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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Best Practices In Second Stage Labor Care: Maternal Bearing Down And Positioning, Joyce Roberts, Lisa Hanson
Best Practices In Second Stage Labor Care: Maternal Bearing Down And Positioning, Joyce Roberts, Lisa Hanson
College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications
Despite evidence of adverse fetal and maternal outcomes from the use of sustained Valsalva bearing down efforts, current second-stage care practices are still characterized by uniform directions to “push” forcefully upon complete dilatation of the cervix while the woman is in a supine position. Directed pushing might slightly shorten the duration of second stage labor, but can also contribute to deoxygenation of the fetus; cause damage to urinary, pelvic, and perineal structures; and challenge a woman’s confidence in her body. Research on the second stage of labor care is reviewed, with a focus on recent literature on maternal bearing down …
The Theater Of Birth: Scenes From Women's Scripts, Lisa Hanson, Leona Vandevusse, Kathryn Shisler Harrod
The Theater Of Birth: Scenes From Women's Scripts, Lisa Hanson, Leona Vandevusse, Kathryn Shisler Harrod
College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications
An analogy between theater and birth is drawn from analyses of women's birth stories to describe birth from a fresh perspective. Birth and theater are compared using the theatrical production elements: setting, casting, props, set, behind the scenes, script, and roles. Selected examples from women's birth stories highlight each element. Nurses' roles are significant during labor and birth, but nurses' abilities to fulfill these roles are threatened. This analogy promotes rethinking of nursing actions in the theater of birth. Implications for clinical practice are provided, including altering the birth environment, offering choices, and maintaining the woman's role as star.