Unit 1- Intrapartum Nursing Flashcards
What are contractions?
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- Coordinated and involuntary- Contractions become organized as women approaches term and pattern increases in frequency & intensity
- Uterine muscle-power comes from upper uterine segment
What is effacement during the labor process?
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Thinning and shortening of the cervix
estimated as a percentage of orignal cervical length
What is dilation during the process of labor?
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Opening expresed in centimeters– cervix is pulled upward as fetus is pushed down
at 10cm the cervix cannot be felt by the examiner
Cervical effacement in a nullipara happens early or late in the process of cervial dilation?
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Early
True or false: A multipara’s cervix is thicker than a nulipara at any point during labor?
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True
What is happening to the moms cardiovascular system during each contraction?
- Muscle fibers of uterus constrict around spiral arteries that supply the placenta
- Temporarily shunts 300-500 ml of blood back into the maternal systemic circulation
–Supine hypotension possible if women lies on her back
- Temporarily shunts 300-500 ml of blood back into the maternal systemic circulation
When should you take a laboring moms vitals?
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Between contractions
What effects do labor have on a moms resp. system?
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- Depth and rate of respirations increase during labor
- Women may experience hyperventilation
- May feel tingling of her hands and feet and numbnesss and dizziness
- Nurse should help slow breathing thorugh relaxation techniques
- breath into paper bag or cupped hands
What effect dose labor have on the GI system of mom?
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- Gastric motility decreased during labor- can result in n/v
- Women need calories for the work of labor– npo is contraversy
Labor has what effect on a moms urinary system?
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- Reduced sensation of full bladder
- Full bladder can inhibit fetal desent
- Bladder status should be evaluated throughout labor for distention
Labor has what effect on moms hematopoietic system?
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- Normal blood loss for vaginal birth is 500ml; cesection is 1000ml anything over is considreded hemorrhage- usually tolerate loss well (reserves from baby)
- Clotting factors (esp. fibrinogen) are elevated in pregnancy
- Increased risk for DVT in pregnancy and PP - ambulation is important
How does the fetus respond to placental circulation?
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- placental exchange occurs during the interval between contractions
- Exchange of oxygen, nutrients and waste products occur in the intervillous spaces
How does the fetus response to the cardiovascular system?
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- Heart rate ranges from 110-160bpm
- Rate and rhythm changes may be a result from normal labor or suggest intolerance to labor stress
How does a fetus respond to the pulmnonary system?
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- Produce lungs fluid to allow normal airway developemnt which decreases near term
- Compression of the fetal thorax at birth clears lung fluid for normal breathing after delievery.
What are the 4 p’s that play a major factor during childbirth?
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- Powers- contraction and maternal pushing effort
- Passage- Pelvis and soft tissue
- Passenger- Fetus, membranes and placenta
- Psyche- Psychological response to labor and birth influenced by, anxiety, culture, expextations, life experiences, support
Power refers to what during the labor process
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- Uterine contractions
- Primary force that moves the fetus through the maternal pelvis
- Maternal pushing efforts
- Second stage of labor- contractions continue to properl fetus through pelvis
- Ferguson’s reflex- fetus distends vagina and pusts pressure on rectum so women feel the urge to push and bare down
- Mom starts to crown
What is fergusion’s reflex?
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It is when the fetus distends vagina and puts pressure on the vagina.. In return the mom feels the urge to push and bear down
Passage refers to what during the labor process?
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Birth passage
1. Maternal pelivs “True Pelvis”- the most important outcome of labor
2. Bones and joings doin’t readily yield to forces of labor
3. RELAXIN softens cartilage linking pelvic bones near term
4. Soft tissues (cervix and vagina make up the passage way)
What are the parts of the “true pelvis” ask
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- Inlet- upper pelvic opening
- Mid pelvis- pelvic cavity
- Outlet- lower pelvic opening
What are the favorable pelvis types for birth?
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- Gynecoid: most common; found in 50% of women; round shape
- Anthropoid: resembles pelvis of antropoid apes: found in 24% of women; oval shape
What are the least favorable pelvises for birth?
