Labour Flashcards
(129 cards)
What is labour?
- physiological process during which the fetus membranes, umbilical cord and placenta are expelled from uterus
What are the initiation factors of labour?
- decreased progesterone
- oestrogen causes contraction and prostaglandin release
- prostaglandins ripen the cervix
- oxytocin causes contraction and stimulates prostaglandings
What is the Ferguson’s reflex?
- neuroendocrine reflex of pressure on cervix causing increased contractions
Explain cervical changes during labour?
- decrease in collagen fibre alignment
- decrease in collagen fibre strength
- decrease in tensile strength
- increase in cervical decorin
What scoring system is used for labour?
- Bishop’s score
- likelihood of labour
What does the Bishop’s score include?
- position
- consistency
- effacement
- dilation
- station in pelvis
Bishops score of 4 or less??
- indicates an unfavourable cervix
- requires ripening
What does a cervical assessment in labour include?
- effacement
- dilation
- firmness
- position
- level
What is polarity?
- upper segment contracts and retracts
- lower cervix is stretched dilated and relaxed
Stages of labour?
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
explain the 1st stage of labour?
- latent and active
- slow descent of presenting part
Explain the 2nd stages of labour
- starts when the cervix is completely dilated to 10cm
- may last < 3hrs in nulliparous and < 2hrs in multiparrous
3rd stage of labour?
- delivery of the baby and expulsion of the placenta
- if > 1 hr = surgical
- oxytocin given as active management
2 factors that affect contraction?
- power
- passage (shape of pelvis)
Where is the location of the pacemaker of contraction?
- tubal ostia
What is normal fetal position in labour?
- longitudinal lie
- cephalic presentation
Analgesia for labour?
- paracetamol / co-codamol
- TENS
- Entonox (inhalation)
- diamorphine IM
- epidural anaesthesia
What is a partogram?
- graphic record of process of labour
What is the puerperium period?
- 6 weeks post- birth
What can be used to determine fetal position during labour?
- fontanelles
7 cardinal movements in labour?
- engagement
- decent
- flexion
- internal rotation
- crowning and extension
- restitution and external rotation
- expulsion
What is the purpose of delayed cord clamping?
- better for baby’s blood cells
- up to 3 mins
Explain placental separation?
- seperation of decidua basalia
normal blood loss in pregnancy?
- normal = 500mls
- significant > 1000mls