Post Pregnancy Flashcards
What is Puerperium?
- Time from delivery until the anatomic and physiologic changes have resolved. Period of major physical, social and emotional changes involving adaptation
- Can take up to 6 weeks
What are the physiological changes that occur in Puerperium?
- Lochia and uterine involution
- Lactation
- Menstruation and resumption of ovulation
What is Lochia?
- Defined as the vaginal discharge containing blood mucous and uterine tissue which may continue for up to 6 weeks after childbirth.
What occurs in Uterine Involution?
- Uterus is at the umbilicus after delivery of placenta.
- It becomes a pelvic organ by 10 days.
- The cervical Os closes by 3 weeks
How does growth of breast tissue occur?
- OESTROGEN stimulates duct growth.
- PROGESTERONE stimulates alveolar growth.
- PLACENTAL LACTOGEN affects growth of epithelium in the alveoli.
What leads to lactation?
- Initiation of lactation is dependent on fall in oestrogen which stimulate release of prolactin from hypothalamus.
- Milk ejection needs oxytocin from posterior pituitary.
- Colostrum produced in first 3 days (has a clearer and turbid colour). This is then followed by milk secretion and continued lactation is dependent on suckling.
What is the interaction between menstruation and resumption of Ovulation?
-
Non-lactating woman
- Resumption of menstruation in approximately 8 weeks and 1st ovulation is approx. 10 weeks. 40% of 1st cycles are ovulatory.
-
Lactating women
- If for <1 month: menstruation resumes in approx. 10 weeks
- If breast feeding after first month, can take 16 weeks
- Breast-feeding on its own does not provide secure contraception beyond the 9th week postpartum
How are mothers managed in the postnatal period?
At Discharge
- Inform GP and arrange for midwife and health
- Anti-D if indicated
- Discuss contraception
- Discuss breast feeding
- Perianal care and post-natal exercise
- Vaginal loss/Hb check
Postnatal visit in 6 weeks: Discuss problems and assessment faecal or urinary incontinence
What is examined in the post-natal period?
- Temperature, BP, Pulse, RR, SATS
- Uterine size and involution
- Vaginal bleeding
- Lochia/discharge
- Abdominal wound (c-section)
- Perineum and paravaginal tissues
- Breast
- Lower limbs for DVT
- Enquire about bladder function and bowel function
What are advantages of breast feeding for the newborn?
- Easily digested nutrients
- Antibodies in colostrum: Leads to lower incidences of gastroenteritis, respiratory infection, otitis media and narcotising enterocolitis (lysozyme, lactoferrin IgA)
- Avoids milk allergies (1% for cow’s milk)
- Good source of nutrition except Vit C, D and Iron
- Cannot overfeed
- Lower risk of hypocalcaemia
What are benefits of breast feeding for the mother?
- Promotes bonding
- Improves uterine involution with oxytocin release
- Reduces risk of breast cancer and acts as contraception
- Safe and cheap
What are some counselling points regarding breastfeeding?
- Babies sleeping in the same room as mothers breastfeeding but not in the same
- If still hungry, weigh before and after feeding: can be fed more often or supplement added
- Check if mother is on medication.
- Contraindicated if active TB or HIV
- Sore nipples are corrected by correcting baby position at breast
- Express milk for babies in special care units
How does breastfeeding impact upon medication administration?
- Virtually all medications are excreted in milk.
- Amount depends on molecular weight, lipid solubility (high) and protein binding (low).
- Try to take medications after breastfeeding to avoid peak concentration.
- Some drugs such as chemotherapeutics, iodides and lithium are absolutely contraindicated
What are some complications encountered in Puerperium?
- Puerperal pyrexia
- Secondary post-partum haemorrhage
- Thromboembolic disease: need high index of suspicion in postpartum period
- Mood change (e.g. post-natal depression)
- Urinary or faecal incontinence
How does Urinary or faecal incontinence present in Puerperium?
- Transient urinary retention common postpartum due to physiological effects of pregnancy and pain. May need catherization and prophylactic antibiotics but usually resolves by itself. Women may get urinary incontinence which may respond to pelvic floor exercises
- Faecal incontinence following childbirth occurs due to damage to perineum particularly with forceps delivery.