High Risk Postpartum Patients: Conquer the Mother-Baby Warning Signs – Donna Weeks

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Caring for a new mother and her newborn is complicated, stressful, and challenging. You may be very experienced as a postpartum nurse or new in your role. Regardless, at the end of the day we want to feel as if we did a great job, but how many times do you wonder if you missed something? What could you have done differently?

The fast-paced world of OB means constant admissions and discharges. How stressed do you feel when you know you need to discharge a patient so you can accept a new one? Have you met the challenge of teaching a new mom the post-birth warning signs? Does she know how to prevent the most common causes of postpartum maternal mortality? And…do you?

Each day we try our best to care for patients. We all want to know that we did all we could for every patient. Giving the best care requires staying up-to-date. Changes, protocols, state regulations, policies, and procedures make nursing a complicated world that challenges all of us. It adds a layer of stress to each day and it feels difficult to keep up with the latest from AWHONN, ACOG, the ISMP, and the CDC. At the core…you need to understand WHY these changes occur and HOW they benefit our patients. This recording takes a closer look at some current issues and digs deeper into finding out the WHY and HOW, discussing life-saving measures for both mothers and babies. Bring important new insights back to the patient bedside to transform the care that you deliver!

1. Distinguish the pharmacodynamics of medications used to treat bipolar disease for breastfeeding safety concerns.
2. Manage complications which are more prevalent in the morbidly obese patient.
3. Plan for the pathophysiology which places the morbidly obese pregnant woman at risk for a dysfunctional labor.
4. Determine effective ways to provide post-op pain management with minimal opioid use.
5. Appraise the pharmacodynamics of epinephrine and its use in newborn resuscitation.
6. Differentiate between postpartum blues and postpartum depression.
7. Analyze three post-birth warning signs and their implications for reducing maternal mortality.

Prevent Complications for Postpartum Morbidly Obese Patients

• Can we prevent infection and sepsis? How about DVT and PEs?
• Interpreting critical laboratory results pertinent to this population
• Your patient had bariatric surgery – Implications based on Roux-en-Y vs. gastric banding vs. gastric sleeve
• Caregiver bias – are you at risk?

Strategies to Decrease Opioid Use Following Childbirth

• Managing post-op pain with minimal opioids
• IV acetaminophen and polypharmacy considerations
• Your patient has chronic pain. What are the effects on the baby?
• Detect neonatal withdrawal – Intervening when something is just not right

Postpartum Depression: Early Identification and Help

• Postpartum screening tools to evaluate risk: What is the nurse’s role?
• What are the baby blues? How is it different from postpartum depression?
• How to reduce the risk and prevent PPD from leading to maternal death
• Antidepressant medications – are they safe in pregnancy? What about medications and breastfeeding?
• How does traumatic birth contribute to PPD? How can you reduce the risk?

The Newborn Transition to Extrauterine Life

• Vaginal delivery vs. Cesarean section – does it make a difference?
• Taking the first breath: Why is it so hard?
• Skills for early recognition of TTN
• Must-know tips to interpret cord gasses
• The latest on neonatal resuscitation: Urgent signs you can’t miss!
• Support the newborn transition for the late pre-term: Temperature regulation, glycemic control, breastfeeding concerns
• Solve initial challenges for the breastfeeding mother

Congenital Cardiac Heart Disease

• Critical aspects of the newborn assessment
• Screening for CCHD – how does it work?
• What does pre-ductal and post-ductal really mean?
• Common and less common congenital heart diseases
• What is VACTERL?

POST-BIRTH Warning Signs

• Maternal mortality is increasing. What can YOU do to reduce this statistic?
• Recommended interventions for the 7 common causes of maternal mortality
• What are the best practices to help patients and families recognize life-threatening signs?
• Over half of maternal deaths take place during the year following childbirth. What can you do to save lives?
• Critical patient education topics for the postpartum patient