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- Android: resembles the male pelvis; found in 23% of women; heart shaped
- Platypelloid: flat pelvis found in 3% of weomen; flat shape
What important to know about the fetal head?
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- Bones, sutures adn fontanels will
- Mold and assists in determining fetal position
- Important to know fetal head diameters
Fetal lie tells us what?
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- Orientation of the long axis of the fetus to the long axis of the women
Longitudinal lie indicates
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Cephalic or breech
Treansverse lie indicates…
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Perpendicular
Oblique lie indicates….
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Slanted
Fetal attitude tells us….
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Relationship of the fetal part to one other
Flexion- desirable- smallest part to move through the pelvis
Extension
What are different types of cephalic fetal presentations?
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- Vertex- tucked
- Military- straight forward
- Brow- eyebrows first
- Face- thumb sucker
What are different types of breech presentation?
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- Frank breech
- Complete breech
- Footling breech
What is fetal position?
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Relationship of the point of reference (occiput, mentum, acromion, or sacrum) on the fetal presenting part (vertex, face, breech, or shoulder) to moms pelvis
- Right or Left- presenting part pointing to moms L or R
- Occiput (O) or sacrum (S)- what part is coming out first
- Anterior (A), Posterior (P), or transverse (T)- presenting part pointing toward front of moms body (a), towards sacrum of moms body (P) or toward hip (T)
Fetal positions change during labor as the fetus moves downward and adapts to the pelvis contours (cardinal movements of labor)
What might anxiety cause during labor?
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- May decrease a women’s ability to cope with pain in labor
- Releases catecholamines-inhibit uterine contractility and placental blood flow-slow labor
- Enhance the perception of pain
What is the nurses role during labor?
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- Advocate for laboring women and her support person
- Increase their sense of control and mastery of labor
- Reduces anxiety and fear
- Achieve there disired birth
What causes labor?
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Exact mechanisms that initate labor remain unknown. Factors that appear to have a role
1. Changes in ratio of maternal estrogen to progesterone
2. Fetal membranes release prostaglandin
3. Prostaglandins prepare uterus for oxytoxin stimulation
4. Increased secretion of natrual oxytocin
5. Oxytocin receptors in the uterus increase markedly
6. Large quantities of cortisol released by fetal adrenal glands
7. Stretching, pressure and irritation of the uterus and cervix
What are premonitory/prodromal signs of labor?
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- Braxton hicks contractions
- Lightening
- Increased vaginal mucosus secreation
- Certival softening and slight effacement
- Bloody show or loss of “mucous plug”
- Energy spurt or “nesting instinct”
- Weight loss (slight)
- Diarrhea, Nasuea
What are true labor contractions desribed as?
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Consistent increase in frequency, duration and intensity with walking
Starts in the lower back and moves around to the lower abdomen
Discomfort in true labor is described as…
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May persist as back pain in some women and increasing intensity and pain
In true labor whats happening with the cervix?
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Progressive effacement and dilation– most important factor in distingusing between true and false labor
The contractions in false labor can be desribed as?
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Inconsistent in frequency, duration and intenisty. Decrease in frequency/intenisty with walking
The discomfort in false labor can be desribed as….
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Localized in abdomen
More annoying than truely painful
What is happening to the cervix in false labor?
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No significant change in effacement or dilation
When should a patient go to the hospital or birth center?
ASk
- Contractions- patterns of increasing regulatirty, frequency, duration and intenisty
- Nulip- regular contractions, 5 mins apart last 1 min for 1 hour
- Multip- regular contractions, 10 mins apart, last1 min for 1 hour
- Ruptured membranes- suspected or certain, contractions or not
- Bright red vaginal bleeding or heavy bleeding should be evaluated promptly
- Decreased or absent fetal movement
- Concerns- severe pain, vision changes, headache, epigastric pain, feeling” something isnt right”
Fetal station is defined as…
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Desent of fetal presenting part in relation to ischial spines
Engagement is considered what “station”
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0 station
widest diameter of the fetal presenting part reaches the level of the maternal ishial spines
What are the cardinal movements of labor in order?
