LABOR AND DELIVERY UNIT
LABOR AND DELIVERY UNIT
Today my partner and I are going to the labor and delivery unit at Darnall Army Medical Center. We will observe and shadow a member of the medical staff. In the labor and delivery unit, the main focus is on the birth of children and the care of mother. This unit is focused on the stages of labor and postpartum care of both mother and baby.
These stages are defined by their stage of labor. There are three stages of birth. The first stage begins with regular uterine contractions and ends with complete cervical dilatation at 10 cm. In Friedman’s landmark studies of 500 births, he subdivided the first stage into an early latent phase and an ensuing active phase. The latent phase begins with mild, irregular uterine contractions that soften and shorten the cervix. The contractions become progressively more rhythmic and stronger. This is followed by the active phase of labor, which usually begins at about 3-4 cm of cervical dilation and is characterized by rapid cervical dilation and descent of the presenting fetal part. The first stage of labor ends with complete cervical dilation at 10 cm. According to Friedman, the active phase is further divided into an acceleration phase, a phase of maximum slope, and a deceleration phase.
The second stage begins with complete cervical dilatation and ends with the delivery of the fetus. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has suggested that a prolonged second stage of labor should be considered when the second stage of labor exceeds 3 hours if regional anesthesia is administered or 2 hours in the absence of regional anesthesia for nulliparas.
The third stage of labor is defined by the time period between the delivery of the fetus and the delivery of the placenta and fetal membranes. During this period, uterine contraction decreases basal blood flow, which results in thickening and reduction in the surface area of the myometrium underlying the placenta with subsequent detachment
Today my partner and I are going to the labor and delivery unit at Darnall Army Medical Center. We will observe and shadow a member of the medical staff. In the labor and delivery unit, the main focus is on the birth of children and the care of mother. This unit is focused on the stages of labor and postpartum care of both mother and baby.
These stages are defined by their stage of labor. There are three stages of birth. The first stage begins with regular uterine contractions and ends with complete cervical dilatation at 10 cm. In Friedman’s landmark studies of 500 births, he subdivided the first stage into an early latent phase and an ensuing active phase. The latent phase begins with mild, irregular uterine contractions that soften and shorten the cervix. The contractions become progressively more rhythmic and stronger. This is followed by the active phase of labor, which usually begins at about 3-4 cm of cervical dilation and is characterized by rapid cervical dilation and descent of the presenting fetal part. The first stage of labor ends with complete cervical dilation at 10 cm. According to Friedman, the active phase is further divided into an acceleration phase, a phase of maximum slope, and a deceleration phase.
The second stage begins with complete cervical dilatation and ends with the delivery of the fetus. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has suggested that a prolonged second stage of labor should be considered when the second stage of labor exceeds 3 hours if regional anesthesia is administered or 2 hours in the absence of regional anesthesia for nulliparas.
The third stage of labor is defined by the time period between the delivery of the fetus and the delivery of the placenta and fetal membranes. During this period, uterine contraction decreases basal blood flow, which results in thickening and reduction in the surface area of the myometrium underlying the placenta with subsequent detachment