Prose: date=September 2007

Medical meanings

• Childbirth is the process at the end of a human pregnancy that results in a baby being born.
• Natural childbirth is the technique of minimizing medical intervention, particularly anaesthetics, during childbirth.
• Unassisted childbirth (UC) is birth without the aid of medical or professional birth attendants. Also known as Freebirth
• Multiple birth is the birth of two (twins), three (triplets), four (quadruplets), etc., babies resulting from a single pregnancy.
• Birth canal is the term used for the vagina during birth, as it is the route through which the infant passes during a vaginal birth.
• Caesarean section or C-Section is surgical birth through the wall of the abdomen.
• Birth pangs are the pains felt by the mother during labour, resulting from contractions of the uterus and pressure on nerves and organs.
• Lotus Birth is the practice of leaving the umbilical cord uncut after birth so that the baby is left attached to its placenta until the cord naturally separates
• Afterbirth is the birth of the placenta following the birth of the infant.
• Birth control methods are devices, medications or behavior patterns to reduce the probability of pregnancy.
• Placenta the organ in most mammals, formed in her lining of the uterus by the union of the uterine mucous membrane with the membranes of the fetus, that provides for the nourishment of the fetus and the elimination of its waste products.2
• Midwife is the term for a health care provider that provides at home health care for expecting mothers, delivers baby during birth, and provides postpartum care.
• Birth doula is the term for a labor assistant that provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, and other assistance to expecting mothers, partners, families, and baby before, during, and after childbirth. A postpartum doula provides support after birth, and specializes in postpartum care for mother and infant, infant attachment, and other newborn care. The term "doula" stems from the Greek "doulos," or "one who serves."

Complications

• Infertility treatments are devices, medications, or behavior patterns to increase the probability of pregnancy.
• Premature birth is the birth of an infant before the full term of pregnancy.
• Birth defect is a physical or mental abnormality present at the time of birth.
• Stillbirth is the birth of a dead fetus or infant.
• Birth trauma is a theory in Pre & Perinatal psychology and natural medicine that the baby experiences extreme pain during the birthing process and that this pain influences the child later in life.
• VBAC is a Vaginal Birth after a Caesarean Birth.
• Complications may cause a miscarriage or spontaneous abortion to occur.