Adaptation Too Pregnancy

Question 1

What is decidualisation?

Answer 1

A process that results in significant changes to cells of the endometrium to form the decimal lining into which the blastocyst implants

Question 2

Which hormones promote decidualisation?

Answer 2

Progesterone and Oestrogen (produced by the corpus lute initially and then the placenta)

Question 3

Enlargement of the uterus happens in three stages; what are they?

Answer 3

Hyperplasia (an increase in the number of cells)

Hypertrophy (Increase in the size of the cells)

Question 4

What is the weight of the uterus when it it is not pregnant?

Question 5

What is the weight of the uterus at term?

Question 6

The myometrium has three distinct layers; what are they?

Answer 6

The inner circular, middle oblique (or spiral) and outer longitudinal layers

Question 7

Which myometrial layer plays an important part in homestasis following the birth of the placenta?

Answer 7

The middle oblique layer

Question 8

When blood flows to the uterus in labour, what percentage perfuses the placenta, and what percentage perfuses the myometrium?

Answer 8

80% perfuses the placenta
20% perfuses the myometrium

Question 9

By what percentage does the heart enlarge by during pregnancy?

Answer 9

12%

Question 10

The cardiovascular load increases rapidly in the first trimester. What is the average increase in heart rate and stroke volume?

Answer 10

Heart rate increases by approx. 15bpm
Stroke volume increases to about 30% above baseline levels

Question 11

When does cardiac output peak?

Answer 11

By end of the second trimester

Question 12

What term is used to describe an increase in total blood volume?

Answer 12

Hypervolaemia

Question 13

Total blood volume increases by what percentage in singleton pregnancies?

Answer 13

30-50%

Question 14

When is the earliest that an increase in total blood volume will start to be seen during pregnancy?

Answer 14

6 Weeks

Question 15

By what percentage does plasma increase during pregnancy?

Answer 15

50%

Question 16

Plasma volume increase is related to the weight of the baby, and whether it is a multiple pregnancy; true or false?

Question 17

At how many weeks of pregnancy is an optimal blood volume achieved?

Question 18

Why is an increased plasma volume physiologically advantageous during pregnancy?

Question 19

Red cell volume increases during pregnancy by what percentage?

Question 20

A disproportionate increase in red blood cell volume to plasma volume causes what?

Question 21

Define cardiac output.

Question 22

What three factors affect blood pressure?

Question 23

What is the mean increase in blood pressure associated with uterine contractions?

Question 24

What causes varicose veins?

Question 25

Women are in a hypocoaguable state during normal pregnancy: True or False?

Question 26

An increased tendency to clot during pregnancy is caused by multiple factors. List 4 of them.

Question 27

Hypercoagulability, combined with a physiological vasolidation during pregnancy, contributes to an increase in the risk of what?

Question 28

How does an increased cardiac output affect the respiratory system during pregnancy?

Question 29

What percentage of pregnant women experiance dyspnoea?

Question 30

The enlarding uterus displaces the diaphragm by how many centimetres?

Question 31

Displacement of the diaphragm and rib cage decreases the total lung capacity by how much?

Question 32

How do the kidneys change during pregnancy?

Question 33

What effect does progesterone have on the urinary system?

Question 34

What is vesicoureteral reflex?

Question 35

How can pregnancy cause vesicoureteral reflex?

Question 36

The enlarging uterus displaces the stomach, what effect can this have?

Question 37

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy have often been associated with what digestive system changes?

Question 38

Reduced motility in the intestines during pregnancy can cause what?

Question 39

The condition of having extreme cravings is known as what?