ROLE OF NURSE IN

MIDWIFERY AND OBSTETRIC

CARE
BY
REKHAMOL VB SIDHANAR
ASST PROFESSOR
 The process of child bearing right from the time
of conception till delivery can be divided in to 4
stages
 Adolescence stage -Required proper education
& counselling regarding marriage, sexuality and
motherhood.
 Antenatal stage
 Intranatal stage
 Postnatal stage
 In adolescence period the midwife performs 2
major role
 As a counsellor
 As a teacher
 She should counsel the adolescence
regarding
 A)puberty changes-
Puberty changes

Maturation of sexual
characteristics
Menstrual cycle
Hormone action in menstrual cycle &
physiological changes during
menses Regarding,
The menstrual care
Changing of the pad
Perineal care during mensturation
Diet , exercise,recreation
Sex education
Harm of premarital sex
Transmission of HIV,STD,& other
communicable disease
through unprotected sex
Pre-marital counselling
Counsel regarding
-Marriage
Changing the role of women
after marriage,
-Good sexual health,
About whole maternity cycle
Nurse midwife teaches regarding
• The menstrual hygiene,
• Healthy practices during the menstrual time,
• Importance of exercise & the diet during this
period.
Nurse functions in the antenatal period in
many care taking role
 Care giver
 Counselor
 Teacher
 Educator
 Advocator
 Clinician
 Communicator
 Gives antenatal care to the pregnant mother in
each trimester efficiently.
 Assess antenatal mothers by history collection,
physical examination & lab reports & identify fetal
wellbeing.
 Assess the high risk factor & complication in
pregnancy & delivery
 Specific care to mother having risk factors.
 Give nursing measures according to miner
ailments
 Assess the warning sign of labour.
 Assess the antenatal mothers during admission.
expected EDD, measures to taken to diagnosis of
pregnancy.
 Adequate exam during each ANC
 Provide therapeutically based nursing measures
for the mother in the ward
 Maintain adequate antenatal record including
vital signs, fundal height, sugar testing etc
each trimester visit.
 Give awareness regarding the antenatal measure
that has to be taken by mothers.
 Give proper care to case of risk pregnancy.
 Assisting pregnant mothers about general
information regarding pregnancy, labor & child
birth.
 Help the mother take the best possible decision
for the care of themselves or their child.
 Antenatal care: personal hygiene, rest, clothing,
travel, physical activity, sexual intercourse,
dental care, diet etc.
 Educate the importance & essentials of nutrition
& exercise during antenatal period.
 Giving knowledge the warning sign of labor.
 Give education regarding child birth &
parenthood.
 Provide counsel for emotional tension related
to problem.
 Sexual relation with partner.
 Changes in self image.
 Nutritional counselling
 Nurse has to support all the antenatal
mothers during all procedures & inform
the mother about the benefit & harm.
As a communicator
 She is the link between the couple & the
doctor
 She also communicates with the
expectant
mother regarding various aspects of
motherhood.
In the intranatal period, the midwife have the
role of:
 Caregiver
 Case manager
 Teacher
 Clinician
 Researcher
 Client advocate
 Change agent
 communicator
 Has to give proper nursing measure during
each stage of labor.
 Proper positioning of the mother.
 Give medication according to physician
order.
 Assess fetal wellbeing
 Prepare mother for labor & provide adequate
psychological support for the mother.
 Provide environment which is safe for labor
 Provide proper newborn care.
 Nurse has the role of providing treatment for
the mothers such as labour conduction,
monitoring the labor.
 In any risk labor adequate referral services as
per the physician order.
 Teaches regarding the normal physiology of
labor & changes in the labor.
 Teaches regarding the pain measures to be
taken during contraction time.
 Teaches regarding the position & pushing
effort of mother during the labor.
 Teaches regarding the importance of
breastfeeding & KMC for newborn baby.
 Assess maternal & fetal wellbeing.
 To do admission in the labour room & provide
basic nursing care for the mother.
 Monitor the mother record each & every action
in the partograph.
 Providing all nursing care through out all stages
& conduct delivery
 Promote the measures necessary for child
birth.
 Promoting contusive environment for the
 Nurse midwife can do research studies in
order to improve the nursing measures during
the intranatal period.
 Research helps in improving the methods of
delivery & providing more effective nursing
measures.
 Nurse provide necessary information for the
clients to make informed decisions in utilizing
& choosing services appropriately.
 Nurse makes the mother regarding their
decision in the complicated labour, risk fetus.
 Conveys the information regarding birth of
child.
 Inform the family members regarding the
immediate requirements after the birth
of child.
 After delivery, every mother goes through
several physical, psychological changes.
 A nurse has to provide adequate information
& support during postnatal period.
 Clinican
 Counselor
 Teacher
 Care giver
 Assessment in the postnatal units.
 Initiating breast feeding & newborn care.
 Provide newborn & postnatal
assessment.
 Identifying any risk in postnatal period.
Counselling regarding the
 Family planning
 Spacing of the pregnancy, temporary &
permanent methods.
 Care of the newborn
 Immunization
Nurse midwife has the role of teacher as
 Importance of personal hygiene in the
prevention of infection in the episiotomy
wound.
 Importance of the breast feeding.
 Essential newborn care
 Early ambulation & postnatal exercises.
 Importance of the nutrition
The nurse has to provide the care
 Postnatal overall care.
 Indentify miner disorder & provide adequate
nursing measures.
 Provide emotional support to the mothers
Nurse has to perform her different & varied
roles during different phases of child bearing.
These roles will gain through her full
experiences & this will helps her to provide
better care for the mothers.