Labor and delivery Flashcards
Factors affecting labor think the 5 Ps
Passenger - infant passageway - bony pelvis and soft tissue powers - intensity of contractions and ability to push position of the laboring woman psychological response
Variables that can influence L&D in regards to the “passenger” head of the passenger
passenger = fetus
- size of the fetus
- the head is the large body surface and it is the hardest
- the skull is comprised of a series of plates with sutures and fontanels between them to allow for shifting and overlapping during labor and rapid infant brain growth in the first year and a half of life
Variables that can influence L&D in regards to the “passenger” shoulders
fetal shoulders can also create dystocia - dystocia - disproportion between infant and pelvis (creating a difficult birth)
- seen in large babies
- especially true with diabetic mothers
Fetal presentation (types)
- refers to the presenting part of the infant in the birth canal
- cephalic
- breech
- frank
- scapula
cephalic fetal presentation
- head first is CEPHALIC
- usually it is the occiput that is the foremost part of the head - the vertex
- occiput presents because chin is by the chest
breech fetal presentation
- if the lower half of the infant is presenting
- does not fill and cork off the pelvis during labor the way the head does
frank breech fetal presentation
- the buttocks down and the legs up or single or double footing
scapula fetal presentation
- a shoulder presenting
what is at risk of happening when the water breaks?
- greater potential for umbilical cord to slip between the baby and the pelvis
what is an obvious sign the patient is having an arrest of labor
- think the head is the biggest part of the body… if labor is not progressing and the baby can’t get through
- breech with a big-headed baby –> body is already through
fetal lie
- refers to the longitudinal orientation of the fetus (spine of the infant in relation to spine of the mother)
longitudinal lie
cephalic of breech position
vertical lie
transverse lie (SHOULDER PRESENTING) BABY CANNOT DELIVER THIS WAY!
Fetal attitude
- refers to flexion of the infant
- if the infant is somewhat curled up with its chin flexed onto its chest, the arms and legs flexed towards the abdomen it is in GENERAL FLEXION (minimizes the diameter of the head)
- extended head or arms can cause problems for the delivery
- breech * need good flexion *
fetal position
- refers to the relationship of the presenting part to the maternal pelvis
- described in three letter codes
- first letter - represents the presenting part’s R or L orientation
- second letter - presenting part
- third letter - the presenting part’s location related to an anterior, posterior, or transverse location
ROP
means right, occipital, back of head posterior in pelvis
what is the optimal position (posterior or anterior)
- ANTERIOR because of the curve and contour of the sacrum
- IDEAL IS OCCIPUT ANTERIOR
when would you have to rotate the baby?
- when occiput posterior reaches points in pelvis for obstruction
- small % of babies are delivered posteriorly
passageway
- is the mother’s bony pelvis and soft tissues
- the bony pelvis is the more significant of these two
- there are multiple contours to the inner pelvis
- soft tissue issues arise with obesity and female circumcision
bones of the pelvis + what is the pelvis comprised of
- the pelvis is comprised of pieces of bone joined by cartilage
bones of the pelvis… - ilium (larger wings)
- ischium (lower segment anterior)
- the pubis (upper anterior)
- sacral bones (scoops from back towards coccyx)
what is the pelvis canal divided into (for OB purposes)
- divided into two segments
- upper pelvis, above the brim - false pelvis, plays no part in childbearing
- lower pelvis (TRUE PELVIS) - divided into three planes
1) inlet
2) mid pelvis
3) the outlet
ischial spines
- create the smallest diameter of the pelvis
* * POINT THAT IS HARDEST TO GET PAST DURING LABOR **
four types of female pelvis names
gynecoid
android
anthropoid
platypelloid
gynecoid
- most frequent and best for birth
android
- resembles the male pelvis
- encourages posterior presentations
anthropoid
- resembling an apes
- difficult for delivery
- very narrow
platypelloid
- a flat pelvis
- very difficult for delivery
- narrow anterior/posterior
shape of pubic symphysis for outlet
- android and anthropoid more narrow and V-shaped outlets
station of the baby in labor
- head in relation to ischial spine (narrowest part of the pelvis)
soft tissue 3
cervix - effaced and dilated to allow passage
pelvic floor muscles - assist the infant in rotating as it descends
vagina and introitus - dilate to accommodate passage
powers of labor
- refers to both the involuntary contracting of the uterine muscle and the voluntary efforts of the mother to expel the fetus at the time of delivery
pacemaker for the uterus
- near the fundus
- contraction starts here and then progresses down the top half of the uterus
- lower half DOES NOT contract but rather draws up toward the top half effacing the cervix and then dilating it
- muscle fibers shorten and pull on the lower half –> migrate upwards causes cervix to dilate
- we assess the UPPER HALF of the uterus
what part of the uterus do we assess
THE UPPER HALF!
how often does the uterus contract/relax
- every few minutes in a rhythmic manner
- as labor progresses contractions tend to grow closer, longer and more intense
how are contractions described
- in terms of frequency, duration and intensity
what/who is the best determiner of the intensity of contractions
- the mother is the best determiner of the intensity of the contractions
- HOWEVER, INTERNAL FETAL MONITORING IS ACCURATE!
how are contractions timed?
from the onset of one to the onset of the next
why is resting very significant in regards to contractions
- allows the reestablishment of full blood supply to the baby
other information: - blood vessels lace through muscle fibers of the uterus
- while the uterus is contracting there is diminished blood flow to the baby
- inductions in labor –> may affect the fetus
position of the laboring woman
- have an impact on both the intensity and effectiveness of the contractions and on the ability of the infant to navigate the contours of the pelvis
- upright position increases the potential for the presenting part to act as a dilating wedge