Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
Maternal Newborn Nursing

Key Terms

Maternal Newborn NursingKey Terms

Key Terms

acupressure
practice of stimulating or putting pressure on specific areas of the body
aromatherapy
use of essential oils to aid in relaxation
biofeedback
mind-body practice where a sensor monitors different pain reactions in the body while the person uses techniques to control those reactions.
counter pressure
act of giving sustained pressure to the back, hips, sacrum, or other joints
doulas
trained support laypersons who provide emotional, physical, and social support during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum
effleurage
light stroking massage using the tips of the fingers in slow, long strokes
epidural anesthesia
regional anesthesia produced by injection and infusion of a local anesthetic (bupivacaine [Marcaine]) and a narcotic (fentanyl) around the spinal nerves to block pain from T10 to S5 during labor
failed intubation
difficult airway with lack of success on more than two attempts
focal points
used when the laboring person focuses on a picture or an object during the contraction to direct attention away from the contraction
hydrotherapy
process of the laboring person submerging in water for pain relief
imagery
uses the mind-body connection to focus the laboring person’s awareness on a positive image
pelvic tilts
rocking of the pelvis by moving the back up, then sinking the back down
pudendal block
local anesthetizing of the pudendal nerve that provides sensation to the perineum, anus, vulva, and clitoris
PreviousNext
Order a print copy

Content Warning

You’ll need to log in with your free OpenStax account to keep reading — your access is still 100% free. Need an account? Create one here!Log in
Citation/Attribution

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/maternal-newborn-nursing/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a digital format, then you must include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/maternal-newborn-nursing/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

© Apr 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.