ABCs of Pregnancy

Amniocentesis: Just as blood tests can find disease and other health problems in people, amniocentesis can provide health information about your baby while still in the womb. In some pregnancies - if you're over 35, if you've had a child with a chromosomal abnormality or a family history of certain birth defects, for example - doctors may order an amniocentesis, which is the process of extracting a small amount of amniotic fluid from the sac surrounding the fetus. Amniotic fluid provides information such as genetic makeup and level of maturity. It is extraordinarily useful in determining if a baby has Downs syndrome.

Braxton Hicks Contractions: Feeling your abdomen tighten when you are only six months pregnant can be scary. But, most likely, it's only practice for the real thing. Braxton Hicks contractions can be identified as irregular contractions, which come and go, without getting closer together or getting stronger. True labor causes lower back ache, pressure in your pelvis and contractions that occur in regular intervals, that don't ease up with walking and increase in strength.

Cesarean Section: Despite your best efforts, sometimes a surgical delivery is necessary - or maybe you planned it. Also known as a C-section, a cesarean delivery is performed by cutting an incision in the mother's lower abdomen and uterus. The doctor removes the baby through the incision, removes the placenta and then closes the incision, often while the mother is awake, but numbed with a spinal block. C-sections are often recommended for women whose baby's are breech, who develop preeclampsia, when the baby is larger than nine pounds, or in multiple pregnancies. There are a slew of reasons, and some women even choose to schedule C-sections.