Question

A woman who is pregnant with her first child phones an intrapartum facility and says her "water broke." The nurse should tell her to:

1. wait until she has contractions every 5 minutes for 1 hour.
2. take her temperature every 4 hours and come to the facility if it is over 38 degrees C (100.4 degrees F).
3. come to the facility promptly, but safely.
4. call an ambulance to bring her to the facility.

Answer 1

A pregnant woman whose water has broken should be advised to come to the birthing facility promptly but safely to receive immediate medical attention and reduce the risk of infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a pregnant woman reports that her "water broke," she is indicating that her amniotic sac has ruptured, which is a sign that labor may begin soon or has already started. In this scenario, the most appropriate advice would be option 3: tell the woman to come to the facility promptly, but safely. This is because once the amniotic sac has ruptured, there is an increased risk of infection for both the mother and the fetus. Additionally, the healthcare provider can then assess the progress of labor and the wellbeing of the mother and the fetus. Therefore, it would be important for the woman to receive timely medical attention rather than waiting at home for contractions or monitoring her own temperature.