A midwife (une sage-femme) is a health professional who helps pregnant women deliver their baby.
Many pregnant women experience morning sickness. (nausées matinales)
The neonatal unit (néonatologie) of a hospital is where babies younger than 28 days old are taken care of.
To determine when a woman became pregnant and an expected date of delivery or EDD, she can be asked for the date of her LMP or last menstrual period. (les dernières règles)
Imaging of the fetus in utero can be obtained thanks to an ultrasound scan. (une échographie)
The uterus during pregnancy is also called a womb. (le ventre)
When a pregnant is about to give birth, contractions of the uterine muscles are called labour (UK) or labor (US). (le travail)
A newborn baby is also called an infant. (un nouveau-né)
During labor, the well-being of the baby can be checked through foetal (UK) or fetal (US) monitoring using an EFM, an electronic fetal monitor or a CTG monitor (Continuous cardiotocography monitor). (le monitoring foetal)
During labor, the amniotic sac (la poche de liquide amniotique) breaks. It is called breaking the water. (perdre les eaux)
During childbirth, the vagina is called the birth canal. (le vagin)
Right after birth, the umbilical cord (le cordon ombilical) connecting the baby to the placenta is clamped and cut.
A midwife can help the mother with breastfeeding or nursing. (donner le sein)
A multigravida (une multigravide) is a woman who has already been pregnant, including miscarriages and abortions.
A multipara (une multipare) is a woman who has given birth before, excluding miscarriages and abortions.
A prigravida (une primogravide) is a woman who has not been pregnant before, including miscarriages and abortions.
A pripara (une primipare) is a woman who has not given birth before, excluding miscarriages and abortions.
When the baby is being born with the buttocks out first, it is called a breech birth. (naissance par le siège)
When the delivery of a baby is particularly complicated, a caesarean section or C-section (une césarienne) might be needed.
When the fetus fails to develop, pregnancy ends in a miscarriage. (une fausse couche)
A baby that is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy is called preterm, premature, preemie or premmie. (un bébé prematuré)
A stillbirth (mort à la naissance) is when a baby is born dead.
