Question

A nursing student is learning about expected postpartum anatomic and physiologic changes. Which statement made by the nursing student indicates a need for further learning?

1. The capacity of the bladder increases postpartum.
2. The uterus involutes to approximately 350 g by two weeks after birth.
3. The cervical dilation decreases to 2 to 3 cm by the second or third postpartum day.
4. After birth, the vagina gradually decreases in size and returns to its pre-pregnancy state.

Answer 1

The nursing student's statement that indicates a need for further learning is the assertion that cervical dilation decreases during the postpartum period.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement made by the nursing student that indicates a need for further learning is:

1. The cervical dilation decreases to 2 to 3 cm by the second or third postpartum day.

During the postpartum period, the cervix gradually closes and returns to its pre-pregnancy state, not dilates. The dilation of the cervix occurs during labor, not after birth. The correct statement is that the cervix dilates to about 10 cm during the active stage of labor.