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Pregnancy terminology

(11 Posts)
vampirequeen Sat 17-Apr-21 09:14:07

Apparently terms that I thought were perfectly OK (and still do) are now offensive or detrimental to women's health.

The three mentioned in this report are geriatric mother, lazy womb and vanishing twin.

I was a geriatric mother when I was 29. I was older than most women on the ward. I thought it was amusing to be geriatric at 29 but now it seems that it affects women's mental health. Why?

A vanishing twin is just that. It's there then it fails to develop and is absorbed ergo it vanishes.

Lazy womb i.e. one that doesn't shrink quickly enough and increased the risk of haemorrhaging sums up what it's doing.

I have an excitable cervix. It means it's sensitive to things that normal cervixes don't bother about. I'm sure there is a proper medical term but I think being excitable sums it up and it gave me a good laugh. How many women in their sixties can say they have excited bits in that area? grin

www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/lifestyle/medical-terms-women-doctor-lazy-uterus-geriatric-mother-b1830656.html?utm_medium=ps&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=ip_articles_increase_paid_reg_20210413&utm_content=subscriber-lal-1&utm_term=article-outdated-terminology&fbclid=IwAR3Rcjt-ATHnMOB_JSSHfNrVF7Qy9oAJHBI4hFB_CT2ArM236lertiSv5aE

Galaxy Sat 17-Apr-21 09:18:16

I think using the term vanishing twin is horrific, I am glad they are moving on.

nanna8 Sat 17-Apr-21 09:19:31

After one of my children was born I had to have a dilation and curettage which the obstetrician referred to as a ‘scrape’. That was in the uk. When my next child was born, in Australia, I told the obstetrician I had had a scrape and he was totally shocked by the description which he had never heard before. He was appalled !

Redhead56 Sat 17-Apr-21 09:57:04

When I was having my son I spent my whole pregnancy in hospital because of constant sickness and hypertension. I was referred to as primigravida I was only 31. I had a miscarriage at 33 I had my daughter at 35 and decided to be sterilised.
I had constant problems with fibroids throughout my forties and quite a few D &C. I was told I should have hysterectomy but refused I thought let nature do it’s own thing. I was told I had a super sensitive cervix that didn’t like to be messed with that pretty much sums me up.

BlueSky Sat 17-Apr-21 10:27:06

I used to think the term ‘Elderly Primagravida’ applied to women aged 30 and over amusing! A lot more women are now that age when having their first baby, so I guess the term has become obsolete!

EllanVannin Sat 17-Apr-21 10:34:25

Everything you can think of " affects the mental health ". I'm sick of this way of life and also sad too that people have been reduced/ manipulated/ coerced into going by what everyone else says. No wonder many are neurotic and generally have no spirit. It's very damaging !

Galaxy Sat 17-Apr-21 10:36:48

I think saying you dont like something rather than meekly accepting it, is probably a sign of spirit.

Whiff Sat 17-Apr-21 10:48:37

It's not just pregnancy terminology . I was told by my cardiologist I have heart failure. Then he said sorry we must come up with a better term. Just means my heart doesn't work as it should not I'm going to keel over any minute.

My would loved to have a cervix called excitable. But it was taken out when I had a total hysterectomy. When I was 38. There is a plus side haven't had to have a smear since then.

ElaineI Sat 17-Apr-21 10:59:31

It's an unfortunate term elderly primigravida but actually conveys that the mother may be more likely to have certain problems with the pregnancy and delivery not really an insult to her. I've never heard of lazy uterus and vanishing twin is not correct terminology in the article (which you have to register to read fully). A vanishing twin is one that is there around the first scan but does not develop further and is absorbed by the body during the pregnancy.

PaperMonster Sat 17-Apr-21 17:41:48

I had my baby at 42 and expected to be classed as a geriatric mother during my pregnancy but they said it was a redundant term - this was ten years ago. Not heard of vanishing twin - I miscarried having been pregnant with triplets but I only passed two of them with the third being reabsorbed into my body.

dragonfly46 Sat 17-Apr-21 17:44:37

I too was an elderly primagravida at 31! I can't say it bothered me - it was all too exciting.