labor & delivery Flashcards
What are the 3 phases of a contraction?
increment, peak (acme) and decrement
increment
contraction begins in fundus and spreads downward
Peak (acme)
contraction at greatest intensity
Decrement
decreasing intensity/relaxation
What are the terms used to describe the contraction cycle?
Frequency, duration, intensity, and interval
frequency
- contractions are every __ minutes
- Usually start far apart and get closer the farther you are along in labor
- Beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next contraction
duration
- length of each contraction from beginning to end
- expressed in seconds
intensity
- Strength of contraction
- Contraction intensity as palpated by the nurse
- Mild (tip of nose), moderate (chin), strong (forehead)
interval
- amount of time between contractions
- fetal exchange of O2, nutrients and waste products occurs here
What do you do if fetus is in distress?
put mom on left side and give oxygen
Do contraction right after another put the fetus in trouble?
yes
What should you do if contractions are occurring with little or no intervals?
- call Dr
- turn down pitocin
What part of the uterus actively contracts?
top 2/3
What does the bottom 1/3 of uterus do during contraction?
- less active
- allowing for downward passage of fetus
What part of the uterus becomes thicker during labor?
upper uterus
What part of the uterus becomes thinner and is pulled upward?
lower uterus/cervix
What are the cervical changes that occur during labor?
dilation and effacement
dilation
- opening of the cervix
- expressed in cm
- full dilation is 10cm
effacement
- thinning and shortening cervix
- fully thinned cervix is 100% effaced
What happens if mom pushes before 100% effacement?
may tear cervix
What helps effacement?
Position changes, squat on bed, pull knees up
How is the cardiovascular system effected during the birth process?
Increase in BP and decrease in pulse
When do you asses vitals?
between contractions
How is the respiratory system effected during the birth process?
Increase in depth and rate of respirations
How is the GI system effected during the birth process?
Decreased gastric motility
How is the urinary system effected during the birth process?
Decreased sensation of full bladder
Should a nurse periodically ask mom if she wants to go to the bathroom?
yes
How does a full bladder effect labor?
inhibits fetal descent because it occupies space in the pelvis
How is the hematopoietic system effected during the birth process?
- Clot breakdown decreases
- Promotes coagulation at placental site
- Increases the risk of maternal DVT, stroke & embolism
How is the fetal placental circulation effected during the birth process?
- Circulation in placenta decreases
- Blood supply to placenta stops with strong during contractions
- Placental exchange takes place between contractions
How is the fetal Cardiovascular System effected during the birth process?
Rapid fetal heart rate (110-160 bpm)
What FHR should you be concerned with?
below 110 and above 160
How is the fetal Pulmonary System effected during the birth process?
Fetal lung fluid production decreases close to birth and absorption of fluid increases
What are the components of the birth process?
powers, passage, passenger and psyche
what are the four major components of the birth process commonly called?
the four “Ps”
Power
uterine contractions and mother’s pushing efforts
Who may have issues with pushing?
quads, paraplegic, neuromuscular, moms with heart disease
Passage
the passage for the birth of the fetus consists of the maternal pelvis and its soft tissue
Does the Dr evaluate passage during antepartum care?
yes
What happens if the Dr knows that the pelvis is not conducive to labor?
schedule a c-section
Passenger
fetus, membranes and placenta
Psyche
- fear, anxiety, fatigue decrease ability to cope with pain
- relaxation helps the natural process of labor
What are the passage variations?
fetal lie, fetal attitude, fetal presentation & fetal position
passage variation - fetal lie
- orientation of long axis of mom and long axis of fetus
- Longitudinal, transverse and oblique
passage variation - fetal lie - longitudinal
- fetal head or buttocks enter pelvis first
- parallel
Are kids behind in kindergarten and 1st grade if they are delivered breech?
