Labor and Delivery (NOT FINISHED) Flashcards
What is the weird word for the postpartum period up to 6 weeks after delivery that Herrick and Shamblen insisted we know?
Puerperium
Uterine activity that results in progressive dilation and effacement of the cervix
Labor
Opening of the cervical os
Dilation (estimated in cm)
Thinning of the cervix described as a percentage of a normal ____ long cervix
Effacement
4 cm
Placement of the presenting part in the maternal pelvis in relation to the ischial spines
Station
Usually divided into thirds
Fully dilated is ______ cm
10cm
The evaluation for rupture of membranes includes a ____________ which attempts to visualize a pool of fluid and obtain a specimen of vaginal fluid for testing
STERILE speculum exam
Must be sterile b/c you don’t want to introduce bacteria into the amniotic sac
Direct testing methods for determining if membranes have ruptured
“Fern” testing
Amniosure testing
Nitrazine paper (no one uses this anymore except the old docs)
Supportive test: Amniotic fluid index (AFI) by U/S
Amniotic fluid is mostly just a bunch of…
Baby piss
How does the nitrazine paper testing work
It’s essentially ph testing
Normal vaginal pH is 3.5-4.5 (b/c of lactobacilli)
Paper will turn blue in presence of alkaline amniotic fluid
93.3% sensitive
What can cause false positives on nitrazine paper?
Urine
Blood
Semen
BV
Trichomoniasis
What is fern testing?
Air dried sample of vaginal fluid on a slide —> characteristic “fern” pattern if membranes have ruptured
Very specific but not very sensitive
Does a patient whose membranes have ruptured need to be admitted to the hospital if she’s not in active labor?
YES
The part of the baby coming 1st through the birth canal
Presentation
Ex:
Cephalic
Breech
Position of the long axis of the fetus with respect to the long axis of the mother’s body
Lie (ie Transverse lie)
Station is typically measured in _______ compared to the ________
1/3’s (occasionally 1/5’s)
Ischial spine
(Ischial spine = 0)
When the baby’s head is at +3…
You can see the baby’s scalp by spreading the labia majora
Evaluation of labor should include…
Review of medical/obstetric hx
Obtain mom’s description of her contractions
Vital signs
Cervical exam
Fetal evaluation
Status of membranes
Contraction activity
Describe Stage 1 of labor
Contractions accomplish complete dilation and effacement
What are the subdivisions of Stage 1 of labor?
Latent - slower, less predictable; typically 0-5cm dilation
Active - faster, more predictable; typically 5-10cm dilation (admit them at this point)
Describe Stage 2 of labor
“The pushing stage”
Uterine contractions and maternal effort cause expulsion of the fetus
Describe Stage 3 of labor
“The medical student stage”
The placenta becomes detached from uterine wall and is expelled
Describe Stage 4 of labor
~2 hours post delivery of placenta, many hemodynamic changes
Name that labor stage:
Contractions accomplish complete dilation and effacement
Stage 1