Module 5B: Common Variations in Normal Birth and Labour Flashcards
What is the general term to describe long, difficult and abnormal labour?
- dysfunctional labour or dystocia
What is dystocia?
- refers to lack of progress in labour for any reason
- often a result of a variance with one of the 5P’s
- primary indication for primary Caesarean birth
When is dysfunctional labour suspected (3)?
- alteration in the characteristics of uterine contractions,
- lack of progress in rate of cervical dilation
- lack of progress in fetal descent and explusion
When a labour has slowed or not progressing, what should the nurse be assessing?
- the 5P’s
- passenger
- passageway
- power
- position
- psyche
- make possible changes that promote normal progress of labour
- assess for changes in dilation, descent, rotation, changes to molding/caput
What are 4 factors that increase woman’s risk of labour dystocia?
- obesity
- short stature
- advanced maternal age
- infertility
- uterine abnormalities
- malpresentation/malposition
- overstimulation of uterus with oxytocin
- maternal fatigue, dehydration, fear
- use of epidural analgesia
What is macrosomia?
- another term used to describe fetus/infant who is LGA
- LGA: large for gestational age (infant who falls above the 90th percentile)
What is the term when the fetal head is too big to move through maternal pelvis?
- cephalo-pelvic disproportion (CPD)
- CPD may be a result from malposition of presenting part
What are 2 cues that lead you to suspect macrosomia?
- SFH measures larger than the weeks of gestation (39 weeks: SFH is 42)
- excess weight gain during pregnancy
- partner who is above average height/weight
- woman did not experience lightening (may indicate fetal head is not engaged especially in primigravid women)
What is molding?
- molding is an overlapping of the bones of skull and is normal adaptation that allows the fetal head to maneuver through the pelvis
- molding is common in many births, however, when descent or rotation of the fetal head is not occurring, molding is observed early in labour, is excessive or increasing, it may be a sign of CPD
What is caput succedaneum?
- a generalized, easily identifiable edematous area of the scalp, most often on the occiput
- With vertex presentation the sustained pressure of the presenting part against the cervix results in compression of local vessels, slowing venous return
- caput crosses suture lines
- caput usually disappears between 3-4 days after birth
What is cephalhematoma?
- a collection of blood between the skull bone and periosteum
- may take up to 8 weeks to resolve and increases the risk of hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn
- cephalhematoma doesn’t cross suture lines
What is shoulder dystocia?
- a labour variation and an obstetrical emergency
- condition in which the head is born but the anterior shoulder cannot pass under the pubic arch
- result when fetus is too large or the pelvis is too small for the fetal shoulder to move past the pubic arch
- after the birth of head with inability for shoulders to deliver spontaneously
What are 2 fetal injuries may result from shoulder dystocia?
- asphyxia,
- fracture to the humerus or clavicle
- brachial plexus nerve injuries
What are 3 maternal complications may result from shoulder dystocia?
- trauma
- rectal injuries
- postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)
What 4 cues decision support (DST) from perinatal services BC to anticipate shoulder dystocia?
- slow crowning of fetal head
- difficulty delivering face/chin
- head recoils against perineum (turtle sign)
- no spontaneous restitution and external rotation
- failure of shoulders to descend
- failure to deliver with maternal expulsive efforts
- inability to deliver fetal shoulders with gentle pressure alone
What is the McRoberts maneuver?
- when shoulder dystocia is indicated
- McRoberts maneuver involves flexing the legs apart with knees resting on the woman’s abdomen.
- This allows the sacrum to straighten and alters the angle of the pelvis (enlarge pelvic diameter)
What is the ALARMER mnemonic for shoulder dystocia?
- Ask for help
- Lift/hyperflex Legs
- Anterior shoulder disimpaction
- Rotation of the posterior shoulder
- Manual removal posterior arm
- Episiotomy
- Roll over onto “all fours”
What does malpresentation mean?
- that something other than the fetal head is presenting first
- most commonly would be breech presentation
What does breech presentation mean? What are the three types?
- means the buttock is presenting at the pelvic inlet
- type of breech depends on flexion / presentation
- Frank breech: hips flexed, knees extended
- Complete breech: hips and knees flexed
- Footling breech: one or both feet present before the buttocks
What can be done if a breech presentation is discovered?
- an external cephalic version (ECV) can be considered
- during ECV, obstetrician attempts to turn fetus from breech presentation to cephalic presentation (head down) by gently pushing on womans pregnant abdomen
What are 3 indications during labour that might suggest a fetus is in breech presentation?
- Drainage of pure meconium after the membranes have ruptured during labor may be indicative that the fetus is in a breech presentation and should be investigated. This is sometimes found in a frank breech when the fetal buttocks are squeezed as they make their way through the birth canal.
