Ch 15

Which findings could be considered to be a barrier to a pregnant woman seeking prenatal care? (Select all that apply.)

- Economic cost of health care. - Patient's cultural beliefs do not include prenatal care as being valued - Patient had a bad experience the last time she went to a doctor for care. Economic factors can delay the onset of health care treatment. A patient's cultural beliefs and values may be a barrier to seeking prenatal care if her culture does not perceive any inherent value in prenatal care. If the patient had a bad prior experience with a health care provider, it may be a barrier to seeking future care. The fact that this patient is multilingual does not necessarily represent a barrier to seeking prenatal care. Although the patient may prefer to be cared for by a midwife, this fact cannot be considered a barrier to seeking prenatal care because it demonstrates a patient's choice.

When counseling a client about getting enough iron in her diet, the maternity nurse should tell her that:

Constipation is common with iron supplements. Constipation can be a problem with iron supplements. Milk, coffee, and tea actually inhibit iron absorption when consumed at the same time as iron. Vitamin C promotes iron absorption. Children who ingest iron can get very sick and even die.

With regard to nutritional needs during lactation, a maternity nurse should be aware that:

Caffeine consumed by the mother accumulates in the infant, who therefore may be unusually active and wakeful. A lactating woman needs to avoid consuming too much caffeine. Vitamin C, zinc, and protein levels need to be moderately higher during lactation than during pregnancy. The recommendations for iron and folic acid are somewhat lower during lactation. Lactating women should consume about 500 kcal more than their prepregnancy intake, at least 1800 kcal daily overall.

A pregnant woman experiencing nausea and vomiting should:

Eat small, frequent meals (every 2 to 3 hours). Eating small, frequent meals is a correct suggestion for a pregnant woman experiencing nausea and vomiting. She should avoid consuming fluids early in the day or when nauseated, but should compensate by drinking fluids at other times. She should also reduce her intake of fried foods and other fatty foods.

Which suggestion about weight gain is not an accurate recommendation?

In twin gestations, the weight gain recommended for a single fetus pregnancy should simply be doubled. Women bearing twins need to gain more weight (usually 16 to 20 kg) but not necessarily twice as much. Underweight women need to gain the most. Obese women need to gain weight during pregnancy to equal the weight of the products of conception. Adolescents are still growing; therefore, their bodies naturally compete for nutrients with the fetus.

Women with inadequate weight gain during pregnancy are at higher risk of giving birth to an infant with:

Intrauterine growth restriction. Both normal-weight and underweight women with inadequate weight gain have an increased risk of giving birth to an infant with intrauterine growth restriction. Spina bifida is not associated with inadequate maternal weight gain; an adequate amount of folic acid has been shown to reduce the incidence of this condition. Diabetes mellitus is not related to inadequate weight gain. A mother with gestational diabetes is more likely to give birth to a large-for-gestational age infant. Down syndrome is the result of trisomy 21, not inadequate maternal weight gain

Which minerals and vitamins are usually recommended to supplement a pregnant woman's diet?

Iron and folate Iron generally should be supplemented, and folic acid supplements often are needed because folate is so important. Fat-soluble vitamins should be supplemented as a medical prescription, as vitamin D might be for lactose-intolerant women. Water-soluble vitamin C sometimes is consumed in excess naturally; vitamin B6 is prescribed only if the woman has a very poor diet. Zinc is sometimes supplemented; most women get enough calcium.

With regard to protein in the diet of pregnant women, nurses should be aware that:

Many protein-rich foods are also good sources of calcium, iron, and B vitamins. Good protein sources such as meat, milk, eggs, and cheese have a lot of calcium and iron. Most women already eat a high-protein diet and do not need to increase their intake. Protein is sufficiently important that specific servings of meat and dairy are recommended. High-protein supplements are not recommended because they have been associated with an increased incidence of preterm births.

A pregnant woman reports that she is still playing tennis at 32 weeks of gestation. The nurse would be most concerned regarding what this woman consumes during and after tennis matches. Which is the most important?

Several glasses of fluid If no medical or obstetric problems contraindicate physical activity, pregnant women should get 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise daily. Liberal amounts of fluid should be consumed before, during, and after exercise, because dehydration can trigger premature labor. Also the woman's calorie and carbohydrate intake should be sufficient to meet the increased needs of pregnancy and the demands of exercise. All pregnant women should consume the necessary amount of protein in their diet, regardless of level of activity. Many pregnant women of this gestation tend to retain fluid, possibly contributing to hypertension and swelling. An adequate fluid intake prior to and after exercise should be sufficient without trying to replace sodium.

A 22-year-old woman pregnant with a single fetus had a preconception body mass index (BMI) of 24. When she was seen in the clinic at 14 weeks of gestation, she had gained 1.8 kg (4 lbs) since conception. How would the nurse interpret this finding?

The woman's weight gain is appropriate for this stage of pregnancy During the first trimester, the average total weight gain is only 1 to 2.5 kg. The desirable weight gain during pregnancy varies among women. Weight gain should take place throughout the pregnancy. The optimal rate depends on the stage of the pregnancy. The primary factor to consider in making a weight gain recommendation is the appropriateness of the prepregnancy weight for the woman's height. A commonly used method of evaluating the appropriateness of weight for height is the BMI. This woman's BMI is within the normal range, and she has gained the appropriate amount of weight for her size at this point in her pregnancy. Although the statements in A through C are accurate, they do not apply to this client.