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artificial stimulation of labor (also called "induction") - The use of drugs, most commonly Pitocin, to bring on (induce) or speed up
(augment) labor.
augmentation of labor - The use of drugs such as Pitocin to increase the strength and frequency of contractions in a labor that began spontaneously, but is not thought to be progressing efficiently.
c-section, cesarean section - Delivery through abdominal surgery.
doula (or "labor assistant") - A trained woman who provides continuous physical and emotional support to a woman throughout labor and delivery.
electronic fetal monitoring - A method of tracking contractions and fetal heart beats (tones) with an external ultrasound belt or an internal electrode attached to the baby's scalp along with an internal catheter measuring the strength of contractions.
epidural - An anesthetic injected into a space just outside the spinal cord that blocks the nerve transmission of pain.
episiotomy - A surgical incision to enlarge the vaginal opening at birth.
forceps - A metal instrument used to extract babies from the vaginal canal.
induction (or artificial stimulation of labor) - The use of drugs, most commonly Pitocin (often called "pit") to artificially start labor.
IV (intravenous) fluids - A method of administering fluids through a tube inserted, usually in the back of the hand, so a drug such as Pitocin or other medicine may be slowly released into the bloodstream.
midwife (from Latin "with woman") - A trained care provider, often licensed by the state, who oversees the pregnancy and births of low-risk women. Nurse-midwives are also licensed nurses and most often work in the medical environment.
Pitocin (often called "pit") - A synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin, commonly used to induce or augment labor.
respiratory distress syndrome - A medical condition wherein newborn babies have trouble breathing because their lungs have not matured sufficiently in the womb.
vacuum extraction - A suction device used to extract babies from the vaginal canal.
vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) - Vaginal childbirth after a woman has delivered a prior baby via cesarean section.
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