Question

Identify the presentation: Regular uterine contractions lasting more than 30 seconds for less than 10 minutes prior to 37 weeks, accompanied by effacement/dilation and baby descent.

Answer 1

The identified presentation is true labor, which involves regular uterine contractions leading to cervical effacement, dilation, and baby descent. True labor progresses via a positive feedback loop, often necessitating interventions such as Pitocin if it stalls.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question identifies a presentation referred to as true labor, which is characterized by regular uterine contractions that occur before 37 weeks of gestation. During true labor, these contractions last more than 30 seconds and occur less frequently than every 10 minutes. They are accompanied by progressive cervical effacement (thinning) and dilation, as well as the descent of the baby into the birth canal, all of which are important for the eventual delivery of the baby. True labor progresses in a positive feedback loop, where uterine contractions stretch the cervix, leading to further dilation and effacement. Moreover, cervical dilation increases the secretion of oxytocin from the pituitary, amplifying uterine contractions, and advancing labor. If labor stalls before the active phase, medications like synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin) may be used to restart and maintain the labor process.