Maternity & Newborn Glossary

Relating to the period before birth — for example antenatal classes and antenatal appointments during pregnancy.

A quick assessment of a newborn condition at one and five minutes after birth, scoring colour, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone and breathing.

A young person, often from overseas, who lives with a family as part of a cultural exchange, helping with childcare and light housework in return for board, lodging and pocket money.

A common, short-lived dip in mood — tearfulness and sensitivity — in the first week or so after birth, usually easing on its own.

The North American term for a maternity nurse or newborn care specialist: a professional providing specialist newborn care and overnight support in the early weeks.

A quiet, protected period at home in the early days after birth, focused on rest, bonding and feeding rather than visitors and busyness.

Carrying a baby in a sling or structured carrier, which can soothe the baby, support bonding and keep a parent's hands free.

The traditional practice of wrapping the abdomen after birth to support the body during recovery, known by names such as bengkung and faja.

A written outline of a family preferences for labour and birth — such as pain relief, positions and who is present — used as a flexible guide.

Feeding a baby milk — expressed breast milk or formula — from a bottle. Paced techniques and the right teat flow help keep it comfortable.

Irregular, usually painless tightenings of the womb during pregnancy that are not true labour.

Feeding a baby with milk directly from the breast. It is often established with support in the early days, and many families combine it with expressing or formula.

A surgical birth in which the baby is delivered through an incision in the abdomen and womb, either planned (elective) or unplanned (emergency).

Frequent short naps, often thirty to forty-five minutes, rather than longer ones — common in young babies and usually grown out of in time.

When a baby feeds in frequent, close-together bursts, often in the evening, which is normal newborn behaviour and not necessarily a sign of low supply.

Sleeping in close contact with a baby, such as bed-sharing. Families are encouraged to follow safer co-sleeping guidance and to discuss it with a midwife or health visitor.

Frequent, prolonged crying in an otherwise healthy, well-fed baby, often in the evenings, that typically eases by around three to four months.

The thick, nutrient- and antibody-rich first milk produced in late pregnancy and the first days after birth, before mature milk comes in.

Feeding a baby with both breast milk and formula, by breast and/or bottle, in whatever balance suits the family.

A traditional period of rest and recovery for the mother in the weeks after birth, observed in various forms across cultures.

A specialist live-in postnatal carer, common in Chinese and Southeast Asian communities, who looks after mother and baby in the first month or so, prepares nourishing meals and supports recovery.

Harmless yellowish, scaly patches on a baby scalp, common in the early months and usually clearing on its own.

A criminal-records check from the Disclosure and Barring Service used to help confirm someone suitability to work with children. An enhanced check is the standard for childcare roles.

A common separation of the tummy muscles during pregnancy that often improves with time and appropriate exercise.

A trained, non-clinical companion offering emotional and practical support before, during and after birth. A birth doula supports labour, while a postnatal doula supports the family at home afterwards.

A feed given to a sleeping or drowsy baby, usually late evening, in the hope of a longer settled stretch before the next waking.

Overfull, tight, tender breasts, common as the milk comes in, eased by regular feeding or expressing.

A regional anaesthetic given into the lower back to relieve pain during labour.

The estimated date a baby is due, around forty weeks from the last period and confirmed or adjusted by an early scan. Only a small share of babies arrive exactly on it.

Removing breast milk by hand or with a pump so it can be stored and given by bottle, useful for sharing feeds, building a supply, or returning to work.

The soft areas on a baby head where the skull bones have not yet fused, allowing for growth. They close gradually over the first year or two.

A manufactured breast-milk substitute, usually based on cow milk, regulated for newborn nutrition and prepared according to the maker instructions.

The first roughly twelve weeks after birth — a period of major adjustment for baby and parents as the newborn adapts to life outside the womb.

A wage figure stated before tax and National Insurance are deducted. UK childcare wages are best agreed in gross terms.

A short phase when a baby feeds more often and may be unsettled as they grow rapidly, common at a few weeks and again later.

