6. Variations of Labor Flashcards
Define “Labor Dystocia”
Long, difficult or abnormal labor
Define “Dysfunctional Labor”
Ineffective uterine contractions (POWERS)
Hypertonic Uterus Characteristics of Contractions
Uncoordinated, irregular
Hypotonic Uterus: Characteristics of contractions
Coordinated but weak
Become shorter, farther apart
Hypertonic uterus Uterine resting tone
Higher than normal
**Reduces blood flow
At what phase does Hypertonic Uterus occur?
LATENT
At what phase does Hypotonic uterus occur?
ACTIVE
Management of Hypertonic Uterus (4)
- Relaxation (warm shower)
- Rest
- Tocolytics
- Hydration
Management of Hypotonic uterus (4)
- Amniotomy
- Oxytocin
- Position changes
- C-section
Two passageway problems that can cause dysfunctional labor
- Pelvic dystocia – We cannot change this
* Soft tissue dystocia – We can change these somewhat
Soft tissue changes
- Anatomic abnormality
- Full bladder or rectum
- Cervical edema
Four passenger problems that can cause dysfunctional labor. Which is counter-indicated with vaginal delivery?
- Fetal anomalies
- Cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD)**
- Malpresentation
- Suboptimal fetal position
CPD is counterindicated with vaginal delivery
What does CPD stand for?
Cephalopelvid Disproportion
Four categories of malpresentation. Which is most common?
- Face
- Shoulder
- Complete
- Breech – Most common (3-4%)
Types of breech (3)
- Frank Breech (butt first)
- Single footing breech
- complete breech (cannon ball)
Six risks of turning a breech
- Fetal distress
- Rupture of membranes
- Maternal-fetal hemorrhage
- Placental abruption
- Could stimulate preterm labor
- Fetal death