Terminology
What is the term for the second stage of labour when the baby's head appears at the vaginal opening.
What is crowning?
Before pregnancy a typical women’s uterus can hold approximately 10ml of fluid, at the end of term pregnancy what is the volume capacity of the uterus
5 liters
This pregnancy complication can occur when hormones produced by the placenta interfere with the way the mothers insulin works.
What is Gestational Diabetes
A paramedic asks this specific question to calculate the baby's gestational age and viability.
What is your estimated due date?
To be prepared to manage a delivery, what equipment do you need? (Name 5)
This fetal position occurs when the buttocks or feet are presented first instead of the head.
What is a breech presentation?
What is the hormone that softens the cervix and pelvic muscles in preparation of labour?
Relaxin
This spell-sounding pregnancy complication causes severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
What is Hyperemesis Gravidarum?
This question is asked to find out if the patient has been screened for known complications.
Have you received regular prenatal care?
What are some indications of an imminent delivery? (Name 2)
Term used to describe a woman having her second or subsequent pregnancy.
What is multigravida?
During which term of pregnancy does the women’s breast start producing colostrum?
Second trimester (Typically between the 16th and 20th week of pregnancy)
What condition causes the mothers antibodies to attack and destroy the fetus’s red blood cells and is more common after the first pregnancy?
What is Rh incompatibility? (will accept blood incompatibility)
To determine if the patient is multipara, you would ask this question.
How many live births have you had?
What are some birth complications you need to be ready to manage? (Name 2)
This condition is defined by hypertension, proteinuria and edema usually after 20 weeks gestation.
What is preeclampsia?
Changes in skin pigmentation my occur during pregnancy, what hormones increase causes these changes?
Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH)
Oligohydramnios can occur with premature rupture of membranes in pregnancy, how does this affect the volume of amniotic fluid?
What is a decrease in amniotic fluid volume?
A paramedic asks this question to identify if the patient is at a higher statistical risk for a breech presentation, even if the baby is smaller than average.
Are you expecting twins or multiple babies?
When the baby is born and assessed, where should the baby be placed?
The mother’s chest.
This is a premature separation of a placenta before delivery of the fetus.
What is abruptio placentae?
During pregnancy the women’s kidneys increase in length, how many centimeters does the length increase by?
1cm-1.5cm
What 3 signs of disease make up ‘HELLP’ syndrome?
Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets.
When assessing a patient in active labor, a paramedic must ask this question to identify the presence of a weakened uterine wall, which can determine if the patient is at a higher risk for an uterine rupture at the site.
Have you had a previous C section?
After delivery, when is the recommended time to clamp and cut the umbilical cord? (According to NRP)
30-60 seconds, or if mothers birth plan demands another wait time.