A registered nurse or midwife with extra training in child and family health who supports families from around ten to fourteen days after birth, monitoring development and offering guidance.

Starting labour artificially with medical methods when it is safer for the baby to be born, rather than waiting for it to begin naturally.

A nanny who specialises in caring for babies from birth to around twelve to eighteen months, usually on an ongoing basis, covering daily feeds, naps, bathing and developmental play.

A common yellowing of a newborn skin and eyes caused by bilirubin, usually mild and short-lived but always worth checking with a midwife.

The Dutch system of postnatal maternity care, in which a trained carer visits the family at home in the days after birth to support recovery, feeding and the newborn.

The Latin American and Spanish tradition of a roughly forty-day postnatal rest period, during which the mother is supported and relieved of her usual duties.

A specialist in breastfeeding support who helps with latch, positioning, supply and feeding difficulties. The IBCLC credential is the recognised international qualification.

How a baby attaches to the breast to feed. A good latch makes feeding comfortable and effective, while a poor latch can cause soreness or slow weight gain.

An arrangement where the carer lives in the family home, with suitable private accommodation provided, during the placement.

An arrangement where the carer travels to and from their own home each day or shift rather than living in.

The normal vaginal bleeding and discharge after birth that gradually lessens over several weeks as the womb heals.

Painful inflammation of breast tissue, sometimes with infection, that can cause flu-like symptoms and needs prompt advice and care.

A hybrid role combining newborn care with longer-term nanny duties. A maternity nanny supports the newborn period and then continues caring for the child, and sometimes siblings, as an ongoing nanny.

A specialist in newborn care who supports a family in the weeks after birth — usually living in for a set period — focusing on feeding, settling and sleep routines, and overnight care so parents can rest. Despite the name, a maternity nurse is not necessarily a registered nurse.

A baby first stools — dark, sticky and greenish-black — passed in the first day or two before normal baby stools begin.

A registered health professional who cares for women through pregnancy, labour, birth and the early postnatal days, in hospital or community settings, on the NHS or privately.

A newborn involuntary startle — flinging out the arms then drawing them back — in response to sudden movement or noise. It fades over the first months.

A small, portable, lightweight basket used for a newborn to sleep in during the early weeks, often kept beside the parents bed.

A childcare and household helper who assists a parent who is usually at home, sharing the childcare and light domestic tasks rather than taking sole charge.

A professional childcarer employed to look after children in the family home, on a daily (live-out) or live-in basis.

The informal term for an employing family payroll obligations — tax, National Insurance and pension — when they employ a nanny or maternity carer directly.

The amount a worker actually receives after tax and National Insurance. Agreeing net can leave the employer exposed to changing deductions.

A screening test, usually around day five, taking a few drops of blood from the heel to check for several rare but serious conditions.

The increasingly common term for a maternity nurse: a professional trained specifically in the care of newborns and the establishment of feeding and sleep routines during the early weeks.

A hospital unit providing intensive care for premature or unwell newborns.

A carer who works overnight to handle feeds, nappy changes and settling, allowing parents to sleep. Engaged for individual nights or a regular pattern rather than living in full time.

A nanny trained at Norland College, known for its rigorous childcare training and distinctive uniform, and often associated with high-end private childcare.

A qualified early-years practitioner, commonly holding a Level 3 qualification, trained to care for babies and young children in private homes or nursery settings.

A bottle-feeding technique that lets the baby control the pace, holding the bottle more horizontally with pauses, to mimic breastfeeding and reduce overfeeding.

First-aid training focused on babies and children, widely expected of professional childcarers and refreshed periodically.

The UK system for deducting Income Tax and National Insurance from wages. Families employing a carer directly are usually responsible for operating it.

The sling of muscles supporting the bladder, womb and bowel, which benefit from gentle strengthening exercises after birth.

A common, usually temporary flattening of part of a baby's head from lying in one position, which often improves with repositioning and tummy time.

