front 7

Goodell’s sign

Back 7

Softening of the cervix that occurs at the beginning of thesecond month of gestation. This is considered a probable sign ofpregnancy.

Front 8

gravida

Back 8

A pregnant woman; called gravida I (primigravida) during thefirst pregnancy, gravida II during the second pregnancy, and so on.

Front 9

Hegar’s sign

Back 9

Compressibility and softening of the lower uterine segmentthat occurs at about week 6 of gestation. This is considered a probablesign of pregnancy.

Front 10

implantation

Back 10

Embedding of the fertilized ovum in the uterine mucosa 6to 10 days after conception.

Front 11

infant

Back 11

A human born alive; also, a human from 28 days of age until thefirst birthday.

Front 12

labor

Back 12

Coordinated sequence of rhythmic involuntary uterine contractionsresulting in effacement and dilation of the cervix, followed byexpulsion of the products of conception.

Front 13

lecithin-to-sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio

Back 13

Ratio of two components ofamniotic fluid, used for predicting fetal lung maturity; normal L/Sratio in amniotic fluid is 2:1 or greater when the fetal lungs aremature.

Front 14

lochia

Back 14

Discharge from the uterus that consists of blood from the vesselsof the placental site and debris from the decidua; lasts for 2 to 6 weeksafter delivery.

Front 15

Nägele’s rule

Back 15

Determines the estimated date of birth based on thepremise that the woman has a 28-day menstrual cycle. Subtract 3months and add 7 days to the first day of the last menstrual period;then add 1 year. Alternatively, add 7 days to the last menstrual periodand count forward 9 months.

Front 16

newborn; neonate

Back 16

A human from the time of birth to the twenty-eighthday of life.

Front 17

parity

Back 17

Number of pregnancies that have reached viability regardless ofwhether the fetus was born alive or stillborn.

Front 18

placenta

Back 18

Organ that provides for the exchange of nutrients and wasteproducts between the fetus and the mother and produces hormones tomaintain pregnancy. The placenta develops by the third month ofgestation. Is also called afterbirth.

Front 19

quickening

Back 19

Maternal perception of fetal movement for the first time,occurring usually in the sixteenth to twentieth week of pregnancy.

Front 20

surfactant

Back 20

Phospholipid that is necessary to keep the fetal lung alveolifrom collapsing; amount is usually sufficient after 32 weeks’gestation.

Front 21

uterus

Back 21

Organ located behind the symphysis pubis, between the bladderand the rectum. It has four parts—fundus (upper part), corpus (body),isthmus (lower segment), and cervix.

Front 22

vagina

Back 22

Tubular structure located behind the bladder and in front of therectum; it extends from the cervix to the vaginal opening in theperineum. It functions as the outflow tract for menstrual fluid and forvaginal and cervical secretions, as the birth canal, and as the organ forcoitus.