Glossary of pregnancy. Letter C

Pregnancy is a very special moment in a woman's life. Living it for sure will help you enjoy it much more. Therefore, Guiainfantil.com helps you solve all your doubts. We provide you with our pregnancy dictionary with terms beginning with the letter C . Consult it and find all the answers you need.

Pregnancy is a very special moment in a woman's life. Living it for sure will help you enjoy it much more. Therefore, Guiainfantil.com helps you solve all your doubts.

We provide you with our pregnancy dictionary with terms beginning with the letter C. Consult it and find all the answers you need.

Dictionary of pregnancy with the letter C

Cramps

Cramps are 'punctures' in the joints that occur, especially at night. Actually, they are involuntary contractions of one or more muscles, although the most common cramps occur in the twin. Cramping is one of the discomforts associated with pregnancy and related to the change in the circulatory system of the pregnant woman. They are accentuated in the third trimester and are related to muscle fatigue.

Colostrum

Colostrum is the first breast milk the baby consumes. It begins to occur in the last weeks of pregnancy and will be the first food that the newborn takes in the first days after delivery. Colostrum contains in a concentrated form the best nutrients for the baby. It is a dark and dense yellowish color. Colostrum will be followed by breast milk.

Birth canal

Duct where the baby will go during delivery. It goes from the top of the pelvis to the vaginal orifice, and also includes the uterus and the cervix. By the time the baby's head fits into the pregnant woman's pelvis, she is ready to go through the birth canal.

Cesarean section

Cesarean delivery is a delivery that is surgically treated. The gynecologist makes an incision in the lower part of the abdomen and in the uterus of the woman to remove the baby. Normally this type of intervention is reserved for emergency deliveries, due to fetal distress, risk to the baby or the pregnant woman or the non-progression of dilation. It is usually done with epidural anesthesia.

Sciatica

Pain located in the lumbar area that is produced by the clamping of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica and low back pain are very common among pregnant women, and is caused by the weight gain of the uterus and the displacement of internal organs. In addition, the position of the uterus and the baby causes the center of gravity of the pregnant woman to change. The pregnant woman bends over her back and in the long run this causes pains in her lower back.

Menstrual cycle

Fertility cycle of the woman that occurs every 28 days. During this period, the ovaries expel an egg and deposit it in the fallopian tube (this takes place in the first 14 days of the cycle). If the sperm fail to fertilize, or there is no sexual intercourse during this cycle, the egg dies and is expelled in the form of vaginal bleeding that lasts between 4 and 7 days approximately.

Cigoto

It is the cell resulting from the union of the sperm and the ovule after fertilization. During the first days, this cell is divided into several. The zygote will be the cell from which a new life develops. This cell already includes all the genetic load and chromosomes that will determine the fundamental characteristics of the future baby.

CIR (Retarded Intrauterine Growth)

A term used to say that the baby develops more slowly than normal during pregnancy. This is due to some problem with the functioning of the placenta. The baby does not receive all the nutrients necessary for its development. Babies with this problem are usually born with low weight.

Cystitis

It is a urinary infection caused by bacteria. The main symptoms are itching, irritation and stinging and a constant need in the pregnant woman to urinate. Cystitis affects the bladder and should be treated with antibiotics so that it does not affect the baby. The most serious form of cystitis is the one that affects the kidneys. In this case, the diagnosis is pyelonephritis.

Cytology

Cytology is a simple gynecological test that consists in the extraction of a sample of tissue from the cervix to analyze it and rule out the presence of cancer cells. During pregnancy, it is done in the first trimester.

Chloasma

They are dark spots that appear on the pregnant woman's face during pregnancy. It does not pose any risk to the health of women but it does become an aesthetic problem. It appears mostly in front, cheekbones and upper lip and is also known as melasma. The main cause is the hormonal alteration.

Conception

It is known as conception at the moment of fertilization of the ovule. It is the moment in which the sperm gets to enter the ovule and fertilize it, creating from that moment a new life.

Contractions

Contractions are 'cramps' more or less intense than the pregnant feels in the area of ​​the uterus, and they serve to weaken the walls of the uterus and prepare the baby for the moment of delivery. They also appear as a 'hardening' of the gut. The first contractions that the pregnant woman will feel are those of Braxton Hicks. These occur at the end of the second trimester of pregnancy and serve to prepare the uterus for childbirth. Labor contractions are more intense, frequent, rhythmic and are noticed in the upper part of the uterus. Its purpose is to push the baby to be born.

Cord umbilical

Tubular structure that connects the placenta with the fetus. It is formed by two arteries and a vein through which blood, food and oxygen circulate between mother and baby. It is formed in the fifth week of gestation and evolves throughout pregnancy.


Retarded Intrauterine Growth (CIR)

It is known by this acronym, CIR, to Intrauterine Retarded Growth. This is an alteration in the growth of the fetus during pregnancy. The consequences can be multiple: from a premature birth to some learning problems in the baby or even mental retardation.

Quarantine

Refractory moment after delivery during which the woman's organs return to their original position and the body recovers from the labor effort and the changes suffered in the pregnancy. It is called quarantine because it usually lasts forty days, although everything depends on each woman. During this period there is a vaginal hemorrhage that can last more than forty days, wrongs (uterine contractions) and a series of physical and emotional changes.

Cervix

It is the lower part of the uterus or womb. Corresponds to a narrowing of the uterus and is located in the upper part of the vagina. It allows the semen to reach the uterus and is part of the birth canal for the baby.

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