Pregnancy Dictionary - D
D & C: Dilation and curettage. A surgery to remove the contents of the uterus, usually after a miscarriage, but also if parts of the placenta are retained.
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Demerol: Trade name for mepridine hyrochloride, a white, odorless, crystalline
compound, soluble in water, having a neutral reaction and an analgesic
effect similar to that of morphine.
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Diastasis recti: Separation of the abdominal muscles.
Dilatation: the enlarging of the cervix to 10 centimeters.
Doula: professional labor support person.
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Downs syndrome: Congenital defect caused by a chromosomal abnormality.
Marked by various degrees of mental retardation and
characteristic physical features such as short flattened skull
slanting eyes, thickened tongue, broad hands and feet.
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Due date: The expected date of confinement (pregnancy). The average pregnancy is calculated from the last menstrual period (LMP), by adding 280 days. Many pregnancies go beyond this time period or before this arbitrary date.
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