Midterm 1 Material Flashcards
Final Exam Review
How is labor pain represented in mass media vs alternative media? How does mass media influence women’s perceptions of CB?
Mass Media:
- pain is a self evident, indisputable fact
- it is unavoidable except through pain medication
- it’s so bas that it makes you want to die
- It makes women go mad and even turn violent
Alternative:
- pain is one of the many sensations that occur during CB
- Bliss, joy, satisfaction, ecstasy, excitement can be present and more powerful feelings
68% of pregnant women in the US regularly watch reality-based programs on pregnancy and birth
72% of women that are pregnant for the first time say that the shows help them to understand what giving birth is like
What is the main difference in alternative perspectives on CB, as compared to mainstream?
alternative media is driven by people who have experienced or been present for natural, intervention-free births vs those who have not done so
What is the difference between knowledge and information? How can new information fail to change our knowledge?
INFORMATION:
- Sensory data we obtain with its context and meaning
KNOWLEDGE:
- Inferences we draw and theories we construct from our interpretations of the information we have
- its purpose is to enable action
Information can fail to change knowledge if…
- its credibility is assessed as low
- its credibility is assessed as high, but it clashes with our preexisting knowledge
- information is filed as an “exception”
What is the difference between smooth and skeletal muscles? Why is this important in CB?
Skeletal muscles are attached to bone and assist in movement VIA conscious control
Smooth muscles are found in most internal organs; not consciously controlled. They contract through intermediate filaments attached to dense bodies.
Uterine muscle is smooth muscle, labor cannot be consciously induced.
How do the uterus and myometrium change before and after pregnancy?
They become much bigger
Uterus weight increases by 10-20 times and its volume by 500 times
myometrium length increases by 10 times with its width increasing by 3 times
What streams of the nervous system control muscle contractions?
Peripheral Nervous System:
- Skeletal muscles controlled by the motor division of the somatic nervous system
- Smooth muscle innervated by the motor (automatic) division of the visceral nervous system
When do the pregnant and non pregnant uterus contract?
Non-Pregnant
- All the time, spontaneously
- during menstruation and orgasm
Pregnant:
- is in a special state of uterine quiescence
- becomes active again in late pregnancy (37-40 weeks)
- spontaneous, ongoing contractions
- Braxton hicks contractions
- Contracts strongly labor, post partum and orgasms in pregnancy
How does nerve innervation change during pregnancy? explain
Almost complete denervation of the uterus at term
Hypertrophy of uterine myocytes, along with a decrease in the number of nerve fibers lead to a very low density of nerves to smooth muscle cells
Motor denervation is orchestrated by ovarian hormones and helps to maintain uterine quiescence
Inhibition is relative rather than absolute
uterine tone remains, but there is resistance to propagated contractions
control of contractility becomes predominantly hormonal
Sensory denervation could serve to reduce contractility and may be selective to uterine muscle
- For the purpose of allowing stretch sensations to go undetected
How does motor/sensory innervation work for the non-pregnant uterus?
neural fibers exit the spinal cord and innervate all pelvic cavity organs
Sympathetic fibers exit at different levels of the spinal cord than parasympathetic fibers
Sensory nerves from the uterus enter the spinal cord at different levels than those of the cervix & upper vagina
detection of sensations such as distention/stretch, inflammation and ischemia
What is the problem of labor pain, according to scientific evidence?
Stretch receptors in the uterus disappear during pregnancy
Stretch receptors in the cervix disappear at the onset of labor
muscle fibers in the cervix are almost completely replaced by connective tissue
but this is contradictory to the most common explanations of labor pain, being the stretching of the cervix and the contraction of uterine muscle
When is labor pain felt? When is CB usually the most painful?
pain is felt during contractions, with the strongest sensations coming from the inside of the body
Usually the most painful during the phase where the cervix dilates to 10cm, during stage 1
What are two explanations for labor pain that aren’t contradicted by evidence? Explain them
Vasoconstriction of uterine blood vessels and Release of chemicals from muscle exertion
When muscle metabolites are injected into the muscle, many report sensations of fatigue and pain.
As the uterus contracts during labor, blood flow is reduced
blood vessels are compressed during these contractions
some hypoxia happens during every contraction
Innervation of blood vessels and endometrium remain during pregnancy and CB, meaning that pain might still be possible
What are some potential benefits of labor pain?
Can guide the pregnant woman through the process
Focusses mental and physical resources on the process
Can regulate the strength of contractions, as to not injure the mother and baby
- VIA oxytocin suppression and the release of endogenous opioids and stress related hormones and neurotransmitters
She wants to make a point that Western society sees pain as bad when it can have purposes
What is the purpose of the placenta and its parts?
Transport of nutrients, oxygen and waste products to the baby from the mother
small. hairlike projections known as villi contain the fetus’ blood vessels
Mother’s blood passes through the intervillous space
the placental membrane separates the mother’s blood in the intervillous space and the fetus’ blood in the villi
What are oxytocics?
Had been used in obstetrics prior to the 1900’s to produce uterine contractions
they stimulate the uterus to contract
used to speed up labor, cause abortion and reduce post-partum hemorrhage
