Labour and Nursing Care
Labour is a process that takes place in four consecutive stages. In a hospital setting, nursing care during labour is one of the most important elements to ensure the best possible outcome for both the mother and child or children. Notably, each step of labour requires different nursing care.
The first stage of labour is also known as dilation and starts when labour begins, which is when contractions become strong and frequently occur between three to five minutes apart (Rajni 2019). This stage comes to an end when there is full cervical dilation, meaning that the dilation is about ten centimetres. In this stage, nursing care involves hospital admission, which includes establishing rapport with the patient, providing them with all the information needed for the procedure, and ensuring they don’t eat anything except ice chips (Hutchison & Mahdy, 2019). More nursing care duties include reviewing all the information like heart rate, blood pressure, or concerns about the pregnancy. After admission, nurses then proceed with perineal preparation, enema cleansing, evaluating the contractions, reminding the patient to void, and vaginal exams.
The second stage, also known as the delivery stage, starts off when there is full dilation and ends when the baby is born (Rajni 2019). The mother is usually transferred to the delivery room at the beginning of this stage. In the delivery room, the nurse is obligated to give the mother her full attention and not turn their back to them because the baby can be pushed out at any time. The nurses also have to ensure the mother is positioned properly for the lithotomy position. In addition, nurses continue to monitor the mother’s and infant’s heartbeat and the mother’s blood pressure during and after birth. Lastly, nurses offer both emotional and physical support for the mother while in delivery.
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The third stage is known as the placental stage, which, as the name suggests, involves the placenta’s delivery. This stage occurs after the baby has been born through intra-abdominal pressure and contractions (Hutchison & Mahdy, 2019). Nursing care at this stage involves continued observation to ensure the fundus stays contracted. Further, the nurse can ensure that the contraction stays by gently massaging the fundus (El Sayed, 2021). In addition, the nurse brings the baby to the mother to bond.
The fourth and final stage of labour is also known as the recovery stage, which starts when the placenta is removed so that the uterus can readjust itself to its normal state (Rajni, 2019). Nursing care in this stage involves helping the mother off the delivery table and into a recovery room. Subsequently, the nurse should provide perineum care, for example, using an ice pack. The nurse should also monitor the mother’s heart rate and blood pressure, check the fundus regularly to make sure it’s healing accordingly, and look out for signs of complications like haemorrhage.
References
El Sayed, S. L. M. (2021). Effect of uterine massage and emptying of the urinary bladder on alleviation of afterpains among mothers in the immediate postpartum period. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 15, 100327.
Hutchison, J., & Mahdy, H. (2019). Stages of labour.
Rajni Sharma. (2019). Stages of Labor and Nursing Care. ResearchGate. Accessed from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335518026_Stages_of_Labor_and_Nursing_Care
Discuss the stages of labour as it relates to nursing care and the nursing process.
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Labour and Nursing Care
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