Outline of obstetrics

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to obstetrics:

Obstetrics – medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy (prenatal period), childbirth and the postnatal period.

Obstetrics can be described as all of the following:

• Medicine – medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness in human beings.
  • Medical specialty – branch of medical science. After completing medical school, physicians or surgeons usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple year residency to become a medical specialist.
• Academic discipline – In addition to being a medical specialty, obstetrics is the study of the reproductive process within the female body, including fertilization, pregnancy and childbirth.

• Childbirth and obstetrics in antiquity

• Gravidity and parity

• Pregnancy
• Childbirth

• Family planning
  • Birth control
    • Contraception
  • Pre-conception counseling

• Amniotic fluid
• Amniotic sac
  • Amnion
• Cervix
• Endometrium
• Fallopian tube
• Ovaries
• Pelvis
  • Pelvic bone width
• Placenta
• Uterus – Also called a womb.
• Vagina

• Human fertilization
  • Assisted reproductive technology
    • Artificial insemination
    • Fertility medication
    • In vitro fertilisation
  • Fertility awareness
  • Unintended pregnancy

• Pregnancy test
• 3D ultrasound
• Home testing
• Obstetric ultrasonography
• Prenatal testing

• Prenatal development
  • Fundal height
  • Gestational age
  • Human embryogenesis
  • Maternal physiological changes

• Prenatal care – regular medical and nursing care recommended for women during pregnancy. Also known as antenatal care.
  • Prenatal nutrition
    • Maternal nutrition
    • Nutrition and pregnancy
  • Concomitant conditions
    • Diabetes mellitus and pregnancy
    • Systemic lupus erythematosus and pregnancy

• Amniocentesis
• Chorionic villus sampling
• Cardiotocography
• Nonstress test

• Childbirth

• Adaptation to extrauterine life
• Bradley method of natural childbirth
• Hypnobirthing
• Lamaze technique
• Nesting instinct

• Doula
• Midwife
• Mother – a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that united with a sperm which grew into a child. During childbirth, she is the patient.
• Perinatal nursing
• Men's role in childbirth
• Obstetrician

• Pelvimetry
  • Bishop score
  • Cervical dilation
  • Cervical effacement
  • Position
• Home birth
  • Multiple birth
  • Natural childbirth
  • Unassisted childbirth
  • Water birth
• Aspects and conditions
  • Bloody show
  • Childbirth positions
  • Contraction
  • Presentation
    • Breech birth
    • Cephalic presentation
    • Shoulder presentation
    • Rupture of membranes

• Postpartum
  • Child care
    • Breastfeeding
  • Congenital disorders
  • Sex after pregnancy

• Complications of pregnancy   ( list)
  • abortion
  • abruption
  • breech birth
  • cephalo-pelvic disproportion
  • caesarean section, cesarean section, C-section
  • dermatoses of pregnancy specific skin conditions during pregnancy
  • diabetes
  • eclampsia
  • ectopic pregnancy
  • epilepsy and pregnancy
  • gestational diabetes
  • Group B Streptococcus infection
  • HELLP syndrome
  • hypertension
  • hysterectomy
  • Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)
  • macrosomia (big baby)
  • malpractice
  • miscarriage or stillbirth
  • obstetric fistula
  • obstetric hemorrhage
  • Pelvic girdle pain
  • placenta praevia
  • pre-eclampsia
  • premature birth, preterm labor or prematurity
  • small for gestational age (SGA)
  • uterine rupture
  • uterine incarceration

• American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists
• American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• British Pregnancy Advisory Service
• British Society of Urogynaecologists
• European Society of Gynaecological Oncology
• FOGSI
• Gynecologic Oncology Group
• Ipas (organization)
• Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan
• Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
• World Endometriosis Research Foundation

• Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
• African Journal of Reproductive Health
• American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Climacteric (journal)
• The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care
• Gynecological Endocrinology
• Human Fertility (Cambridge)
• Human Reproduction (journal)
• Hypertension in Pregnancy
• International Journal of Fertility
• Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences
• Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine
• Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Menopause (journal)
• Obstetrics & Gynecology (journal)
• Placenta (journal)
• Reproduction (journal)
• Reproductive Sciences
• Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine
• Women & Health

• Edward Kowalski

• Gynecology
• embryo
• embryology
• gestation
• hormone
• identical twin
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
• labor, labour - see childbirth
• lactation
• live birth
• menstrual cycle
• natural childbirth
• navel
• ovum or egg
• oxytocin or pitocin
• pediatrics
• sterilization
• twin
• umbilical cord
• umbilicus - see navel

• Ingenious - Archive of historical images related to obstetrics, gynaecology, and contraception.
• World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility (COGI)
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• OBGYNHealth.net
• Seven Hills Women's Health Centers - Leaders in Women's Health with a helpful women's health library