Human Reproduction, Development & Ageing: Labour & Parturition

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to labour, parturition, hormonal changes, and maternal health during pregnancy.

Labour

The work done to deliver the fetus at the end of pregnancy.

Parturition

The term encompassing both labour and delivery of the fetus and placenta.

Dilation Stage

The first stage of labour characterized by the shortening and dilation of the cervix.

Oxytocin

A hormone released by the posterior pituitary that stimulates uterine contractions during labour.

Prostaglandins

Hormones that stimulate labour contractions and are produced by fetal membranes.

Myometrium

The smooth muscle layer of the uterus responsible for contractions during labour.

Cervical dilation

The process where the cervix opens to allow the passage of the fetus during childbirth.

Involution

The process of the uterus returning to its non-pregnant state after childbirth.

Lochia

The vaginal discharge following childbirth, initially blood-stained and then serous.

Braxton-Hicks contractions

Irregular and non-painful contractions of the uterus that occur during pregnancy, often referred to as false labour.

Fetoplacental endocrine system

The hormonal system that influences maternal physiology during pregnancy.

Maternal mortality

The death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy from any cause related to the pregnancy.

Cephalopelvic disproportion

A condition where the size of the fetal head is too large to pass through the mother's pelvis.

Amniotomy

The artificial rupture of the membranes to induce labour.

Transition phase

The phase in the first stage of labour where contractions become stronger and closer together, leading to delivery.

Tocolytics

Medications used to suppress premature labour by inhibiting uterine contractions.

Gestational age

The age of the fetus or pregnancy usually calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period.

Lactogenesis

The process of milk production in the breast that occurs after childbirth.