Postpartum Period

Question 1

Know the major events of the postpartum period/puerperium.

Answer 1

-Myometrial contractions and expulsion of Iochia
-Endometrial repair
-Resumption of ovarian function
-Elimination of bacterial contamination of the reproductive tract

Question 2

Know how the number of postpartum estrous cycles affects pregnancy rate .

Answer 2

-First cycle: 35% pregnancy rate
-Second cycle: 50%
-Third cycle: 73%
-Fourth cycle: 72%

Question 3

Lactational anestrus/lactational amenorrhea

Answer 3

The suppression of estrus or menstruation during breastfeeding due to high prolactin levels.

Question 4

Know the factors that control postpartum anestrus

Answer 4

-Uterine involution
-Suckling
-Nutrition

Question 5

Uterine Involution

Answer 5

-Retrograde changes in the female genital organs that result in a return to normal size after delivery
-The process by which the uterus returns to its original state.

Question 6

Know the approximate time requires for involution to occur in the dairy cow

Answer 6

45-50 days

Question 7

Know the approximate time requires for involution to occur in the beef cow and ewe

Answer 7

30 days

Question 8

Know the approximate time requires for involution to occur in the sow

Answer 8

28-30 days

Question 9

Know the approximate time requires for involution to occur in the mare

Answer 9

21-28 days

Question 10

Know the classic dogma of how suckling was thought to affect cyclicity.

Answer 10

Suckling blacks hypothalamo-pituitary function, but not ovarian stimulation.

Question 11

Be able to describe the experiment where cows underwent a procedure for mammary denervation, including the results and what the results proved.

Answer 11

-In cows with the afferent neural pathway severed, acute weaning causes the same effect as in cows with intact afferent pathways
-Cows with mammary denervation can’t feel when the calf is suckling. This did not cause a different result then with cows with intact mammary nerves.
-LH was still suppressed even though the cow could not feel the suckling
-The act of suckling does not affect LH levels

Question 12

Know the characteristics of foal heat

Answer 12

-Average is 10 days post-foaling with a range of 5-15 days
-Is a fertile, ovulatory heat
-Decreased pregnancy rate

Question 13

Know the frequency of suckling affects cyclicity

Answer 13

-increase suckling increase cyclicity
-Increasing the number of times a days cow is milked decreases the amount of days after birth that postpartum ovulation will occur

Question 14

Know how prepartum nutrition affects reproduction

Answer 14

Under nourishing cows prior to calving delays the onset of cycling following calving

Question 15

Know how postpartum nutrition affects reproduction

Answer 15

under nourishing cows after calving reduces fertility of cows when they do exhibit estrus (and may delay onset of cycling)

Question 16

Know the postpartum trigger for estrus/ovulation in the sow

Answer 16

-Weaning is the trigger
-prolactin decrease
-LH secretion increases
-FSH secretion continues
-Ovarian follicles develop