Chapter 3. Flashcards
During what trimester of pregnancy is the greatest risk of miscarriage?
First timester
Greatest risk of miscarriage
* Characterized by fatigue and morning sickness
* Morning sickness: feelings of nausea) NVP
Is morning sickness an adaptation to keep the fetus safe?
Women who experience NVP are significantly less likely to miscarry, and may have healthier babies
Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that NVP may serve an important adaptive function by protecting the pregnant woman (who is immunosuppressed) and the fetus by preventing the woman from ingesting potential teratogens (agents that cause harm to the fetus or embryo)
In what trimester can fetal movements be felt?
The woman begins to feel the
fetus’s movements in the second trimester
What is toxemia?
A complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organ systems, such as the liver or kidneys
Toxemia of pregnancy (a life-threatening condition) may occur — signalled by a sudden increase in blood pressure
Prenatal development
or gestation, is the process that transforms a zygote into a newborn
Prenatal care
Check ups at the doctors or nurse during prgennancy.
Is essential in the first trimester to prevent birth defects because all of the baby’s organs form during the first eight weeks
* Early prenatal care can also be
important to the woman’s own
health
Where are women most and least likely to give birth in Canada?
Women in Canada are most likely to give birth in a hospital (98%) and least likely at home (1.7%)
Places to give birth in canada:
A traditional hospital maternity unit
A hospital-based birth centre or birthing room
A free-standing birth centre (https://www.todaysparent.com/
pregnancy/giving-birth/what-is-a-birth-centre/) *as of 2016 there
were 18
Home delivery
Who typically cares for birthing women in Canada?
Midwives - regulated health
professionals in most Provinces
and Territories in Canada.
Midwives provide health care to
women during pregnancy, birth,
and the postpartum period.
What are the two main categories of birthing experiences?
Doula
a caregiver who provides continuous physical, emotional, and educational support for the mother before, during, and after childbirth.
Typically function as part of a
“birthing team.”
Doula? “a woman who helps
Continuous support, especially from a trained individual who is NOT a member of the woman’s social network resulted in:
* Less likely to use pain medication
* More likely to have a natural birth without intervention
* Shorter birth
* More satisfaction with birth
Cesarean delivery
surgically removing the baby from the mother’s uterus through an abdominal incision
Indicated in cases of:
* breech position
* fetal distress
* maternal vaginal bleeding
* natural birth hindered by
an epidural.
Breech position
the baby’s position in the uterus causes the buttocks to be the first part to emerge.
(rumpan ner, fötterna upp)
Analgesics
used during labour and delivery - Analgesics
Anaesthesia
total or targeted pain relief. - Used in labour and delivery
Generally used in late first stage
labour and during delivery to block sensation to a part of the body or block consciousness (general anaesthesia). Eg. Epidural block numbs a woman’s body from the waist down
Pitocin
Used in delivery and labour-
a synthetic form of the hormone Oxytocin that promotes uterine contractions
What are the stages of labour?
1: Labour
2: Delivery
3: afterbirth - placenta emerges
**Newborn is immediately assessed on Apgar Scale.
How long does it take for women to recover after birth?
6-8 weeks
Stage 1 - Labour
uterine contractions
are 15 to 20 minutes apart and last up to 1 minute.
This is the longest stage, 6 to 12 hours. includes two important processes:
– Dilation is the opening of the cervix
so it is large enough (about 10 cm)
for the baby to pass through
– Effacement is the flattening of the cervix
Stage 2 - Delivery
When the cervix is fully dilated, the second stage of labour occurs—the actual delivery of the baby.
- Stage 2 begins when the baby’s
head starts to move through the
cervix and birth canal. - Takes approx 45min to an hour and
ends when the baby completely
emerges from the mother’s body.
Stage 3: Afterbirth
when the placenta, umbilical cord, and other membranes are detached and expelled, lasting only minutes.
Anoxia
oxygen deprivation - During the process of birth, some babies go into
fetal distress, a sudden change in the baby’s heart rate
Can result in death or brain damage
What occurs during the postpartum period?
The period after childbirth that lasts until the mother’s body has completed its adjustment and has returned to a nearly pre-pregnant state.
The postpartum period is a time of adjustments: Physical; Emotional, and Psychological
Hormonal changes, physical adjustments, fatigue, post partum blues
What are the symptoms of PPD?
What is bonding?
the formation of a connection, especially a physical bond between parents and their newborn shortly after birth.
PPD can have a long-term impact on the child’s emotions and behaviors
Postpartum Blues
Feelings peak 3 to 5 days after giving birth and may come and go for several months; but the feelings usually subside within 1 to 2 weeks, even without treatment
Postpartum depression
is a severe mood disturbance resulting in feelings of sadness lasting a few weeks or, rarely, for a year or more
a condition experienced by women that have such strong feelings of sadness, anxiety, or despair that they have trouble coping with daily tasks during the postpartum period.
Risk factors include:
–low self-esteem
–postpartum blues
–poor marital relationship
–lack of social support
–history of depression
- major life stressors during
pregnancy or immediately after
birth
-depression during pregnancy