- Leopold maneuvers may suggest the possibility of a breech presentation: palpation may find the head of the fetus at the top of the maternal abdomen. A softer or “engaged” presenting part found in the lower pelvic area.
- vaginal exam: after a hx of ruptured membrane where a “bulge” of questionable membrane is found: be engaged buttocks of a frank breech presentation.
- vaginal exam: where no cephalic presentation is found but fetal toes or feet or felt: footling presentation
What 3 other uncommon presentations may be associated with anomalies, pelvic contractures, and CPD?
- face presentation
- brow presentation
- shoulder presentation
Is vaginal birth possible with breech presentation?
- possible but dependent on experience, judgment and skill of primary care provider (PCP)
Criteria for attempting vaginal birth include:
- the presentation being frank or complete breech,
- estimated fetal weight between 2000-3800g
- flexed fetal head
- normal maternal pelvis
In labour, what is the common malposition?
- persistent occiput posterior position
- OP, ROP, LOP
-normal cardinal movements of labour: fetal head most often engages in an occiput transverse position then rotates anteriorly to an occiput anterior position
How can a posterior position of fetus can be determined?
- abdominal palpation: feel knees or feet
- visual inspection of abdomen: notice concave indentation around woman’s umbilicus
- vaginal exam: can be confirmed as long as cervix is dilated enough to assess suture lines and fontanels of fetal head
What needs to be considered when fetus in OP position?
- woman experience long, slow labour with a lot of back pain
- back pain may lead to early epidural for pain
- maternal positioning can assist in rotation of presenting part OP to OA
- maternal positions for labour OP: upright forward leaning, lunging, rocking
- keep woman upright and mobile to promote rotation and descent of fetus
What rotation can a skilled physician attempt if presenting part is posterior?
- digital or manual rotation of fetal head
- Digital or manual rotation may be performed when the cervix is dilated enough that the physician uses two examining fingers (digital) or all the fingers of the examining hand (manual) to try and turn the fetal presenting part to an anterior position.
- It is important to monitor the fetal heart rate during any attempts to rotate the fetus
What are 3 maternal positioning that may help rotate an OP fetus?
hands-and-knees position:
- during labor relieves persistent back pain in labor and may promote fetal head rotation
- can be accomplished leaning over a birthing ball or chair and may also be used in the tub or shower
other upright positions:
- squatting
- lunges
- stair climbing
- pelvic rocking
- sitting straddling back of chair
Why is lying dorsal in bed avoided for labouring women in OP position?
- lying dorsal even with a wedge can increase back pain
- position recommended is lateral lying or the Sims position
What are 2 reasons for using various positions and movement in OP labour? What are the 2 positions?
- various upright positioning + movement: help to take pressure off woman back and alleviate back pain
- upright positioning: gravity enhancing, forcing presenting part downward on to cervix and stimulating contractions
- squatting and lunge: open up pelvic outlet, offering more room for fetal rotation and descent
- hands and knees, leaning forward: removing downward pressure on fetal head and allowing no resistance to fetal head rotation
What are 3 non-pharmacological comfort measures could you provide labouring women experiencing backache?
- Warm or cold packs to the back.
- Showers or tub labouring
- Back massage or counter pressure.
- Double hip squeeze, placing hands over gluteal muscles and pressing with the palms of the hands inward towards the sacrum
- Knee press, done when the woman is sitting with her feet flat on the ground and knees slightly apart. Pressure is then applied by placing the heels of the hands over her tibia and pressing the woman’s knees back towards her hips.
- In early labor, the use of Tens or subcutaneous sterile water papules
What are 2 positions that may facilitate fetal rotation during second stage of labour?
- squatting
- use of birthing stool
- lateral lying position and upper leg held by labour supporter
- early second stage pushing on a toilet
- water birth for home births
How does a deflexed head pose a problem during labour?
- deflexed head is labour variation related to the presentation and position of passenger
- deflexed head presents a wider diameter of head and is often associated with longer, slower labour
- cardinal movements of labour that the fetal head should be in flexion when descending and rotating through the maternal pelvis as this allows the narrowest diameter of the head to move through
What is asynclitism?
- another variation related to fetal head (cephalic presentation)
- best way to describe asynclitism is rather than the head being positioned in alignment with the shoulders, it is tilted to one side or the other
- vaginal exam the sagittal suture will not be in the midline
What is the passage made up of?
- hard bony pelvis
- soft tissues of cervix
- pelvic floor
- vagina
- introitus (external opening of vagina)
What are 3 reasons that may be the cause of pelvic contractures or deformities (that cant be corrected with any interventions)?
- malnutrition
- congenital abnormalities
- from trauma
- neoplasms: abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should
- spinal disorder