The Parent Manual: Busting pregnancy jargon

Here’s a jargon busting guide for some of the medical terms you’ll hear about when you’re pregnant.

Trimester: A full-term pregnancy is around 40 weeks and is divided into three stages. Doctors and medical staff will refer to each of these stages as ‘trimesters’ and in each trimester, mum’s body goes through different physical and hormonal changes as baby grows. In summary: tri-mester. Like triple. Three. More than two, less than four… Okay, you got it already.

Morning Sickness: Despite its name, it’s not just a morning thing. It’s believed to be caused by hormone and blood sugar changes in mum’s body. These hormone changes can affect mum’s sense of taste and smell which can trigger vomiting. Keeping a list of triggers on the fridge can help avoid any accidental smelly cooking. In summary: Morning Sickness…or Pass the bucket.

Engaged: No not a blingy ring in this case. ‘Engaged’ is the term medics use when the baby is in the right position to be born. It means that their head has moved down to fit within the pelvis ready to be delivered. In summary: Engaged… and ready to roll.

C Section: Short for caesarean section - is an operation where baby is delivered through a cut in the tummy. Sometimes it’s planned, other times it’s done last minute if baby’s in distress or mum’s becoming unwell. If a C-section is unplanned, it can feel a bit scary as things can move quite quickly. But the medical teams are experts, so try not to worry. It won’t always be possible for dads to come into the operating theatre, but in most cases it’s okay. And before you know it, you’ll be saying hello to your little gurgling, or screaming in many cases, bundle of joy. In summary: The C- section….AKA through the sunroof.

So, that’s three phrases explained, but if your health care professionals use a term that you don't understand throughout your pregnancy, ask them to explain it.