Understanding pictures of the body
How we show the outside of the body
When we draw a person, we try to draw her whole body. If we do not have enough
room, we only show part of her body.
This picture
shows a mother
pushing her baby
out of her vagina.
If it is important to see
the baby’s head and the
vagina more clearly, we
will show only that part
of the body, so we can
make the picture bigger.
How we show the inside of the body
Sometimes we need to show what is happening
inside a woman’s body. So we include pictures that
show what a woman’s body would look like if you
could see inside of her.
Usually, we use thick lines to show the outside
of a woman’s body, and thin lines or dotted lines
to show what is happening on the inside.
the womb,
inside the
mother’s body
the baby,
inside the
womb
Anote on language
Medical and technical words Throughout this book, we try to use easily
understood words for parts of the body and things that the body does. We also
explain the medical words we use. If there is a medical or technical word you do
not understand, you can look it up in the index and see if it is explained in the
book. Or you can look in the glossary on page 503, which lists some medical and
technical words that are useful to know.
He and she When talking about babies, we did not want to say “he or she” each
time because it can be awkward. So sometimes we say “she,” and sometimes we
say “he.”
Getting help
The information in this book is not always enough to help you solve a health
problem. When this happens, get help! Depending on the problem, you should:
Get medical advice. A skilled health worker or doctor should be able to help you
decide what to do. This is not usually an emergency.
Get medical help. The woman or her baby need to see a skilled health worker or
doctor for tests or treatment as soon as possible.
Go to a medical center or hospital. There is an emergency. Take the woman or
her baby to a hospital right away for surgery or other immediate help.
A Book for Midwives (2010)