NURSING CARE DURING LABOR & BIRTH Flashcards
Intrapartum Assessment:
(PEG FARM. PLBFLP)
- *Prenatal Care
- *EDD (estimated date of delivery)
- *GTPAL (grativa, term, para/preterm,abortions, live children)
— *Grativa: how many times she was pregnant
. - *Fetal Evaluation (know position)
- *Allergies (med/ anesthesia)
- Recent Illness
- Medications
. - Pregnancy History
- Labor status
- Birth Plan
- *Food Intake (NPO)
- *Labor Status (true/ false)
- Physical Examination
Leoplod’s Maneuvers:
- 1: is feeling for the top of the fundus. Feeling squishy, or firm and round like head.
- 2: feeling the sides. I feel a smooth round area, which is the back, if it is bumpy, then it may be the legs
- 3: feeling near the symphysis pubis for the presenting part. Feeling if it is the head or the buttocks.
- 4: feeling, if they are engaged at the ischial spine. If you can’t bring your fingertips together, the baby is not engaged.
Vaginal Examination:
- Determine whether the membranes have ruptured
- Determine cervical dilation and effacement
- Determine fetal presentation, position, station
Amniotomy: Artificial Rupture of membrane:
Indications
- Induce labor
- Augment labor (speed up labor)
- Allow internal fetal monitoring
Amniotomy: Artificial Rupture of membrane: Risks
- Prolapse cord
- Infection (we want to deliver within 24 hours of ruptured membranes) the infection can pass to the fetus
- Abruptio placenta
Comfort Measures:
- Ice Chips
- Cool washcloths
- Lighting, temperature, positioning
Positions for First stage:
- Standing/ walking:
- Sitting upright:
- Sitting, Leaning forward with support:
- Semisitting
- Side lying:
- Kneeling, Leaning Forward with support:
- Hands and knees:
Standing/ walking: Advantages
augments/speeds up labor
- Add to gravity to force of contractions to promote fetal descent
- Contractions are less comfortable and more efficient
- *Variation: standing, leaning forward with support, reduces back pain, because fetus falls forward, away from sacral promontory
Standing/ walking: Disadvantages
- Tiring over long periods
- Continuous electronic fetal monitoring is not possible without telemetry if a woman is walking in the hall
Standing/ walking: Nursing Implications:
- If the woman has IV fluid running, give her a rolling pole
- Encourage her to alternate walking with other positions whenever she tries or desires to do so
- Remind the woman and her partner when she should return to the labor area for evaluation of the fetal heart rate, and her labor status
Sitting upright: Advantages
Uses gravity to aid fetal descent
- Uses gravity to aid fetal descent
- Can be done when sitting on the side of bed, in a chair, or on the toilet
- Can be used with continuous fetal monitoring
- Avoids supine hypotension
Sitting upright: Disadvantages
- May increase suprapubic discomfort
- Contractions are the most efficient when the woman alternates sitting with other positions
Sitting upright: Nursing Implications:
- A rocking chair is soothing
- Place pillow on a chair with a disposable underpad over the pillow to absorb secretions
- Use pillows or a footstool to keep a short woman’s legs from dangling
- Encourage the woman to alternate positions periodically.
— For example, she can alternate walking with sitting or sitting with side lying
Sitting, Leaning forward with support: Advantages
helps with back pain
- Same as for sitting
- Reduce back pain because fetus falls forward, away from sacral promontory
- Partner or nurse can rub back or provide a sacral pressure to relieve back pain
Sitting, Leaning forward with support: Disadvantages
Same as for sitting
Sitting, Leaning forward with support: Nursing Implications:
Same as for sitting
Semisitting: Advantages
- Same as for sitting
- Aligns, long access of uterus, with pelvic inlet, which applies contraction force in the most efficient direction through pelvis
Semisitting: Disadvantages
- Same as for sitting
- Does not reduce pain as well as forward leaning positions
Semisitting: Nursing Implications:
- Same as for sitting
- Raise bed head of bed to 30°- 45° angle
- Encourage the woman to use sitting (leaning forward) or side lying position if she has back pain so the caregiver can rub her back or apply sacral pressure
Side lying: Advantages
promotes placental blood flow
- It is a restful position
- Prevents supine, hypotension and promotes placental blood flow
- Promotes efficient contractions, although they may be less frequent then with other positions
- Can be used with continuous fetal monitoring
Side lying: Disadvantages
Does not use gravity to aid fetal dissent
Side lying: Nursing Implications:
- Teach the woman and her partner, that, although the contractions are less frequent, they are more effective
- This position offers a break from more tiring positions
- Use pillows for support and to prevent pressure: at her back, under her superior arm, and between her knees
- Use disposable underpads to protect the pillow between the woman’s knees from secretions
- Some women like to put their superior leg on the bed rail
- If the woman wants this variation, pad, the bed rail with a blanket to prevent pressure
- If she wants to remain recumbent, she should use this position to promote placental blood flow
Kneeling, Leaning Forward with support: Advantages
- Reduce back pain because fetus falls forward away from sacral promontory
- Add gravity to force of contractions to promote fetal descent
- Can be used with continuous fetal monitoring
- Caregivers can rub her back and apply sacral pressure
- Promotes normal mechanisms of birth
Kneeling, Leaning Forward with support: Disadvantages
- Knees may become tired or uncomfortable
- Tiring if used for long periods
Kneeling, Leaning Forward with support: Nursing Implications:
- Raise the head of the bed, and have the woman face the head of the bed while she is on her knees
- Another method is for the partner to sit in a chair, with a woman, kneeling in front, facing her partner, and leaning forward on him or her for support
- Use pillow under the knees and in front of the woman’s chest as needed for comfort
- Encourage her to change positions if she becomes tired
Hands and knees: Advantages
Helps relieve cord compression (decreases variability in FHR monitor)
- *Helps relieve cord compression (decreases variability in FHR monitor)
= Reduce back pain because of the fetus falls forward, away from the sacral promontory
- Promotes normal mechanisms of birth
- The woman can use pelvic rocking to decrease back pain
- Caregivers can rub the woman’s back or reply, sacral pressure easily
Hands and knees: Disadvantages
- The woman’s hands (especially wrists) and knees can become uncomfortable
- Tiring when used for a long time
- Some women are embarrassed to use this position
Hands and knees: Nursing Implications:
- Encourage the woman to change to less tiring positions occasionally
- Ensure privacy when encouraging the reluctant woman to try this position if she has back pain
- A second hospital gown with the opening in front covers her back and hips, but may be too warm
— A variation is for the mother to kneel and lean forward against a beanbag or the side of the bed. This variation reduces some of the strain on the wrists and hands.