Toxoplasma-Wha?!

From Anencephaly to Vernix Caseosa, here's our helpful glossary of birthing terminology

Apgar test: A test that assesses a baby's overall health at birth by scoring the baby on five different attributes: heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, reflex responsiveness, and the baby's skin tone.
Amniotic fluid: The protective liquid consisting mostly of water that surrounds the baby inside the amniotic sac.
Anencephaly: A birth defect involving a malformed brain and skull. Anencephaly leads to stillbirth or death soon after birth.
Bilirubin: A substance that is released as a new-born baby's body attempts to get rid of some of the excess red blood cells that he was born with.
Birthing Doula: A caregiver who offers support to a woman and her partner during and immediately after the birth.
Croup: A respiratory condition in which your baby's breathing becomes very noisy.
Fontanelles: The two so-called "soft-spots" that can be found in the centre and toward the back of a newborn baby's head.
Foremilk: The milk that your breasts produce at the beginning of a feeding.
Gestational diabetes: Diabetes that is triggered by pregnancy.
Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease: A common childhood disease that is characterised by tiny blister-like sores in the mouth, on the palms of the hands. And on the soles of the feet. The sores are accompanied by a mild fever, a sore throat, and painful swallowing.
Hemorrhoids: Swollen blood vessels around the anus or in the rectal canal which may bleed and cause pain, especially after childbirth.
Hindmilk: The milk that your breasts produce towards the end of a feeding.
Imperforate anus: When the anus is sealed, either because there is a tiny membrane of skin over the opening to the anus or because the anal canal failed to develop properly.
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR): When the baby's growth is less than what would normally be expected for a baby of that gestational age. It can be symmetric (e.g., both the head and the body are small) or asymmetric. (e.g., just the body is small).
Kegels: Exercises that are designed to work the muscles of the pelvic floor, including those of the urethra, vagina, and rectum.
Lactiferous ducts: The canals in your breast that transport the milk to your nipples.
Lanugo: Soft, downy hair that covers parts of the body of a newborn baby.
Lochia: The discharge of blood, mucus, and tissue from the uterus following childbirth. Lochia can last anywhere from a few weeks to six weeks or longer. It tends to be heaviest right after birth and may contain large clots-some as large as a small orange.
Mastitis: A painful infection of the breast characterised by fever, soreness, and swelling.
Milia: Tiny white bumps that resemble whiteheads. They appear to be raised, but they are actually flat and smooth to the touch, and are typically found on a baby's nose, forehead, and cheeks.
Milk-ejection reflex: A reflex triggered by the hormone oxytocin that causes the band-like muscles around the milk-production cells in your breast to contract, forcing the milk through your inner canal system and into your nipples, where it can be obtained by your baby. Also called the let down reflex.
Moro reflex: A newborn baby's instinctive reaction to any loud noise or sudden movement. He arches his back, throws opens his arms and his legs, and may start to cry before pulling back his arms again.
Moulding: Temporary changes to the shape of a baby's head caused by pressure on the baby's skull during a vertex (head first) vaginal delivery.
Neonatal urticaria: Red spots with yellowish centres that form because a baby's skin and pores are not yet working efficiently. More commonly known as newborn acne.
Neural-tube defects: Abnormalities in the development of the spinal cord and brain in a fetus, including anencephaly, hydrocephalus, and spinal bifida.
Newborn Jaundice: The yellowish tinge of a newborn's skin caused by too much bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice typically develops on the second or third day of life and lasts until the baby is seven to 10 days. Newborn jaundice can usually be corrected by special light treatment.
Nursing strike: A breastfed baby's sudden refusal to nurse.
Oxytocin: The naturally occurring hormone that causes uterine contractions and is responsible for triggering the milk ejection reflex.
Paraphimosis: An emergency situation that can occur if the foreskin gets stuck when it's first retracted.
Parentese: A form of speech that parents around the world use when communicating with their babies. It involves exaggerated speech and high-pitched voices.
Postpartum Hemorrhage: The loss of more than 15 ounces (450 millilitres) of blood during a vaginal delivery or 4 cups (1 litre) during a caesarean section.
Pregnancy-induced hypertension: A pregnancy-related condition in which a women's blood pressure is temporarily elevated. Her blood pressure returns to normal shortly after she gives birth.
Prolactin: The hormone responsible for milk production and for suppressing ovulation in a nursing mother. Prolactin is released following the delivery of the placenta and the membranes.
Rooting reflex: A newborn baby's instinctive ability to root for a nipple to latch on to if her mouth is touched or her cheek is stroked on one side.
Separation anxiety: A baby's fear of being separated from the person or persons he cares most about.
Shigella: An illness that is caused by a virus in the stool that can be spread from person to person.
Stridor: Noisy or laboured breathing. Stridor occurs when a baby is breathing in and may be associated with hoarseness.
Thrush: A breastfeeding related yeast infection that affects both mother and baby.
Tongue-tied: A condition that occurs when the stringy, fibrous membrane that connects the lower part of the tongue to the floor of the mouth may be too tight to allow the baby's tongue to extend far enough forward to take hold of the nipple during breastfeeding.
Tonic neck reflex: A newborn baby's instinctive tendency to turn his head to one side and extend the arm and leg on that same side in a classic fencing position if placed on his back. Sometimes called fencer's reflex.
Toxoplasmosis: A parasitic infection that can cause stillborn or miscarriages in pregnant women and congenital defects in babies.
Transitional milk: The milk that your breasts produce after they are finished producing colostrums but before they are ready to produce mature milk.
Umbilical hernia: A small swelling close to the belly button that becomes more prominent when a baby is crying.
Undescended testicles: Testicles that have not yet descended from the abdomen into the scrotum by the time a baby boy is born.
Vernix caseosa: A greasy white substance that coats and protects the baby's skin before birth.