Women's Health Vocabulary

noun a small circular area, such as that around the nipple or a pimple

• The areola is the darker area of skin surrounding the nipple on the breast.
• I learned that the areola is a normal part of the breast during puberty.
• Some people get tattoos around their areolas for cosmetic reasons.
• The areola of the sun peeked over the horizon as the day began.

noun a person, typically a woman, who is trained to assist women in childbirth

• The midwife provided prenatal care to the expectant mother.
• My friend's sister is training to become a midwife.
• I heard that midwife really knows her stuff when it comes to delivering babies.
• In a way, the project manager acted as a midwife, guiding the team through the completion of the project.

noun a physician who specializes in obstetrics, the branch of medicine dealing with childbirth and the care of women giving birth

• The obstetrician carefully monitored the mother's progress throughout her pregnancy.
• My friend's obstetrician is really nice and easy to talk to.
• I heard the obstetrician delivered over 100 babies last month!
• The obstetrician guided her through the difficult process like a beacon of hope.

adjective relating to or connected with childbirth

• The doctor diagnosed her with puerperal sepsis after giving birth.
• She had puerperal fever after having her baby.
• She's dealing with puerperal complications post-delivery.
• The puerperal challenges of motherhood can be overwhelming.

noun the period of time after childbirth

adjective relating to the period of time after childbirth

• Postpartum depression is a serious mental health condition that can affect new mothers.
• I've been feeling a bit down since giving birth, I think I might have postpartum blues.
• I heard she's struggling with postpartum stuff after having the baby.
• The company experienced a postpartum slump in profits after the successful product launch.

noun a slang term combining 'breast' and 'gestapo', used to refer to a group or organization that aggressively enforces strict rules or standards related to breastfeeding

• The breastapo is a term used to describe individuals or groups who aggressively promote breastfeeding and criticize those who choose not to breastfeed.
• I heard the breastapo was out in full force at the mommy group meeting, shaming anyone who bottle-feeds.
• Don't listen to the breastapo, do what's best for you and your baby.
• The breastapo's strict beliefs on breastfeeding can be seen as a form of social control within certain communities.

noun an extreme fear or aversion to childbirth

• Tokophobia is a specific phobia characterized by an intense fear of childbirth.
• I heard she has tokophobia and is really scared of giving birth.
• I can't even think about having a baby, it gives me major tokophobia.
• Her tokophobia is so severe that she avoids any discussion about pregnancy or childbirth.