Postpartum Spanish Terms (Need Assistance please)

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Hi there,

Any PP nurses who know medical spanish or who are spanish-speaking, would you be able to help me out here? Or direct me to somewhere on the web...

Just started out in a PP unit and I'd like to be able to get some better Spanish skills on board. Thanks.

For example, how would you say (in simple yet understandable terms) things like:

-are you breastfeeding or formula feeding?

-have you breastfed the baby recently (within the last two hours)?

-any dirty diapers? stool or urine?

-anything else you might want to throw in

-have you urinated? Have you had a bowel movement?

-please call me when you want to go to the BR so I can assist you.

-I'm going to palpate your uterus.

-I'm massaging your uterus.

-have you had more bleeding?

-what is your pain scale 1-10 with 10 being the worst pain?

Just wanted some input. Thanks so much!

Specializes in OB, lactation.

Here's what I say...

-are you breastfeeding or formula feeding?

Le da pecho o botella?

-have you breastfed the baby recently (within the last two hours)?

Amamanto el bebe en las ultimas dos horas?

-any dirty diapers? stool or urine?

panales (pampers) sucios? de poo poo (evacuacion) o orina?

-anything else you might want to throw in

-Are you hungry? Tiene hambre?

-Are you thirsty? Tiene sed?

-Do you want water or juice? Quiere agua o jugo?

-Are you hot/cold? Tiene calor/frio?

-Do you need help? Necesita ayuda?

-Please let me know if you have to use more than a pad per hour.

Por favor digame si usa mas de una toalla en una hora.

-Can I listen to your heart/ lungs?

Puedo escuchar el corazon/ los pulmones?

-I am going to take some blood from your baby's foot to check the blood sugar.

Le voy a sacar sangre del pie al bebe para determinar el azucar de la sangre.

-have you urinated? Have you had a bowel movement?

Orino? Hizo poo poo? (someone can tell me if they know a better phrase... I was told ca ca was more equivalent to 'sh*t' so I don't use it)

-please call me when you want to go to the BR so I can assist you.

Llamame por favor si quiere ir al bano asi que puedo ayudarte.

-I'm going to palpate your uterus. Please lie down.

Voy a chequar su utero (usually I just say estomago (stomach)... I don't think some of my patients really know or use the word uterus) or Necesito examinarle el utero. Por favor acuestese.

-I need to massage your uterus.

Necesito darle un masaje en la region del utero (estomago).

-have you had more bleeding?

Ha tenido mas sangre?

-what is your pain scale 0-10 with 10 being the worst pain?

Como es su dolor entre cero y diez si cero es nada de dolor y diez es lo peor dolor que pueda imaginar?

Specializes in OB, lactation.

here are some more terms:

allergy - alergia

at least - por lo menos

each day - cada dia

enough - suficiente

grandmother/father - abuela/o

how long - cuanto tiempo

how many times - cuantas veces

how many - cuantos

how much - cuanto

husband - esposo

it's important - es importante

it's necessary - es necesario

mecication - medicina

mother in law - suegra

nurse - enfermera

nino - boy

nina -girl

hermanos/-as - brothers/sisters

usually - usualmente

you're welcome - de nada

baby blues - tristeza posparto

burp your baby - eructe su bebe

crying - llanto

jaundice - ictericia

newborn - recien nacido

pacifier - chupete, chopon

sleep - dormir

spit up - regurgita

stool - evacuacion

toddler - bebe mayorcito

twins - gemelos

weigh your baby - pesar el bebe

weight gain - aumento de peso

wet diapers - panales (pampers) mojados

breast - pecho, seno

breastmilk - leche materna

colostrum (first milk) - calostro (la primera leche)

good latch-on - bien prendido, buen agarre

lactation consultant - consultora en lactancia

latch on (to)- agarrar

leaking - se sale la leche

letdown - reflejo de eyeccion de la leche

meconium - meconio, popo negro y espeso

milk expression - extraccion de la leche

nipple - pezon

pump breasts - succionar los pechos

rooting - senales de busqueda

sore nipples - pezones adoloridos

swallow(s) - trago(s)

5-6 (wet diapers per day)- cinco a seis panales mojados cada dia

breast pump - sacaleches

football hold - posicion lateral debajo del brazo (sandia)

repositioning the baby - reposicionar mejor el bebe al pecho

skin to skin - tener el bebe con solo el panal en contra de su piel; de piel a piel

supplemental feeding - alimentacion suplementaria

how may I help you? como puedo ayudarla?

In a day, how many times do you breastfeed? En un dia, cuantas veces le da pecho a su bebe?

Breastfeed at least 8 times each day. Dele pecho po lo menos ocho veces al dia.

If you think you need to give your baby formula, call a lactation consultant first. Si piensa que necesita darle formula a su bebe, primero llame una consejera de lactancia.

Specializes in ICU.

Here is all of the spanish that I know:

1. tu tienes une cabeza de caso. (you have a head of cheese)

2. Une mas cervesa/tequila por favor. (one more beer/tequilla, please)

3. Donde esta el bano? (where is the bathroom?)

4. el burro sabe mas que tu (a jack*ss knows more than you).

hope this helps.

Specializes in Diabetes ED, (CDE), CCU, Pulmonary/HIV.

#4 is how we learned Spanish vowels: a - e - i - o - u el burro sabe mas que tu. But we were 12 so it was a donkey./

Wow, I really appreciate all the helpful posts (including the humorous ones). Thanks everyone. I've got my work cut out for me ;).

All the Spanish I know I learned from Sesame Street.

"Abierto y cerrado" (Grover OPENed and CLOSEd a door)

Oh, and a friend of mine of Mexican descent used to call me "Basura Blanca" as a nickname...I thought it was kind of pretty, and I didn't know what it meant. Turns out it's something like "white trash"

Very funny, Ruby. :trout:

I know some spanish words here and there. Thanks for all of the phrases "mitch's mom"! That's great. I did take medical Spanish a few years back, but at the time, we did not have as many Spanish speakers as we do now. My instructor gave me a really nice handout with lots of baby things on it. It was a picture of a nursery w/ labels. Hmm I think I will use the little peumonic for vowels on a certain physician I work w/!!!

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

You can also use the phrases "hacer del baño" (go to the bathroom -- it's understood that you mean stool) or "numero dos" (#2) to ask about bowel movements. "Popo" is ok for babies but sometimes I've had adults get offended when I use that referring to them...kind of a childish term I guess.

Thanks so much for the helpful Spanish phrases. It's been ten years since my Spanish classes, I'm a little rusty.

Specializes in L & D and Mother-Baby.

Muy excelente! You guys have a great list here. I want to repeat the phrase ArwenU used for going to the bathroom. It is perfectly ok to ask if someone went #2 (Ha podido hacer del bano del numero 2?).....but we have to be sensitive about a patient's educational level. Many spanish speaking patients speak a local dialect and don't know technical medical terminology.

The word I use for uterus is "matriz" instead of "utero." Once again, it is regional dialect and utero is the technically correct term.

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I usually use matriz for uterus too....I think matriz literally means womb so it's not incorrect. It's just what most people understand, like you said.

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