Final answer:
The nurse would expect to see cramping as the placenta delivers, emotional responses like relief or crying, the presence of lochia rubra, the uterus rising upward, and vital signs returning to pre-labor values.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse assessing a woman in the third stage of labor would expect to find several key signs reflecting the post-birth period. During this stage, the placenta is delivered after the baby has been born, and the uterus contracts to help stop the bleeding from where the placenta detached from the uterine wall. As such, you may observe the following:
- A. Cramping as the placenta delivers, due to the contractions of the uterus.
- B. Mother crying or feeling relieved, as this stage marks the end of childbirth and can trigger a variety of emotional responses.
- C. Presence of lochia rubra with small clots possible, which is the postpartum vaginal discharge composed of uterine lining, cells, and blood.
- D. Uterus rises upward, as it contracts to expel the placenta and begins to return to its normal size.
- E. Vital signs returning to pre-labor values, indicating that the woman's body is starting to return to its non-pregnant state.