Labor And Delivery Flashcards
(101 cards)
Physiological changes before labor
Backache, bloody show/mucus plug (brown, blood tinged vaginal discharge), nesting (burst of energy), contractions (Braxton hicks or true), lightening (baby drops lower into pelvis), rupture of membranes
Characteristics of true contractions vs. Braxton hicks contractions
True: affect the length and dilation of cervix, gets stronger, comes at regular interval and happens more frequently, walking/activity increases intensity of contraction, presenting part of fetus is engaged in pelvis
Braxton hicks: weak, not timeable, activity decreases pain of contraction, presenting part of fetus is not engaged in pelvis
What are the three factors affecting labor?
Passageway (birth canal, anatomical structures), powers (contractions), passenger (fetus)
Fetal position
- Right (R) or Left (L)
- Occipital (back of head) (O), mentum (chin) (M), scapula (SC), sacrum (S) — describes what part of body is presenting in the pelvis
- Anterior, posterior, transverse
Example: if the baby is LOA, that means the baby is positioned so that the occiput is left for the mother and anterior
What is the optimal fetal position?
LOA: left occiput anterior
Fetal _________ describes how far the head or presenting part has descended into the pelvis
Station
Fetal station ___ is at the level of the ischial spines
0
Anything higher that fetal station 0 will be a _________ number
Negative
Anything lower than fetal station 0 will be a _________ number
Positive
How many stages are there to labor?
4
What are the three phases of stage one of labor?
Latent, active, and transition phase
Stage ___ of labor occurs from the onset of labor until the cervix is fully dilated
1
Characteristics of the latent phase of labor (stage 1)
- mom is talkative and excited
- pain is not too bad
- 0-3 cm dilated
Characteristics of the active phase of labor (stage 1)
- 4-7 cm dilated
- stronger contractions
- mom might be a little apprehensive
Characteristics of the transition phase of labor (stage 1)
- 8-10 cm dilated
- hallmark sign: mom feels very strong urge to push or have a bowel movement
- mom may start verbalizing fear or apprehension (“I can’t do this!,” “I don’t want to do this anymore”)
Stage ___ of labor occurs from full dilation until the baby is born
2
Stage ___ of labor occurs from the birth of baby to the delivery of the placenta
3
Stage ___ of labor occurs from the time the placenta is delivered to the time that mom has been stabilized
4
_________ refers to thinning of the cervix and is described as percentages from 0-100%
Effacement
_________ describes how big the cervix is getting/how wide the opening is and is measured in centimeters
Dilation
Non-pharmacological pain management characterized by lightly stroking the abdomen typically in rhythm with patient’s breathing during contractions
Effleurage
Non-pharmacological pain management for back pain during labor
Sacral counterpressure
Major side effect of epidural
Maternal hypotension
Spinal anesthesia is commonly used for _________ and is a one-time injection that relieves pain and sensation from the nipples down
C-sections