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- Flexion (cramped)
- Internal rotation
- Extension
- External rotation
- Explusion
What do we need to know about the 1st stages of labor?
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1st stage of labor is the only stage with phases… 1st phase is the latent phase
- Cervical dilation and effacement occur
- Begins with the onset of TRUE labor and ends with complete dilation of the cervix
What is the 1st phase of stage 1 of labor?
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Latent phase
1. dilaton 1-3 cm historically
2. May pass unoticed
3. Sociable, excited
4. Mild contractions ~ 5 mins apart
5. Average dilation- primigrav 1.2 cm/hr ranging 3-4 hours, multip 1.5cm/hr ranging 2-3 hours
6. Prolonged latent pahse- primgrav. >20hours, multipara is >14 hours
What is the 2nd phase of stage one labor and what do we need to know?
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Active phase
1. Begins at 4cm historically
2. Cervical dilation accelerates, and internal rotation begins
3. Contractions 2-5 mins apart, lasting 40-60 seconds moderate intensity
4. discomfort increases
5. Maultiparas progress faster than nuliparas usually
6. Behavioral changes- increasing anxiety, sense of helplessness, becomes more inwardly focused
What is the 3rd phase of the 1st stage of labor and what should we know about it?
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Transition phase
1. Cervix dilates from 8cm to 10cm
2. fetus descents futher into pelvis
3. bloody show increases
4. contractions very strong 1 1/2 to 2 mins apart lasting 60-90 seconds.
5. Women may have the urge to push and bear down (fergusons reflex)
6. Leg tremors, n/v/ are common
7. Woman may be irritable and lose control
8. Actions that were helpful previous now bother her
9. Easily discouraged, oberwhelmed and panicky
10. May say they cant continue
What is the second stage of labor and what should we know about it?
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Second stage- stage of explusion
1. Begins with complete dilation (10cm) and 100% effacement and ends with birth of a baby
2. Length varies depednign on if a pt is a nuli or a mutip or has an epidural
- second stage avg. for prim is 1 hour and a multip is 15 mins
- Ferguson’s relfex- pressure of presenting part on pelvic floor causes involentary pushing response
- May feel need to have a bowel movement or say “the baby is coming” or “ i have to push
- volunatary pushing efforts augment inoluntary contractions
- Vulva distends as fetus descents into pelvis
- Crowning of fetal head, may cause a stretching or splitting sensation
- Allow to labor down
- Women often regains a feeling of control
What is an episotomy?
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Incision in perineum made to provide more space for presenting part
1. Median or midline: at midline
2. Mediolateral: cut at 45 decree angle to left or right- used for a large infant
What are episotomy indications?
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- Shoulder dystocia
- Face presentation
- Breech delivery
- Macrosomic fetus
- Vaccum or forcepts-assisted births
What are the risks of episiotomy ?
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Infection
Perineal pain
what is a laceration & what are the degrees?
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Tear in the perineum occuring at delivery
1st degree- perineal skin and vaginal mucous membrane
2nd degree- skin, mucous membrane and fascia of the perineal body
3rd degree- Skin, mucous membrane, muscle of the perineal body and extends to rectal sphincter
4th degree- Extends into rectal mucosa exposing the lumen of rectum
What is the 3rd stage of labor and what do we need to know about it?
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- Begins with birth of baby and ends with the explusion of placenta
- Shortest stage- average length of 5-15 mins
What are signs of placental seperation in the 3rd stage of labor?
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- Uterus rises in abdomen as placenta descents into vagina and pushes fundus upwards
- Cord descends (lenghtens) from the vagina
- Gosh of blood appears from vagina as blood trapped behind placenta is released
A uterus must contract firmly to compress open vessels to prevent ….
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Hemorrhage
1. Massage the fundus
2. Administer uterotonic medications
What are 4 types of uterotonic medicaitons?
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- Ocytocin
- Methylegonovine
- Carboprost Tromethamine
- Misoprostol
How is Oxytocin given?
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IV: SLOW IV push or added to fluid (wide open)
IM