Key Words

Anaemia - a lack of haemoglobin in the red cells of the blood often caused by iron deficiency during pregnancy. Haemoglobin is the part of the blood that carries oxygen

Antenatal - before birth. Women who are pregnant are encouraged to go to ante natal classes to learn to look after themselves during pregnancy, prepare for the birth and look after the baby. There are usually special sessions for men to attend

Conception - the actual moment when a male sperm fertilises a female egg

Embryo - the medical term for the baby from conception to about six weeks

Epidural - a method of anaesthesia that numbs the nerves of the lower spinal cord to reduce pain during labour

Fallopian tubes - two tubular structures one on each side of the womb leading from the ovaries to the womb

Foetus - the medical term for a baby from six weeks after conception to birth

Hypertension - high blood pressure

IVF (in vitro fertilisation) - a method of assisted conception in which fertilisation occurs in a test tube and the embryo is placed in the womb

Placenta - a flat, thick disc shaped organ that supplies the foetus with oxygen and nutrients

Postnatal - after birth

Uterus (womb) - a muscular container that expands as a baby grows over the nine months of pregnancy. It helps deliver the baby through a series of contractions