Pregnancy glossary I - Identical twin to Induced labor



Identical twin

Identical twins occur when a single egg, fertilised by a single sperm, divides (often after implantation in the uterus). This type of twinning is not considered to be hereditary.


Implantation is when the fertilised egg settles into the thick uterine lining and occurs approximately 7 days after conception.

In vitro fertilisation

Most commonly abbreviated to IVF, this is an ART procedure that involves removal of eggs from a woman's ovaries and fertilising them in a laboratory. The resulting embryos are then transferred into the woman's uterus through the cervix.

Incompetent cervix

This is characterised by painless dilation of the cervix in the second trimester or early in the third trimester of pregnancy, with prolapse of membranes through the cervix and ballooning of the membranes into the vagina, followed by rupture of membranes and subsequent expulsion of the fetus.

Induced labor

Usually undertaken when a pregnancy has passed full-term, this is the use of drugs and/or procedures in an attempt to start labor.

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