Labor and Delivery: Part 1

A set of vocabulary flashcards to help review key concepts related to labor and delivery.

Signs of Impending Labor

Includes lightening, Braxton-Hicks contractions, increased vaginal discharge, and spontaneous rupture of membranes.

True Labor

Characterized by regular contractions that become closer together, stronger, and last longer, resulting in cervical effacement and dilation.

False Labor

Contractions that are irregular and variable in length and intensity, do not lead to cervical changes.

7 P’s of Labor and Delivery

Passageway, Passenger, Powers, Position, Psyche, Pain, Patience.

Passageway

Refers to the pelvis and soft tissues involved in labor.

Fetal Presentation types

Refers to how the baby is aligned during birth; could be cephalic, breech, or shoulder presentation.

Effacement

The process of thinning and shortening of the cervix during labor.

Cervical Dilation

The opening of the cervix, measured in centimeters from 0 to 10 cm during labor.

Primary Powers

Involuntary uterine contractions which help expel the fetus.

Secondary Powers

Voluntary bearing down efforts by the mother to aid in childbirth.

Stages of Labor

First Stage (Dilation), Second Stage (Delivery of Fetus), Third Stage (Delivery of Placenta), Fourth Stage (Recovery).

Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) Monitoring

Regular checking of fetal heart rate, normal range is 110-160 bpm during labor.

The Golden Hour

The first hour after birth, crucial for bonding and breastfeeding.

Braxton-Hicks Contractions

Irregular, mild contractions that do not change cervical dilation, often referred to as 'false labor.'