Ever felt like doctors and midwives are speaking a different language when they talk about pregnancy and birth?

💡 “Your Bishop Score is borderline, so we may need to discuss an ARM.”

💡 “Your baby is OP, so pushing may take longer.”

💡 “We’ll do the GTT test at 28 weeks to check for GD.”

Wait…what?! 🤯

Many women feel overwhelmed by medical jargon, and that’s completely understandable. You shouldn’t need a medical degree to understand your own pregnancy and birth.

Today, we’re breaking down:

✔ Common acronyms and medical terms used in pregnancy & labour.

✔ What standard blood tests look for—and your right to decline anything.

✔ How to navigate medical conversations with confidence.

Because understanding the language means you can make truly informed choices.

📖 Common Medical Terms & Acronyms (And What They Actually Mean)

1️⃣ Terms About Baby’s Position

LOA (Left Occiput Anterior) – The optimal position for baby to be in for birth (head down, back slightly to the left).
ROA (Right Occiput Anterior) – Similar to LOA, but baby’s back is on the right side.
OP (Occiput Posterior) – Baby’s head is down, but facing the mother’s belly—often called "back-to-back" and can make labour longer.
Breech – Baby is head-up instead of head-down.

💡 Why it matters: If your baby is in an OP or breech position, you may want to explore techniques to encourage optimal positioning before labour starts.

2️⃣ Induction & Labour Terms

💉 Bishop Score – A scoring system (0-13) used to assess how ‘ready’ your cervix is for labour. The higher the score, the more likely an induction will be successful.

💉 ARM (Artificial Rupture of Membranes) – Manually breaking your waters to "speed things up."

💉 Syntocinon (Pitocin in the US) – A synthetic form of oxytocin used to induce or strengthen contractions.

💉 Cervadil/Propess – A vaginal pessary used to soften and ripen the cervix before induction.

💉 Stretch and Sweep – A procedure where a midwife sweeps a finger around your cervix to try and trigger labour.

💡 Why it matters: These interventions aren’t mandatory—they are options. You can accept, delay, or decline based on your preferences.

3️⃣ Fetal Monitoring Terms

📊 CTG (Cardiotocography) – Continuous electronic monitoring of baby’s heartbeat & contractions.

📊 Intermittent Monitoring – Checking baby’s heartbeat at intervals, instead of being strapped to a monitor.

📊 Decelerations (‘Decels’) – Temporary dips in baby’s heart rate—some are normal, some may indicate distress

📊 Meconium-stained waters – If waters break and contain meconium (baby’s first poo), hospitals often recommend closer monitoring.

💡 Why it matters: Many hospitals push for continuous monitoring, but evidence shows intermittent monitoring is just as safe in low-risk births and allows for more movement.

4️⃣ Common Post-Birth Terms

👶 APGAR Score – A quick assessment of baby’s breathing, colour, muscle tone, reflexes, and heart rate at 1 and 5 minutes after birth.

👶 Delayed Cord Clamping (DCC) – Waiting at least 1-3 minutes before cutting the cord, allowing baby to get more iron-rich blood.

👶 Active vs. Physiological Third Stage – Whether the placenta is delivered naturally or with an injection to speed it up.

💡 Why it matters: Many hospitals routinely clamp the cord too early—you have the right to request delayed clamping unless there’s a medical emergency.

🩸 Standard Blood Tests in Pregnancy: What They Check & Your Right to Decline

Throughout pregnancy, you’ll be offered several routine blood tests—but remember, you can decline or opt out of any test.

Here’s what they typically check for:

📌 Booking Bloods (Taken at 8-12 Weeks)

✔ Blood Type & Rhesus Factor – To see if you have a positive or negative blood type (important for Anti-D injections later if you’re Rh-negative).

✔ Full Blood Count (FBC) – Checks for anemia (low iron levels).

✔ Rubella Immunity – Determines if you’re immune to rubella (German measles).

✔ HIV, Hepatitis B, & Syphilis Screening – Routine tests to check for infections.

💡 You have the right to decline any part of this screening.

📌 20-28 Weeks: The Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) for Gestational Diabetes

✔ You drink a glucose-heavy drink, and blood tests measure how your body processes sugar.

✔ A positive result doesn’t always mean you have diabetes—some women naturally process sugar differently in pregnancy.

✔ You can decline or opt for alternative monitoring.

💡 Why it matters: If you decline, you can monitor blood sugar levels at home instead.

📌 28 Weeks: Antibody Testing & Iron Levels

✔ If you’re Rhesus Negative (Rh-), they’ll check for antibodies that could affect future pregnancies.

✔ Your iron levels will be checked again—low iron = higher risk of postpartum hemorrhage.

💡 If your iron is low, focus on boosting levels naturally through diet or supplements.

📌 36 Weeks: Group B Strep (GBS) Test (Not Routine in All Countries)

✔ A swab to check for Group B Strep (GBS), a common bacteria found in some women’s vaginas.

✔ In some places, if you test positive, they’ll automatically recommend IV antibiotics in labour.

✔ GBS comes and goes—you may test positive one week and negative the next.

💡 You can decline routine antibiotics and opt for monitoring instead, depending on your risk factors.

⚖️ Informed Consent: You Have a Right to Accept or Decline ANY Test or Procedure

A lot of medical procedures are presented as mandatory—but they are always a choice.

If you feel pressured into something, ask these key questions:

💬 “Is this a recommendation or a requirement?”💬 “What happens if I decline or wait?”

💬 “Can I have time to think about it?”

🚀 You do not have to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with—this is your body, your baby, and your choice.

💡 What This Means for You

✔ You don’t need to feel lost in medical jargon—you can understand what’s happening.

✔ Most tests and procedures are optional—you can say yes or no.

✔ Being informed means you can have meaningful conversations with your care provider.

✔ Confidence in medical settings = better birth experiences.

So today, ask yourself:

💡 Have I fully understood the medical terms being used in my pregnancy?

💡 Are there any tests or procedures I want to ask more questions about?

💡 How can I make sure I feel fully informed about my choices?

🚀 Because when you understand the system, you can navigate it with confidence.

18. Translating Medical Jargon: What All Those Terms Actually Mean

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