Maternal Child Nursing: Antepartum, Labor, and Delivery

Vocabulary flashcards covering prenatal nutrition, specialized care in pregnancy, labor mechanics, stages of labor, obstetric complications, and interventions from the lecture notes.

Pica

The craving and ingestion of nonfood substances during pregnancy.

24-Hour Nutrition Recall

A dietary assessment approach where the patient confirms if yesterday was a typical day and lists everything eaten from waking until bedtime, including all snacks and sit-down meals.

Advanced Maternal Age (AMA)

Refers to a pregnancy in a patient who is $35\,\text{years}$ of age or older at the time of delivery.

The 5 P's of Labor

The critical factors affecting the labor process: Passage (maternal anatomy), Passenger (fetus), Position (fetus in relation to the pelvis), Powers (uterine factors), and Psychological state.

Gynecoid Pelvis

The classic, round female pelvic shape that is most favorable for a normal vaginal delivery.

Android Pelvis

A heart-shaped pelvic inlet resembling a male pelvis, which increases the risk of labor difficulty and operative intervention.

Anthropoid Pelvis

An oval-shaped pelvic inlet with an anteroposterior diameter that is larger than its transverse diameter.

Platypelloid Pelvis

A flattened pelvic type with a shortened anteroposterior diameter and a wide transverse diameter.

Suboccipitobregmatic Diameter

The smallest anteroposterior diameter of the fetal head ($9.5\,\text{cm}$), present when the fetal head is in complete flexion.

Biparietal Diameter

The largest transverse diameter of the fetal head, measuring approximately $9.25\,\text{cm}$.

Fetal Attitude

The degree of flexion the fetus assumes during labor or the positional relationship of fetal body parts to one another.

Fetal Lie

The relationship of the long axis (spine) of the fetus to the long axis (spine) of the mother, categorized as longitudinal or transverse.

Fetal Station

The measurement in centimeters of the descent of the fetal presenting part relative to the level of the maternal ischial spines ($0$ station indicating engagement).

Leopold Maneuvers

A systematic abdominal palpation method used to determine fetal lie and presentation and identify the best location on the maternal abdomen for assessing fetal heart sounds.

Primary Powers

Involuntary uterine contractions responsible for cervical effacement and dilation during labor.

Secondary Powers

Voluntary maternal bearing-down efforts and abdominal pushing that assist in expelling the fetus during the second stage of labor.

Contraction Frequency

The time frame measured in minutes from the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next contraction.

Contraction Duration

The time frame measured in seconds from the beginning of a single contraction to its completion.

Contraction Intensity

The strength of a contraction at its peak (acme), which can only be reliably measured quantitatively using an intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC).

Effacement

The shortening and thinning of the cervical canal during labor, expressed as a percentage from $0\%$ to $100\%$.

Dilation

The widening of the cervical opening, measured in centimeters from $0\,\text{cm}$ to $10\,\text{cm}$.

Lightening

A preliminary sign of labor in which the baby moves down into the pelvis, easing maternal pressure on the diaphragm.

Braxton Hicks Contractions

Sporadic practice contractions that prepare the body for labor without causing progressive cervical change.

Nitrazine Paper Test

A pH test strip used to assess for ruptured membranes; amniotic fluid is alkaline and turns the paper blue or green ($\text{pH} \ge 6.5$).

Fern Test

A microscopic exam where dried amniotic fluid forms a characteristic fern-like pattern due to high sodium and protein content.

Amnisure

A diagnostic swab test detecting PAMG-1 protein in vaginal secretions to confirm rupture of membranes.

First Stage of Labor

Begins with the onset of true labor contractions and ends when the cervix is completely dilated ($10\,\text{cm}$); divided into latent and active phases.

Second Stage of Labor

Spans from full cervical dilation ($10\,\text{cm}$) and $100\%$ effacement to the birth of the newborn.

Third Stage of Labor

Begins with the birth of the newborn and ends with the delivery of the placenta (typically taking no longer than $30\,\text{minutes}$).

Fourth Stage of Labor

The recovery phase lasting $1\,\text{to }4\,\text{hours}$ after placental delivery, during which hemodynamic changes occur.

Umbilical Cord Prolapse

An emergency condition in which the umbilical cord slips down ahead of the fetal presenting part, leading to severe cord compression and reduced fetal oxygenation.

Shoulder Dystocia

An emergency during the second stage of labor when the fetal anterior shoulder becomes impacted behind the maternal pubic bone.

McRoberts Maneuver

An emergency intervention for shoulder dystocia where the mother's thighs are hyperflexed against her abdomen to flatten the sacrum and tilt the pelvis.

External Cephalic Version (ECV)

A procedure in which a clinician manually manipulates the maternal abdomen to turn a fetus from a breech or transverse lie into a cephalic position.

Bishop Score

A scoring system used to assess cervical readiness for labor induction by evaluating dilation, position, effacement, station, and consistency.

Amniotomy

The artificial rupture of fetal membranes (AROM) performed using a specialized hook to induce or augment labor.

Episiotomy

A surgical incision made into the perineum during delivery to enlarge the vaginal opening and reduce pressure on the fetal head.

VBAC

An acronym standing for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean.