Maternity Nursing: Postpartum Q 47
When making a visit to the home of a postpartum woman one week after birth, the nurse should recognize that the woman would characteristically:
A. Express a strong need to review events and her behavior during the process of labor and birth.
B. Exhibit a reduced attention span, limiting readiness to learn.
C. Vacillate between the desire to have her own nurturing needs met and the need to take charge of her own care and that of her newborn.
D. Have reestablished her role as a spouse/partner.
Correct Answer: C. Vacillate between the desire to have her own nurturing needs met and the need to take charge of her own care and that of her newborn.
One week after birth the woman should exhibit behaviors characteristic of the taking-hold stage as described in response C. This stage lasts for as long as 4 to 5 weeks after birth. The woman starts to initiate actions on her own and makes decisions without relying on others. Allow the woman to settle in gradually into her new role while still at the hospital or healthcare facility because making decisions about the child’s welfare is a difficult part of motherhood.
Option A: The taking-in phase usually sets 1 to 2 days after delivery. The woman prefers to talk about her experiences during labor and birth and also her pregnancy. Encouraging the woman to talk about her experiences during labor and birth would greatly help her adjust and let her incorporate it into her new life.
Option B: This is a characteristic of the taking-in stage, which lasts for the first few days after birth. The woman becomes dependent on her healthcare provider or support person with some of the daily tasks and decision-making. This dependence is mainly due to her physical discomfort from hemorrhoids or the after pains, from the uncertainty of how she could care for the newborn, and also from the extreme tiredness she feels that follows childbirth.
Option D: This reflects the letting-go stage, which indicates that psychosocial recovery is complete. During the letting go phase, the woman finally accepts her new role and gives up her old roles like being a childless woman or just a mother of one child. Readjustment of relationships is needed for an easy transition to this phase.