Miscarriage:  pregnancy loss in the first 12 weeks of gestation or first trimester

80% occur in the first trimester 

50% due to chromosome abnormalities 

Types of miscarriage:

Missed abortion - no symptoms but the pregnancy stops growing. Diagnosed on ultrasound. 

Threatened abortion - bleeding and cramping, a fetal heartbeat, and the cervix is closed.

Inevitable abortion - bleeding and cramping, a fetal heartbeat, and the cervix is open. Will likely pass the pregnancy soon.

Spontaneous abortion - actively passing the pregnancy.

Retained products of conception:  When all the pregnancy tissue does not come out

Ectopic:  a pregnancy that occurs outside of the uterus. 

Pitocin: “bonding/love hormone’ your body naturally makes. Pitocin is the synthetic version IV medication that results in regular uterine contractions and dilation

Side effects -  Too frequent contractions but can easily be controlled because they can be started and stopped

Fetal Heart Rate Tracing:  Monitoring of the baby’s heart rate. 

Acceleration:  When the fetal heart rate goes up indicating good oxygenation. 

Deceleration:  A drop in the fetal heart rate, which can indicate fetal head compression, umbilical cord compression, or a decrease in oxygenation.

APGAR score:  The score Pediatricians assign the baby at minute 1, 5, and 10 minutes of life. A total score of 1 to 10 and the higher the score, the better the baby is doing, with 7, 8, and 9 being normal scores.

Carpal tunnel syndrome:  Swelling in your hands/wrists that leads to nerve compression and can cause numbness and tingling in one or both of your hands. 

Ulcerative colitis or UC:  An inflammatory bowel disease associated with blood in your stool.

Who's in your squad?:  

OB/GYN:  Doctor who can deliver your baby or perform surgery like C-sections.

Midwife:

CNM (A certified nurse midwife) - can deliver your baby if you have a vaginal delivery, and also provide routine health care outside of pregnancy.

LM (licensed midwife) - can provide prenatal care and deliver your baby.

Doula:  A labor coach or birth assistant who can provide prenatal, labor, and postpartum support. This includes helping to create a birth plan, managing pain during delivery, and assisting with breastfeeding/lactation needs. 

Maternal Fetal Medicine:  A high-risk OB consultant trained to manage complicated pregnancies and assist your birth provider with your care.

Anesthesiologist:  A doctor who provides pain relief for epidurals or C-sections, but they also put patients to sleep for other surgeries. 

CRNA:  Certified registered nurse anesthesiologist. Can also provide pain relief and put patients to sleep for surgeries. 

Resident:  A doctor who is in training. This occurs after medical school. 

Birth Center:  A facility where you can deliver with minimal interventions.

Home Birth:  When someone delivers at home. Usually, a birth attendant presents to assist.  

Community Hospital:  A smaller hospital that serves a specific location. 

Academic Center:  A hospital that serves a large population of people. Participates in research and has trainees at different levels, which includes medical students, residents, and other higher education programs. Also, it may have the highest level of care. Usually affiliated with a school like USCF, UCLA, USC, Harvard, etc.