Question

A nulliparous woman in labor is 3 cm dilated at 10:00 a.m. Based on knowledge of the average nulliparous womans progression, when would the nurse expect her to be fully dilated?

A. 12:00 p.m.
B. 2:00 p.m.
C. 5:00 p.m.
D. 10:00 p.m.

Answer 1

The nulliparous woman is expected to be fully dilated between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Step-by-step explanation:

The average nulliparous woman's progression in labor varies, but it generally takes 6-12 hours for the cervix to dilate fully to 10 cm, which is necessary for vaginal birth to occur. Since the woman in question is already at 3 cm dilation at 10:00 a.m., we can estimate that she may reach full dilation within the next 6-9 hours. Therefore, the nurse would expect her to be fully dilated between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.