What it means
A simple tape-measure check of the size of the uterus. From about 20 to 36 weeks, the number of centimeters roughly equals the number of weeks of pregnancy, give or take 2. At about 20 weeks the top of the uterus (the fundus) is level with the navel. A measurement that is too small or too large for the dates leads to more tests, such as an ultrasound.
For the nurse
Have the client empty her bladder and lie on her back with knees slightly bent. After birth, the nurse checks the fundus differently: its firmness and position relative to the navel.
Related terms
ultrasound
An imaging test that uses high-frequency sound waves to make pictures of the inside of the body.
quickening
The first movements of the fetus that a pregnant person can feel.
Leopold maneuvers
Four steps of feeling the pregnant abdomen with the hands to find how the fetus is lying in the uterus.