20.6: Key Terms
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- couplet
- newborn and postpartum person considered as one unit or patient
- diaphoresis
- process of excessive sweating stimulated by a physiologic event or drug reaction
- engorgement
- painful sensation of filling of the breasts, described as a feeling of hard breasts that ache and are hot to the touch
- foremilk
- milk low in fat content, released at the beginning of a breast-feeding session
- hindmilk
- milk high in fat and calories, released later in the breast-feeding session
- lactogenesis
- physiologic process of developing the means to secrete milk
- lochia alba
- final postpartum discharge that is yellow-white and consists of white blood cells, epithelial cells, and mucus; occurs from approximately day 10 to 28.
- lochia rubra
- bright to dark red discharge during the first few postpartum days that originates at the placental site and consists of blood, cervical discharge, and uterine lining
- lochia serosa
- pinkish-brown discharge that lasts approximately 4 to 10 days
- Maternal Role Attainment Theory
- theory suggesting that early skin-to-skin contact, breast-feeding, and minimizing time apart promote bonding, decrease maternal anxiety, and allow for maternal role attainment
- postpartum blues
- (also: baby blues) low moods that are common during the first 2 weeks of the postpartum period that resolve by themselves without treatment or medication
- postpartum depression
- mood disorder whose symptoms are feelings of extreme stress, detachment from the newborn, anxiety, and feelings of being overwhelmed that last longer than 2 weeks and are more severe than postpartum blues
- sitz bath
- warm bath for soaking the perineum, which can be used for 15 to 20 minutes multiple times during the facility stay and after returning home
- taking-hold phase
- phase starting 2 to 4 days after delivery, in which the postpartum person begins to initiate actions without relying on the nurse or partner
- taking-in phase
- phase starting 1 or 2 days after birth, in which the postpartum person is concerned with physical recovery, adapting to body changes, and caring for the newborn