Signs and Symptoms of Labor
What happens to urinary frequency preceding labor?
What is increase in need and frequency of urination.
What does dilation refer to?
What is widening of the cervix to allow for the fetal head to pass through the vaginal canal.
True or False: A baby's head is built to pass through the vaginal opening from a front-facing position.
What is False. The head must internally rotate before passage can occur through the vaginal opening.
Name an example of non-pharmacological pain relief methods during labor and delivery.
What is aromatherapy, massage, touch, walking, hydrotherapy, music, childbirth classes, deep breathing, meditation, imagery, heat/cold.
How to avoid nipple pain with breastfeeding?
What is a deep latch with correct positioning with the help of your nurse or lactation consultant.
What is occurring when a woman says that her "water broke?"
What is the fluid sac around the baby breaks, causing a release of fluid to escape the vaginal opening.
What is effacement of the cervix?
What is thinning and shortening of the cervix to allow for easier passage of the fetal head during the first stage of labor.
True or false: A mother must be lying on her back to deliver a baby.
What is false. There are many different positions a mother can be in to birth her baby.
What is counter pressure?
Pushing on the sacrum when the laboring mother is complaining of back pain.
What is the MOST important intervention that a nurse can perform during labor and delivery?
What is support for the laboring woman.
What composes the "bloody show?"
What is cervical mucus release or dropping of mucus plug.
What happens during the third stage of labor?
What is delivery of the placenta.
How many people are allowed in the delivery room?
What is 2 in a vaginal delivery and 1 in a cesarean section, but it is at the doctor's discretion.
True or false: Water, walking, music, meditation and focal points are ways to cope with pain during labor?
What is true. Distraction is an effective method of pain management during labor.
When would a nurse initiate skin-to-skin contact?
What is immediately after birth.
What is "lightening?"
What is dropping of the fetal head into the lower pelvis. This prepares the fetus for the first stage of labor.
What are the names of the three phases during the 1st stage of labor?
What is active, latent, and transitional phases.
How long is the umbilical cord left to pulsate after baby is delivered?
What is 30 seconds or greater, as long as baby is adapting well to extrauterine life.
What is an epidural?
What is a form of anesthesia that is administered to mothers in labor both for vaginal and cesarean births that helps to numb the pain of labor without affecting the mother's ability to push.
What interventions will the nurse complete upon your arrival to labor and delivery?
What is check your vital signs, place you on the fetal ultrasound and contraction monitors, start your IV, complete admission paperwork, etc.
What are the name of the contractions that occur in the prodromal stage of labor?
What is Braxton-Hicks contractions.
What occurs during the 4th stage of labor?
What is recovery, return of normal body processes and functions.
What is the "ring of fire"?
What is when the baby's head is crowning.
What sensations are blocked by the epidural and which sensations are felt, according to a survey of laboring women?
What is the pain of the contractions and labor is blocked, but the feeling of pressure and compression of the vaginal canal is present.
Name two of the four characteristics of uterine contractions that a nurse would assess and document.
What is frequency, intensity, duration, and resting tone.