Maternity Nursing Q 91

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During which of the following stages of labor would the nurse assess “crowning”?

  

     A. First stage

     B. Second stage

     C. Third stage

     D. Fourth stage

    

    

Correct Answer: B. Second stage

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Crowing, which occurs when the newborn’s head or presenting part appears at the vaginal opening, occurs during the second stage of labor.

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Option A: During the first stage of labor, cervical dilation and effacement occur. Effacement means that the cervix stretches and gets thinner. Dilatation means that the cervix opens. As labor nears, the cervix may start to thin or stretch (efface) and open (dilate). This prepares the cervix for the baby to pass through the birth canal (vagina).

Option C: During the third stage of labor, the newborn and placenta are delivered. This stage is often called delivery of the “afterbirth” and is the shortest stage of labor. It may last from a few minutes to 20 minutes.

Option D: The fourth stage of labor lasts from 1 to 4 hours after birth, during which time the mother and newborn recover from the physical process of birth and the mother’s organs undergo the initial readjustment to the nonpregnant state.

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