yes
passage variation - fetal lie - transverse
- fetal body lying horizontally
- ok during pregnancy but not in the birth canal
passage variation - fetal lie - oblique
fetal body at an angle between longitudinal and transverse
passage variation - fetal attitude
flexion and extension
passage variation - fetal attitude - flexion
- flexion is normal
- head flexed toward chest with arms and legs flexed over thorax, back in C-shape curve
passage variation - fetal attitude - extension
- head extended
- chin gets caught in pelvic or hung up in pubic bone
passage variation - fetal presentation
cephalic, breech and shoulder
passage variation - fetal presentation - cephalic
- head first
- vertex, military, brow, & face
passage variation - fetal presentation - cephalic - vertex
- most common
- head fully flexed
- most favorable position because smallest diameter of fetal head is presenting
passage variation - fetal presentation - cephalic - military
- head neither flexed or extended
- chin gets hung up
passage variation - fetal presentation - cephalic - brow
head partly extended
passage variation - fetal presentation - cephalic - face
- head fully extended
- baby born face up
- baby should be born face down
passage variation - fetal presentation - breech
- feet or buttocks first
- frank, full & footling
passage variation - fetal presentation - breech - frank
buttocks first, legs upward toward shoulders
passage variation - fetal presentation - breech - full
- buttocks first
- head, knees and hips are flexed
passage variation - fetal presentation - breech - footling
one or both feet are first
passage variation - fetal presentation - shoulder
- When there is a transverse lie, a shoulder is the presenting part
- C-section is usually needed
passage variation - fetal position
- Describes location of reference point to area in maternal pelvis
- 3 letter acronym
passage variation - fetal position - right or left
- fetal reference point is in the right (R) or left (L) area of the mother’s pelvis
passage variation - fetal position - Occiput, Mentum, or Sacrum
- refers to fixed reference point
- Occiput (O) - vertex
- Mentum (M) - face
- Sacrum (S) - breech
passage variation - fetal position - anterior, posterior or transverse
- fetal reference point is in the anterior (A), posterior (P) or transverse (T)
- transverse is used when it is neither anterior or posterior
LOA
the fetal occiput is in the left anterior quadrant of the maternal pelvis
RMP
the fetal mentum is in the right posterior quadrant of the maternal pelvis
LSA
the fetal sacrum is in the left anterior quadrant of the maternal pelvis
Warning Signs that Labor is Near
- Braxton Hick’s
- Lightening
- Increase clear vaginal secretions
- Bloody show
- Energy Spurt
- Small Weight loss
Warning Signs that Labor is Near - Braxton Hick’s
- Can have them for a several weeks
- Get uterus ready for labor
- Don’t do anything for dilation or effacement
Warning Signs that Labor is Near - Lightening
- Dropping of fetus into pelvis
- Can breathe better
- Pee all of the time
Warning Signs that Labor is Near - Bloody Show
mucous plug lets go
Warning Signs that Labor is Near - Energy spurt
Nesting, clean, get things fixed up, pack
Warning Signs that Labor is Near - Small weight loss
- At 40 weeks she has lost 2 or 3 pounds
- Associated with increasing progesterone
- Progesterone has a mild diuretic effect
- Tired and not all that hungry anymore
- Energy spurt
true or false labor - contractions increasing frequency, duration, intensity of contractions
true labor
true or false labor - Contractions cause progressive changes in the cervix (effacement and dilation)
true labor
true or false labor - Walking usually increases contractions
true labor
true or false labor - Early labor feels like cramps
true labor
true or false labor - Pain starts in lower back sometimes and goes toward lower abdomen
true labor
true or false labor - Inconsistency in frequency, duration, and intensity of contractions
false labor
true or false labor - Walking usually does not increase contractions
false labor
true or false labor - Discomfort felt in abdomen and groin
false labor
true or false labor - No major changes in cervix
false labor
true or false labor - Frustrating or embarrassing to mother
false labor
true or false labor - Caused by dehydration, braxton hicks
false labor
cardinal movements of labor
- descent
- engagement
- flexion
- internal rotation
- extension
- external rotation
- expulsion
cardinal movements of labor - descent
Descent of presenting part through pelvis
cardinal movements of labor - engagement
widest diameter of presenting part (usually head) reaches level of ischial spines of pelvis
cardinal movements of labor - flexion
Flexion of head so smallest diameter goes via pelvis
cardinal movements of labor - internal rotation
Internal Rotation allows largest fetal diameter to match largest pelvic diameter
cardinal movements of labor - extension
Extension of head as it passes under symphysis pubis bone
cardinal movements of labor - external rotation
External Rotation of head to allow shoulder to rotate in pelvis
cardinal movements of labor - expulsion
Expulsion of shoulders and rest of body
turtle pops
- head pops out and then goes back in
- is the cord around the neck
- slip one or two of your fingers under it and try to unwrap the cord
- in extreme measures cut the cord
station/engagement
- descent of the presenting part in relation to the level of the ischial spines
- as fetus descends, the station changes from higher negative numbers (-3, -2, -1) to higher positive numbers (+1, +2, +3)
station/engagement: -3
head moves freely or if you cant reach head, above ischial spine, not engaged
station/engagement: -2
feel head easily but can push it out
station/engagement: -1
harder to move head, doesn’t move very well back out
station/engagement: 0
engaged
station/engagement: +1
don’t see head