Labor- the basics

What is labor?
Who is our patient today?
The scenario
LJ is a 35 year old G1 P0 at 38 weeks
gestation who comes into the labor triage
area for a labor check.
She states for the past 8 hours she has
experienced contractions. Over the past 3
hours the contractions have increased in
intensity and frequency. She states that she
is having about 5-6 contractions per hour.
What does the triage nurse need to
determine to establish labor?
What is Labor?
Contraction characteristics
Frequency
Duration
intensity
Cervical assessment
Dilatation
station
Effacement



Figure 17.10 Characteristics
of uterine contractions.
Dilatation and effacement
What will be established for LJ
next?
Stages
versus Phases
Table 17.3 Characteristics of Labor
Phases of labor- emotional response
Latent phase:
Excited, relief, in control
Active phase
Need to focus and work, increasing anxiety
Transitional phase
May feel loss of control, anxious, restless,
often desires a break from labor
Stage two
What happens to the cervix at this point?
What is the womans job during stage
two?
How might she be feeling?
What is the partners job?
Crowning- perineal bulging
Figure 17.12 (continued)
The birth sequence.
Note the head
Head turns
Head rotates more Why is the head white?
Skin to skin after birth!