Cayla Dietz

Vaginal Delivery Post-Partum Care compared to Cesarean Section Post-Partum Care

Youngstown State University

Mrs. Marsha Lapolla

 I have gotten to take care of two mothers with two different labors: one who vaginally

delivered and one who had a cesarean section. Each of the mothers I cared for had different

needs, but they were progressing well with their recoveries. With the mother recovering from the

vaginal delivery, she had moderate amounts rubra lochia in her pads and had an episiotomy that

needed assessed to make sure the stitches were still intact. She stated that she was urinating

normally and wasn’t experiencing much pain. The woman recovering from the cesarean section

had some pain and required stronger pain medication than the woman with the vaginal birth. She

also had serosa colored lochia compared to the vaginal birth who had rubra. We had to check the

incision for the cesarean and make sure there wasn’t any bleeding and that the sutures were

intact. The woman with the vaginal birth preferred using ice packs while the cesarean section

mom didn’t use ice packs. One nursing diagnosis used for the care of both moms includes

“readiness for enhanced breastfeeding” because both mothers were trying to breastfeed and were

open to tips and consultation on succeeding. A second nursing diagnosis that applies to both

mothers is “acute pain” because both mothers were one day post-partum and were experiencing

pain.

I think the most significant part of the day for each mother included the bubble

assessment. Each mom had different answers and it made me think how different each mother’s

post-partum experience can be. Both of the examinations of the fundus were one finger below

the umbilicus. Both abdomens were tender to palpate, with the cesarean section mom having

more tenderness due to her incision. Both moms were urinating properly without pain or burning,

and neither of them had bowel movements yet. The lochia was different for each; the vaginal

birth mother experienced moderate rubra and the cesarean section mother had small amounts of

serosa.
 One of the course objectives utilized in the care of both women includes “Using the

nursing process to formulate a plan of nursing care, which incorporates holistic health care needs

of the childbearing family and women throughout the life span.” During the care for these

women, nursing care was organized in a manner to support each mom’s needs and her newborn.

A second objective utilized was “Implement effective interpersonal skills with acute or

chronically ill childbearing family members, women clients and their families, peer, and health

team members.” I communicated well with the nurses caring for each woman during both

clinicals. I also started conversations with the fathers in the rooms and any other visitors present.

A third objective I utilized was “Utilize leadership roles of coordinator, collaborator, client

advocate, and change agent while caring for members of childbearing families and women.” The

nurse has a leadership responsibility with this objective because they are the ones seeing and

evaluating the mother most frequently. If any complications or concerns arise with the mother, it

is the nurse’s responsibility to report it to the doctor and get other health care members involved

if necessary.

Overall, I had a great experience taking care of each new mom and felt honored to be

involved in their care. The post-partum period is a special time for the mother and her baby, and

it was special to be involved in their journey. Both mothers were very nice and open to having

students. I enjoyed caring for the mothers and ensuring that they were comfortable, and their

needs were met.