Portuguese for birth
Phrases that come in handy at the maternity hospital, in Portuguese and English. You can show them on your phone screen.
How to use this
It’s easier at the maternity hospital when you have a few key phrases at hand. You don’t have to learn them by heart: you can show a phrase on the screen, which makes it easier to understand each other. If something is still unclear, ask the doctor or midwife to explain it again.
All phrases are in Brazilian Portuguese. Katerina interprets as a doula, not as a sworn translator: documents need official translations.
How to use the phrases
- Show the phrase on your screen: it’s the easiest way to understand each other
- All phrases are in Brazilian Portuguese, each with its English meaning
- Nasal sounds (ão, ões) are said through the nose; if in doubt, just show the phrase
- If something is still unclear, ask the doctor or midwife to explain it again
Contractions and labor
| In Portuguese | In English |
|---|---|
| Estou com contrações. | I’m having contractions. |
| As contrações estão a cada cinco minutos. | The contractions are every five minutes. |
| Minha bolsa estourou. | My water has broken. |
| Perdi o tampão mucoso. | I’ve lost my mucus plug. |
| Estou sentindo vontade de fazer força. | I feel the urge to push. |
Pain and pain relief
| In Portuguese | In English |
|---|---|
| Estou sentindo muita dor. | I’m in a lot of pain. |
| A dor está muito forte. Preciso de ajuda. | The pain is very strong. I need help. |
| Quero pedir a analgesia, por favor. | I’d like to ask for pain relief (analgesia), please. |
| Não quero analgesia agora. | I don’t want pain relief right now. |
| Posso mudar de posição? | Can I change position? |
| Tem algum método para aliviar a dor? | Is there a way to ease the pain? |
| Posso usar o chuveiro ou a bola suíça? | Can I use the shower or the birthing ball? |
Breathing
| In Portuguese | In English |
|---|---|
| Respire comigo. | Breathe with me. |
| Inspire pelo nariz e solte o ar devagar pela boca. | Breathe in through your nose and let the air out slowly through your mouth. |
| Vamos respirar juntos. | Let’s breathe together. |
Partner and doula
| In Portuguese | In English |
|---|---|
| Meu marido vai ficar comigo. | My husband will stay with me. |
| Meu acompanhante pode ficar comigo? | Can my companion stay with me? |
| Esta é a minha doula. Ela vai me apoiar. | This is my doula. She will support me. |
| Minha doula pode me acompanhar, conforme a Lei estadual 16.869 e as regras da maternidade. | My doula can be with me, under state law 16.869 and the maternity hospital’s rules. |
| Minha doula já enviou os documentos para a maternidade. | My doula has already sent the documents to the maternity hospital. |
Cesarean birth
| In Portuguese | In English |
|---|---|
| Por que preciso de uma cesariana? | Why do I need a cesarean? |
| Quais são as opções e os riscos? | What are the options and the risks? |
| Posso ter meu acompanhante na sala de cirurgia? | Can my companion be in the operating room? |
| Preciso de um tempo para decidir. | I need some time to decide. |
Documents and discharge
| In Portuguese | In English |
|---|---|
| Aqui estão meu passaporte e meu cartão do SUS. | Here are my passport and my SUS card. |
| Preciso da Declaração de Nascido Vivo (DNV). | I need the Declaration of Live Birth (DNV): it is used to register the birth at the cartório. |
| Onde fica o cartório? | Where is the cartório (the birth registration office)? |
| Quando vou ter alta? | When will I be discharged? |
| Preciso de uma cópia dos meus exames. | I need a copy of my test results. |
General phrases
| In Portuguese | In English |
|---|---|
| Não entendo. Pode falar mais devagar? | I don’t understand. Can you speak more slowly? |
| Pode repetir, por favor? | Could you repeat that, please? |
| Falo russo e um pouco de português. | I speak Russian and a little Portuguese. |
| Pode me explicar o que está acontecendo? | Can you explain what is happening? |
| O meu bebê está bem? | Is my baby okay? |
| Preciso de um momento, por favor. | I need a moment, please. |
| Quero amamentar na primeira hora. | I want to breastfeed in the first hour. |
| Quero contato pele a pele logo depois do nascimento. | I want skin-to-skin contact right after birth. |
| Posso beber água? | Can I drink water? |
Medical information
The phrases help you communicate but do not replace an interpreter or a doctor. Official translations of documents are done by sworn translators. In an emergency, call SAMU 192 (ambulance).