Pregnancy & Baby Index: Pregnancy - Dictionary: Pregnancy terms starting with B
Pregnancy terms starting with B
Get quick definitions of many of the most common pregnancy terms here! From fertility treatment terminology to common pregnancy conditions to the stages of labor, find out more about the hundreds of new words you will be hearing.
B is for...
Back labor
Category: Labor and birth
Intense back pain during labor, caused by a baby in a posterior presentation. (See Posterior presentation.)
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Bacteria
Category: Pregnancy/Birth/Other
Tiny one-celled organisms present throughout the environment that require a microscope to be seen. While not all bacteria are harmful, some cause disease. Examples of bacterial disease include group B strep, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Haemophilus influenza and pneumococcus (pneumonia).
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Basal body temperature
Category: Conception and fertility
A woman's base body temperature, measured at the same time each day, upon first waking up in the morning, before getting out of bed. Used in fertility charting.
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Bicornate uterus
Category: High risk/Complications
A heart shaped uterus, a condition called uterine didelphys or bicornate uterus, depending on some other factors. Patients with this condition are at risk for preterm labor and delivery, because the uterine cavity does not expand in the same manner to permit enlargement of the term-sized fetus, possibly resulting in preterm contractions.
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Birth center
Category: Labor and birth
Home-away-from-home place to birth, equipped to care for low risk women. Registered midwives, nurses, doula and volunteers usually staff a freestanding birth center, and many centers have an obstetrician on call for emergencies. (http://www.birthcenters.org)
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Birth defect
Category: Birth defects
Any defect present at birth, whether caused by mutant genes or by prenatal events that are not genetic.
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Birth injury
Category: Labor and birth
Impairment of the infant's body function or structure due to adverse influences that occurred at birth.
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Blessingway
Category: Pregnancy/Birth/Other
A blessingway is a traditional Native American spiritual ceremony, held during pregnancy to celebrate a woman's transition into motherhood. The expectant mother's closest friends attend, and the ritual is meant to also help her prepare for her child's birth.
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Blighted ovum
Category: High risk/Complications
A fertilized egg that develops into a gestational sac, but no embryo is formed. The cause may be chromosomal or due to the quality of the egg or fertilizing sperm itself.
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Bloody show
Category: Labor and birth
A thick plug of mucus in the cervix that starts to come out as you near labor. Sometimes the loss of the plug is accompanied by some streaks of blood, or bloody show. Also see mucus plug.
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BPM
Category: General pregnancy
“Beats per minute,” referring to the fetal heart. A normal fetal heart rate ranges from 120 to 160 BPM. There is no correlation between fetal heart rate and the baby's gender, despite common myths.
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Brachial plexus injuries
Category: Labor and birth
The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that conducts signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Brachial plexus injuries are caused by damage to those nerves. Symptoms may include a limp or paralyzed arm, lack of muscle control in the arm, hand, or wrist, and lack of feeling or sensation in the arm or hand. Although injuries can occur at any time, many brachial plexus injuries happen during birth: the baby's shoulders may become impacted during the birth process causing the brachial plexus nerves to stretch or tear. There are four types of brachial plexus injuries: avulsion, the most severe type, in which the nerve is torn from the spine; rupture, in which the nerve is torn but not at the spinal attachment; neuroma, in which the nerve has tried to heal itself but scar tissue has grown around the injury, putting pressure on the injured nerve and preventing the nerve from conducting signals to the muscles; and neuropraxia or stretch, in which the nerve has been damaged but not torn. Neuropraxia is the most common type of brachial plexus injury. Some brachial plexus injuries may heal on their own. Many children improve or recover by 3 to 4 months of age. Treatment for brachial plexus injuries includes occupational or physical therapy and, in some cases, surgery.
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Bradley method
Category: Labor and birth
A method of childbirth education, also known as "Husband-Coached Childbirth®." According to AAHCC, "The standard Bradley® series is designed for small classes with lots of individual attention. The standard length of the classes is 12 weeks covering 12 units of instruction." Goals include natural childbirth, excellent nutrition during pregnancy, avoidance of drugs and other medications, and relaxation and natural breathing.
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Braxton-hicks contractions
Category: Labor and birth
A usually painless tightening of the uterus. Occasional uterine contractions occur throughout pregnancy, but have no effect on the cervix. Contractions during the ninth month still tend to be brief, irregular, and imperceptible to the mother, but they are more frequent and coordinated than earlier ones. An English doctor named John Braxton Hicks in 1872 first described these contractions.
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Breastfeeding
Category: Postpartum
Breastfeeding is the act of feeding your baby the milk created just for him or her. A nursing baby suckles on the areola (pigmented part around the nipple) on the breast to get this milk. In the first few days after birth, your baby gets colostrum, a small amount of clear liquid. This is all your baby needs at this time. Mature milk arrives a few days after birth.Breastmilk is the healthiest food for your baby. Among it's numerous researched benefits include that breastfeeding offers the correct amounts of protein and other vitamins and nutrients for your baby, and also helps keep your baby from getting allergies and infections.
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Breech presentation
Category: Labor and birth
At birth, the presentation of the fetal buttocks rather than the head, or other malpresentation. The breech presentation occurs in about 3 to 4% of pregnancies at term (37 weeks and beyond).There are three main types of breech presentation: Frank breech: Buttocks presenting, thighs flexed, with feet extended up toward the body; Full breech: Buttocks presenting, thighs flexed, with lower legs on thighs; Footling breech: One or both feet presenting.
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