The small, effortless bringing-up of milk that is common and harmless in young babies, distinct from forceful vomiting.

Relating to the period after birth, covering both the baby care and the mother recovery.

A more persistent low mood, anxiety or loss of enjoyment that can develop in the weeks or months after birth and benefits from support from a GP or health visitor.

Therapeutic massage in the weeks after birth, found in many cultures such as Malaysian jamu and Indian traditions, intended to aid recovery and relaxation.

A residential facility, popular in parts of East Asia such as Korea, where mother and baby stay for specialist care, rest and feeding support in the first weeks.

Born before thirty-seven completed weeks of pregnancy. Premature babies may need extra care, sometimes in a neonatal unit.

An initial agreed period at the start of a placement during which either side can assess the fit and end the arrangement on shorter notice.

The UK record book given to parents to track a child growth, vaccinations and health reviews.

When stomach contents come back up the food pipe. Mild reflux (posseting) is common, while persistent or distressing reflux is worth discussing with a GP or health visitor.

Feeding in response to a baby hunger cues rather than a fixed clock schedule, recommended especially in the early weeks.

Confirmation that a candidate is legally permitted to work in the UK, verified from approved documents before employment begins.

A newborn instinct to turn the head and open the mouth towards a touch on the cheek, helping them find the breast or bottle.

A shared schedule, often used for round-the-clock newborn care, where carers work set on and off patterns, for example two weeks on and two off.

A predictable daily rhythm of feeds, naps and awake time. Approaches range from parent-led structure to baby-led flexibility.

Established guidance to reduce the risk of SIDS, including placing a baby on the back to sleep, in a clear cot, in the parents room for the early months.

A hospital unit offering a step-down level of newborn care for babies who need extra support but not full intensive care.

A baby developing ability to fall asleep, or return to sleep, with little or no help — something that emerges gradually over the first months.

The sudden, unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby. Safe-sleep practices significantly reduce the risk.

Holding a baby bare against a parent bare chest, which supports bonding, warmth, calm and feeding, especially soon after birth.

A professional who advises families on age-appropriate sleep and settling strategies, tailored to the family preferences and the child temperament.

A temporary period — often around four months, eight to ten months and eighteen months — when a previously settled baby wakes more, usually linked to development.

A wearable blanket that keeps a baby warm without loose bedding, used as a safer-sleep alternative to blankets.

A range of gentle-to-structured methods to help a baby learn to settle and sleep more independently, chosen to fit the family values.

Wrapping a baby snugly in a light cloth for a sense of security and to reduce the startle reflex. Safe swaddling keeps the hips free and is paired with back sleeping.

A pregnancy reaching the normal length, generally counted from thirty-seven to forty-two weeks.

A tight or short band of tissue under the tongue that can sometimes restrict movement and affect feeding. Assessment is by a midwife, GP or feeding specialist.

One of the three roughly three-month stages of pregnancy: first, second and third.

Supervised time spent on the tummy while awake, which helps a baby build head, neck and shoulder strength and supports motor development.

The short remnant of the umbilical cord that dries and drops off in the first couple of weeks, kept clean and dry while it heals.

A vaginal birth in a pregnancy that follows a previous caesarean, discussed and planned with the maternity team.

The creamy white protective coating on a baby skin at birth, which can be left to absorb naturally.

The length of time a baby can comfortably stay awake between sleeps before becoming overtired, which lengthens as they grow.

The gradual introduction of solid foods alongside milk, generally from around six months, while milk continues as a main source of nutrition.

A woman who breastfeeds another family's baby, an arrangement with a long history that some families still seek today.

Steady background sound used to help some babies settle by masking household noise and echoing the womb environment.

Helping a baby release swallowed air during or after a feed to ease discomfort, typically by holding them upright and gently patting or rubbing the back.

A predictable spell of fussiness and crying, often in the late afternoon or evening, that is common in young babies.

The traditional Chinese practice of sitting the month: a period of rest, warmth and special nutrition for the mother in the weeks after birth.