According to Leah Albers, Certified Nurse Midwife, three-quarters of all of the deliveries are performed with women in a supine position, or lying on their backs (Keen, DiFranco, Amis, & Albers, 2004). However, as evidenced throughout history women across all cultures have used both upright and “gravity-neutral” or supine positions to give birth to their babies. Before the introduction of the forceps in the 17th century, women were rarely shown to be giving birth in a supine position. Earlier in history women were encouraged to give birth guided by their own “inner wisdom” in a position that was most comfortable for them; a position which was rarely lying on their back (Keen et al., 2004). The majority of women today, especially in Western society, deliver their babies in supine positions because it is the most preferred position of the midwife or nurse and has been a tradition for many years (de Jonge, Teunissen, van Diem, Scheepers, & Lagro-Janssen, 2008). On the contrary, the use of supine positions rather than upright positions is not the most optimal modes of delivery for the mother and the baby. Thus, to change the clinical practice on labor and delivery units, it is the responsibility of the nurse to continue to seek evidence-based practice research and obtain knowledge through education to guide the mother through informed choice, in choosing a birthing position during the second stage of labor that is most comfortable to her and will yield the most optimal outcomes for herself and her baby. It can be seen every day throughout all labor and delivery units, especially in Western societies, that most women deliver their babies in supine positions lying on their backs. This method of delivery is utilized most often bec... ... middle of paper ... ...e health care clinician to more comfortably assist in the delivery. However, it is important for nurse manager(s) on labor and delivery units to educate their floor nurses on the benefits of utilizing upright birthing positions during the second stage of labor and then to fully inform their patients on these positions, whether or not she had asked for information regarding upright birthing positions, and implement their use when possible. Careful evaluation of the change on the unit will provide the nurse manager(s) with appropriate feedback regarding the effectiveness of the change. All in all, upright delivery positions yield more optimal outcomes than supine delivery positions for both the mother and the baby and the nurses should be appropriately educated to give their patients an informed choice and advocate for and support the patient in her final decision.
The Bishop score is a pelvic scoring system developed to make it easier to determine whether a multiparous woman was a suitable candidate for induction of pregnancy. Although the information in the Bishop score was known by many obstetricians for many years, Edward H. bishop is credited because he pulled the pieces together and formed an organized system accompanied by research and statistics to back up his findings. His paper is called the “Pelvic Scoring for Elective Induction”. In this paper, Bishop describes basic minimal requirements that must be met before any patient can be considered for elective induction of labor (1964).
When pregnant, many expecting mothers are faced with a very tough decision, the decision to have an epidural during labor or to have a natural birth. Both methods have negative and positive aspects. This topic has such conflicting views that about 50% of women decide to get an epidural when going into labor and the other 50% of women choose the alternative: natural childbirth. It is important for an expecting mother to look into both options thoroughly to ensure they make the best choice for both themselves and for their child. With all of the speculations circulating about both options, it is hard for mothers to see the truth about both epidurals and natural childbirth.
In doing this project the literature drawn from is largely non-scholarly for the reason that I am prevailing upon the reader to think outside the box about birth. Most of the “scholarly” research that is available was written by doctors or nurses/nurse midwives who were trained in the medical model of birth. Since part of my premise is that the high rate of Cesarean sections is caused in part by viewing birth as a medical and therefore pathological event, and in part for its emergence as a capitalistic industry, it was then necessary to find literature written by people who have expertise in birthing though not from the traditional obstetrical/medical school approach.
"7 Tips For Having A Natural Childbirth." Fit Pregnancy. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. .
Neonatal nursing is a field of nursing designed especially for both newborns and infants up to 28 days old. The term neonatal comes from neo, "new", and natal, "pertaining to birth or origin”. Neonatal nurses are a vital part of the neonatal care team. These are trained professionals who concentrate on ensuring that the newborn infants under their care are able to survive whatever potential life threatening event they encounter. They treat infants that are born with a variety of life threatening issues that include instances of prematurity, congenital birth defects, surgery related problems, cardiac malformations, severe burns, or acute infection. Neonatal care in hospitals was always done by the nursing staff but it did not officially become a specialized medical field until well into 1960s. This was due to the numerous advancements in both medical care training and related technology that allowed for the improved treatment and survival rate of premature babies. According to the March of Dimes, one of every thirteen babies born in the United States annually suffers from low birth weight. This is a leading cause in 65% of infant deaths. Therefore, nurses play a very important role in providing round the clock care for these infants, those born with birth defects or other life threatening illness. In addition, these nurses also tend to healthy babies while their mothers recover from the birthing process. Prior to the advent of this specialized nursing field at risk newborn infants were mostly cared for by obstetricians and midwives who had limited resources to help them survive (Meeks 3).
Giving birth is a memorable moment however it could be a very trying experience as well. Childbirth can be overwhelming depending on the mother’s health and medical history. The main objective of this paper is to compare and contrast the pros and cons of each method of childbirth. Information will also be obtained about natural childbirths and C-sections. The information used to compare and contrast natural births and C-sections are the two types of birthing method that was gathered from two research articles pertaining to natural births and c- sections. There will be a significant difference in the birthing methods because each method has a different impact on the mother’s body (Dewey 2003). The purpose of this paper is to gain knowledge of what natural childbirth and c- sections are and how they affect the woman’s body.
