Childbirth

Question 1

Zygote

Answer 1

fertilized ovum. the first two weeks of pregnancy

Question 2

embryo

Answer 2

week 3-8

Question 3

fetus

Answer 3

week 8 until delivery

Question 4

umbilical cord

Answer 4

the connection between the fetus and the placenta that passes oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the child and returns waste products back to the mother

Question 5

placenta

Answer 5

an organ attached to the endometrium lining that filters and transfers nutrients and oxygen to the fetus

Question 6

amniotic fluid

Answer 6

guards against jolts, keeps the fetus at the constant temperature and keeps the fetus from adhering to the endometrium lining

Question 7

amniotic sac

Answer 7

a very strong, clean and transparent membrane sac that surrounds the fetus and holds the amniotic fluid. it is broken to allow the baby to be delivered.

Question 8

Womb/Uterus

Answer 8

the uterus is called a womb when a fetus is growing inside of it

Question 9

Birth canal/vaginal canal

Answer 9

A vagina is called a birth or vaginal canal during the delivery of the fetus

Question 10

First Trimester

Answer 10

• most critical and greatest time of vulnerability
• pregnancy signs and symptoms more likely to occur
• majority of physical development occurs *vital organs, heartbeat, and brain waves)
• small maternal weight gain

Question 11

Second Trimester

Answer 11

• Quickening (slight fetal movements)
• Increased organ development
• Physically easiest for mom

Question 12

Third Trimester

Answer 12

• Most demanding time of pregnancy for mom
• Lanugo (fine hair) and vernix (waxy coating) both covering the fetus begins to disappear
  -fetus gains a protective fatty layer (gains 5-6 lbs)
• lighting (the dropping movement of the baby into mom’s pelvic region) in the last weeks of pregnancy

Question 13

Multiple Births

Answer 13

• Identical twins: Develop when one ovum is fertilized by a sperm and then splits into 2
• Fraternal Twins: Develop when more than one separate ovum each are fertilized by a sperm
• Conjoined Twins: Develop when the fertilized cells (identical twins) do not completely split apart before developing

Question 14

Pregnancy Complications

Answer 14

• Low birth weight (when the fetus is under 5.5 lbs at birth
• miscarriage (pregnancy loss that takes place before 20th week in pregnancy)
• Maternal Mortality (the death of a woman during pregnancy, at delivery, or soon after delivery
• Stillborn (birth of an infant that has died in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy)
• RH factor (Test at 28 weeks. Mom RH+ and baby with RH -. Blood will not mix with the babies blood. Can lead to complications in pregnancy or anemia in baby)
  Gestational Diabetes (Diagnoses as diabetes during pregnancy. Can be controlled with diet)
• Placenta Previa (The condition where the placenta lies very low in the uterus and cover part of the cervix)
• Toxemia/pre-eclampsia

Question 15

Premature Birth

Answer 15

Premature: born before 37 weeks
- moderately: born between 35-37 weeks
- Very: born between 29-34 weeks
- Extremely: born between 24-28 weeks
Low Birth weight: Weighs less that 5.5 lbs
- very low: less that 3 lbs
- Extremely Low: less than 2.2 lbs

Question 16

3 stages of labor

Answer 16

1) Dilation (usually the longest stage while the cervix dilates from 0-10cm
2) Expulsion (the birth of the baby
- CrowningL when the baby head has passed through the birth canal and the top “crown” is visible at the vaginal opening
3) Afterbirth (when the afterbirth - amniotic sac, placenta and umbilical cord - is expelled. Lasts from 5-20 mins

Question 17

Delivery Options

Answer 17

1) Vaginal Delivery (baby delivered through the vaginal opening)
2) Cesarean Section (performed sot he baby can be delivered through an incision in the abdominal wall and uterus
-reasons: position of baby, umbilical cord issues, fetus under stress, mother in danger)

Question 18

Anesthesia

Answer 18

1) Natural Childbirth without any medication
2) Pain Relievers - used for pain relief without loss of feeling or muscle movement
3) Epidural - medication given to relieve pain during labor and delivery, that is injected into a space within the expecting mother’s spinal cord that numbs from the abdomen or pelvis down

Question 19

delivery support

Answer 19

1) obstetrician - doctor trained to deliver baby
2) Midwife - registered nurse with additional training as a midwife or a person with formal training in childbirth without a nursing degree who delivers infants and provides and postpartum cares.

Question 20

labor

Answer 20

regular contractions of the uterus that result in dilation and effacement of cervix
- effacement: the thinning of the cervix to prepare for birth (expressed in %)
- dilation: the extent to which the cervix has opened in preparation for childbirth. It is measured in cm; full dilation = 10cm)

Question 21

mucus plug

Answer 21

a pinkish plug that covers the cervix, is released at the beginning of labor

Question 22

fontanels

Answer 22

soft sports between the unfused sections of the baby’s skull. These allow the baby’s head to compress slightly during passage through the birth canal

Question 23

episiotomy

Answer 23

a surgical incision made on the perineum to enlarge the vaginal opening to help deliver a baby

Question 24

station

Answer 24

refers to the position of the baby in the birth canal

Question 25

contraction

Answer 25

the regular tightening of the uterus working to push the baby gown the birth canal

Question 26

delivery

Answer 26

the process of the fetus being expelled from the uterus

Question 27

forceps/vaccum extraction

Answer 27

tools used by the obstetrician to guide the fetal head during delivery

Question 28

lochia

Answer 28

bloody vaginal discharge, compared to a heavy period. could last up to 6 weeks

Question 29

post partum

Answer 29

the time after delivery where rest is the mothers primary physical need.