pregnancy – JRM Nurse Consultants

May 05 2019

When a Pregnancy is not Viable

I think that this is a hard decision for any mother to make when she is told that her baby may not be viable. I can see several ethical things here that would make a decision difficult to make. First of all, there is the termination of the pregnancy recommended because the baby will not be viable at birth, and then there is the religious aspect. These are both ethical situations that can be very difficult for parents when they have to make a decision. Doctors make decisions based on the viability of a baby and feel that if the baby will not make it, the pregnancy should be terminated. In a Christian hospital, for example, these conversations may not happen, because they do not do terminations of pregnancy, so that suggestion would not be made. However, at a non-Christian hospital, that type of discussion may happen there frequently.

Each hospital should have an ethics team to explain the choices to the mother so that a mother that does not believe in termination is aware that she does have the right to keep the baby until he passes. Allowing the parents to use their own judgment in a case like this, provides for better healing as they cope with the impending loss. The termination of a pregnancy before its time is devastating to any parent. A parent’s religious beliefs in the Lord keep them holding on for a possible miracle and we should not interfere in their decision making. If the miracle does not happen, those parents will find the way to grieve the loss but at least they were offered a choice and will not have to worry that the choice was not given to them and they will not have to live with the “what ifs.” This would be their way of coping with the death of that child (Denisco & Barker, 2012).

References

Denisco, S. M., & Barker, A. M. (2012). 25. In Advanced practice nursing: Evolving rules for the transformation of the profession (2nd ed., pp. 547-567). Retrieved from https://campus.capella.edu/web/library/home

Rosie Moore, RN, DNP

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March 03 2019

A Theory for Post Partum Moms

Betty Neuman’s theory will work well with visiting post-partum moms in their homes after they have had their babies. One of the things that I have seen while working in labor and delivery, is that the mothers come in with preconceived ideas on what breastfeeding is or is not, based on what their mothers and grandmothers know. The family will say that back in the day, there was not any teaching on breastfeeding, you just did it. This can cause stress with the newly delivered mother and the family. However, I most recently read an article and it spoke about a 17-year-old girl that came in with a complicated pregnancy and she delivered early sending her baby to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She was from Mexico but spoke a language called Mixtec. This would make explaining about breastfeeding difficult and frustrating to the family and the nurse (Peterson-Iyer, 2008).

However through Betty Neuman’s model, if the nurse takes out a book that talks about breastfeeding, even if it is not in her language, she can point to the pictures and demonstrate what she needs to do. Initially, this mother will be pumping her milk, since the baby may be too sick to drink at the breast, however, once the discharge is planned, she will need assistance breastfeeding and bonding with the baby. It is through home visiting nurses, that these cases of mothers that are learning and have language barriers can have support for proper breastfeeding.

Betty Neuman believes that nursing should be approached from a holistic standpoint; physical, psychological, mental, social, cultural, developmental, and spiritual well-being. As a person, Neuman’s theory considers the patient as an individual family member, community or society. The environment that the patient lives in can be external or internal. Stressors that Jean Watson speaks of in her theory, produces tension in a person’s life (Alligood, 2013).

References

Alligood, M. (2013). Systems model. In Nursing theorists and their work (8th ed., pp. 281-301). [Vital Source Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://campus.capella.edu/web/library/home

Peterson-Iyer, K. (2008). A difficult birth: Language and cultural differences. Retrieved from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/medical/culturally-competent-care/difficult-birth.html

September 09 2018

The Benefits of Hiring A Doula

Doulas provide emotional, physical, and educational support to expectant mothers during the labor process and postpartum. The doula is professionally trained in childbirth with the purpose of helping women have safe, memorable experiences and empowering a birth the way the mother desires.

The doula services begin typically a few months before the birth in order to establish a relationship with the expectant mother. Having the relationship early allows the doula to answer any questions that the mother and father have prior to delivery, ease any anxiety, and assist in developing a birth plan.

During labor, the doula will provide the mother with comfort measures, position changes, breathing techniques, and partner involvement in the birthing process. A doula leads to a better birth outcome and helps to reduce complications for both mother and baby. Doulas use touch and massage as a means to decrease stress and anxiety during labor. They use the sound of their voice to have the mother focus during the difficult stages of labor allowing this moment to engage the birth partner on the focal point.

Years of experience in Work Comp, Case Management, Disease Management, Utilization Review and Prior Authorization.

Tag Archives: pregnancy

When a Pregnancy is not Viable

A Theory for Post Partum Moms

The Benefits of Hiring A Doula