There has been a long standing turf war between obstetricians and midwives, but this article explains why that might be coming to an end. Britain’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has discovered that it is safer for healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies to give birth at home with the supervision of midwives. Studies have shown that doctors are much more likely to use interventions such as forceps, spinal anesthesia and cesarean section, when unnecessary and those procedures carry risks of inaction and surgical accidents. Many studies have shown that midwives provide care just as well, or even better than obstetricians, when mothers are expected to deliver a single baby at full term and the babies head is presenting first in the birth canal. “The professional society for obstetricians, however, cites evidence that planned home birth carries an increased risk of neonatal death, compared with planned hospital birth.”
The first outcome: 100 % of the staff will comply with hourly rounding and promptly answer call lights. Will be accompanied by the following activities: laminated sheets and markers will be placed in each postpartum/post epidural mothers room. The nurse on duty will initial each hourly round that she/he complies to. Signs reading, "To prevent a fall, please call" will be hung in every postpartum/post epidural mothers room. The second outcome: 100% of the staff will be able to assess the maternal mother's deep tendon reflexes and motor strength (using the motor strength scale) prior to receiving an epidural to use as a baseline and again once the epidural is discontinued. Will be accompanied by the activity: initial and annual training courses will be mandated for all ante and postpartum nurses.
Unfortunately, though, some births do not go as planned. Complications in birth force doctors to use assistive devices to get the child out of the birthing canal. One of these devices is the forceps. These forceps are shaped like salad tongs and are used to guide the baby’s head out of the birth canal (Staff, 2012). They are generally used when the mother is too tired to proceed with the second stage of labor or when fetal stress is apparent, such as an irregular heartbeat (Ham, 2010). Forceps are not used until the head is at a +2 station or lower but not yet crowning (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). History of forceps use goes all the way back to 1720, when they were first introduced to aid in delivery (Germane & Rubenstein, 1989). While they are successful in some cases, many times they can lead to horrifying and fatal results. This paper will attempt to persuade the reader that the use of forceps during birth should be outlawed.
As defined by Lowdermilk, Perry and Cashion, preterm labor is “cervical changes and uterine contractions occurring between 20 and 37 weeks of pregnancy”. Preterm birth is a dramatic event causing distress for both the child and parents. There is a significant amount of information available on the risk factors related to preterm labor. Seeing the ineffectiveness of interventions directed towards known risk factors emphasizes the lack of maternal understanding of possible underlying pathways.
( Criton, 2014.) Being a labor an delivery nurse(L&D) myself, and modesty being such an important facet within the Jewish Community, it would be safe to say, that cultural competence in Jewish birthing rituals would be a must when laboring a patient of this belief. My goal as a labor nurse, is to skillfully, attentively, and appropriately monitor, observe, and respect my patient and their unborn fetus at all times while under my care. Since the Jewish culture diligently tries to maintain complete modesty as a nurse, I would offer my Jewish labor patients a long sleeve gown and surgical hat to cover their head.
Berk conveys that while doctors are present during some home births, most are attended “…by certified nurse-midwives who have degrees in nursing and additional training in childbirth management” (CITATION). There are risks associated with childbirth, regardless of the setting. For women who are healthy, have not experienced issues during their pregnancies, and have not experienced issues with previous pregnancies, and are attended by a medical professional, home births can be just as safe as hospital births. Homebirths can also be more relaxing because the mother can move about more freely and has more control over the birthing experience than generally permitted during a hospital birth. Complications can arise during home births just as they can during a hospital birth. Therefore, it is wise to have a plan in place for transportation to the hospital if needed. There are numerous advantages to home births which include freedom of movement, more control over the birthing experience, decreased unnecessary medical interventions, and faster recovery. Disadvantages to homebirths include that a doctor is not likely to be quickly
...o find a balance between interventional and non-interventional birth. With this being said, I also understand that there are strict policies and protocols set in place, which I must abide to as a healthcare provider, in any birth setting. Unfortunately, these guidelines can be abused. Christiane Northrup, MD, a well recognized and respected obstetrician-gynecologist has gone as far as to tell her own daughters that they should not give birth in a hospital setting, with the safest place being home (Block, 2007, p. xxiii). Although I am not entirely against hospital births, I am a firm believe that normal, healthy pregnancies should be fully permissible to all midwives. However, high-risk pregnancies and births must remain the responsibility of skilled obstetricians. My heart’s desire is to do what is ultimately in the best interest of the mother, and her unborn child.
The hospital room holds all the usual scenery: rooms lining featureless walls, carts full of foreign devices and competent looking nurses ready to help whatever the need be. The side rails of the bed smell of plastic. The room is enveloped with the smell of plastic. A large bed protrudes from the wall. It moves from one stage to the next, with the labor, so that when you come to the "bearing" down stage, the stirrups can be put in place. The side rails of the bed provide more comfort than the hand of your coach, during each contraction. The mattress of the bed is truly uncomfortable for a woman in so much pain. The eager faces of your friends and family staring at your half naked body seem to be acceptabl...
Good posture when standing, sitting or lying down during pregnancy is essential because the weight of a growing baby in the uterus can put stress on the lower part of the body. Finding a good sitting position during pregnancy is important to maintain comfort and avoid back and pelvic pain. Good posture does not only protect you from pain, but it can also support your spine and help reduce circulation problems.