Chapter 4.1

• Braxton-Hicks contractions


  False contractions during pregnancy
• Real labor contractions


  More frequent, rhythmic, and painful contractions that increase in frequency and intensity
• Stages of Childbirth

  • Dilation of the Cervix
  • Descent and Emergence of the Baby
  • Expulsion of the Placenta
• Dilation of the Cervix


  • The longest stage, typically lasting 12 to 14 hours for a first-time mother
  • Contractions cause the cervix to shorten and dilate in preparation for delivery
• Descent and Emergence of the Baby


  • Begins when the baby's head moves through the cervix into the vaginal canal, ends when the baby emerges completely
  • Baby is still attached to the placenta by the umbilical cord
• Expulsion of the Placenta


  • Lasts between 10 minutes and 1 hour
  • The placenta and umbilical cord are expelled from the mother
• Electrical Fetal Monitoring can be used to track the fetus's heartbeat during labor and delivery
• Electrical Fetal Monitoring has a high false-positive rate, suggesting fetuses are in trouble when they are not
• Delivery Methods

  • Vaginal Delivery
  • Cesarean Delivery
• Vaginal Delivery


  The usual method of childbirth
• Cesarean Delivery


  Surgically removing the baby from the uterus through an incision in the mother's abdomen
• Delivery Pain Management

  • Natural Childbirth
  • Prepared Childbirth
• Natural Childbirth


  Method that seeks to prevent pain by eliminating the mother's fear through education and training
• Prepared Childbirth


  Method that uses instruction, breathing exercises, and social support to induce controlled physical responses and reduce fear and pain
• Neonatal Period


  The first 4 weeks of life, a time of transition from the uterus to independent existence
• Anoxia/Hypoxia


  If a neonate does not begin breathing within about 5 minutes, the baby may suffer permanent brain injury
• APGAR Scale


  • Assesses Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration 1 and 5 minutes after birth
  • Scores below 7-10 indicate the need for help to establish breathing or immediate lifesaving treatment
• Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS)


  • Measures motor organization, reflexes, state changes, attention and interactive capacities, and central nervous system instability
• Neonatal screening tests can discover conditions like phenylketonuria (PKU) that require early dietary intervention
• States of Arousal


  • Babies have an internal clock that regulates their cycles of eating, sleeping, elimination, and mood
  • Establishment of stable and distinct states of arousal is associated with newborn health and positive outcomes
• Childbirth Complications


  • Low-birth-weight babies
  • Preterm (Premature) Infants
  • Small-For-Date (Small-For-Gestational Age) Infants
  • Postmature Babies
  • Stillbirth
• Low-birth-weight babies (LBW)


  Neonates born weighing less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds)
• Preterm (Premature) Infants


  Infants born before completing the 37th week of gestation
• Small-For-Date (Small-For-Gestational Age) Infants


  Infants whose birth weight is less than 90% of babies of the same gestational age, due to slow fetal growth
• Postmature Babies


  Tend to be long and thin due to insufficient blood supply toward the end of gestation
• Stillbirth


  The sudden death of a fetus at or after the 20th week of gestation