Maternity Nursing: Postpartum Flashcards
7 cards from real Maternal Newborn Nursing Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Maternity Nursing: Postpartum flashcards as text
A postpartum client's fundus is boggy and displaced to the right of midline. What is the priority nursing action?
Answer: Assist client to void or catheterize
A displaced fundus most commonly indicates a full bladder, which must be emptied before fundal massage will be effective.
Which finding on a postpartum assessment at 24 hours is considered normal?
Answer: Pulse rate of 55 beats/min
Postpartum bradycardia (50–70 bpm) is a normal physiologic response in the first week after delivery due to increased stroke volume.
A nurse is assessing lochia on a postpartum client at day 5. Which characteristic is expected?
Answer: Pink to brown (serosa)
Lochia serosa, which is pinkish-brown and watery, is the normal discharge expected between days 4–10 postpartum.
A breastfeeding client asks why her uterine cramping worsens during nursing. What is the correct explanation?
Answer: Oxytocin released during suckling causes uterine contractions
Suckling stimulates oxytocin release from the posterior pituitary, which promotes uterine contractions and involution.
A postpartum client has a fourth-degree perineal laceration. Which intervention is most important for comfort and healing?
Answer: Administer stool softeners and encourage adequate fluid intake
Stool softeners and fluids prevent constipation and straining, which is critical with a fourth-degree laceration that extends into the rectal sphincter.
Which statement by a postpartum client indicates she understands teaching about postpartum depression (PPD) risk?
Answer: 'I should call my provider if I feel overwhelmed or hopeless after going home.'
Clients should be instructed to report persistent sadness, hopelessness, or inability to care for the baby, as PPD can develop up to one year postpartum.
A postpartum client is Rh-negative and delivered an Rh-positive infant. When should Rho(D) immune globulin (RhoGAM) be administered?
Answer: Within 72 hours of delivery
RhoGAM must be given within 72 hours of delivery to prevent maternal sensitization against Rh-positive fetal red blood cells.