The Gastrointestinal System Of Pregnant Women

Physiological changes occurring in Amber’s body are happening in her gastrointestinal, urinary, respiratory and cardiovascular system. She is feeling sick because of the increased hCG, progesterone and estrogen levels. Her story is only until her 11th week of her pregnancy, but she may feel many symptoms throughout the rest of her pregnancy if it is not aborted. Those symptoms could be increased urination because the kidneys are disposing of fetal metabolic waste as well as her own. Blood volume also rises to help accommodate the fetus’ needs (Marieb & Hoehn 2013).

I believe as a Midwifery Student at Australian Catholic University (ACU) that childbirth is a natural life process. Within my philosophy, my aim is to provide a women-centred care based on evidence- based practice. Also the importance of supporting women with cultural variation, social circumstance and understanding other specific needs throughout the woman’s pregnancy. The women-centred care is an essential quality to a midwife as it ensure that the women is educated in healthy lifestyle choices within pregnancy, childbirth and during parenthood. This relationship of “women-centred care” is the key to midwifery practices as Australian College of Midwives (2009) refers to the philosophy of maternity care that promotes a holistic approach by recognising each women’s social, emotional, physical, spiritual and cultural needs. In retrospect, it is important to reflect on your past experiences during your midwifery practice but also your life beyond midwifery.

This essay demonstrates significant factors, a midwife and the women may face within Australian public hospitals. As a midwife the key skills are understanding of what supports and impacts the normal physiological process of labour and birth. This essay will discuss two influencing factors that have a negative effect on the normal progress of labour and birth. This will be seen, firstly by discussing the cultural and environmental impacts of labour and birth. Then, examining how the midwife may best support and facilitate the adverse effects of normal physiological process. This essay also discusses a positive labour and birth environment within the Australian standard model of care.

The theory I selected to apply to the above situation is the Birth Territory theory. This theory was created from empirical data collected by the authors who serve as both midwives and researchers. It has a critical post-structural feminist undertone and elaborates on the ideas of Michel Foucault. The Birth Territory theory predicts and elaborates on the relationships between jurisdiction (use of authority and influence), terrain (the birthing environment), and personal emotional and physiological experience by the mother. This nurse-midwifery theory was chosen because both of the major concepts directly correlate with the incident and are critical aspects of labor and delivery situations. MAYBE ELABORATE A diagram of the Birth Territory theory can be seen in Appendix A.

The international Confederation of Midwives (ICM) defines the midwife as a person who has successfully completed a nationally recognized midwifery education program, is qualified for registration, and competent to practice in midwifery. As a midwifery student, I will explore the philosophies of this profession whilst working with my first continuity of care experience woman and her family. In this essay, I will examine the roles of the midwife, the scope of the practice for midwives and midwifery students, and search the value of the midwifery partnership and the importance of the woman centered care. I will also clarify the legal, professional and ethical responsibilities of the midwife in accordance with national standards and code. Analyzing

During the first trimester, your pregnancy hormones will make you feel the morning sickness that consist vomiting and nausea. Nausea and vomiting can occur at any time of day. Pregnancy hormones do not adjust with every food and smell; therefore, some certain foods and smell can make you uneasy and feel nausea. The second trimester gives you relief from nausea and

For hundred of years, women have wrestled with their womanhood, bodies, and what it means to be a woman in our society. Being a woman comes with a wonderful and empowering responsibility--giving birth. What sets us aside from other countries is that the process and expectations of giving birth has changed in our society; coming from midwifery, as it has always been since the early times, to hospitals where it is now expected to give birth at. Midwifery was a common practice in delivering babies in

Public health is defined by the World Health Organisation as ‘all organised measures to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole’ (WHO, 2015). Within this role of public health, the midwife has an essential role. They are in the best position to be able to guide

Woman-centered care in childbirth is the process in which a woman can make choices, be involved in, and has control over her care and relationship with her physician or midwife (Maputle & Donavon, 2013). Woman-centered care is a philosophy of care which gives priority to the wishes and needs of the female patient during labor, to improve the women’s ability to make informed choices about many aspects of their care and birthing process. The aim of concept analysis is to clarify meanings of similarity and identify multiple considerations for

Women make up just slightly over half the U.S population (US Census Bureau, 2010) and should not be even considered a part of a minority group. The female population should acquire the same equal research attention as men do, especially when it comes to health issues. The unavoidable, yet quite simple realities of breastfeeding, menstruation, menopause, along with pregnancy require special scrutiny from medical experts. Those medical specialties are generally referred as gynecologists or obstetrics, who focus on the exclusive needs of a female’s reproductive health throughout their lifespan. Historically, the health needs of women have been disregarded as well as their fundamental rights. However, over the past few decades, it has grabbed the media and the government’s attention causing some major changes in support of women’s rights and health care.

The newborn begins to convert substrates-protein to glucose, glucose to fat, and must adapt to a discontinuous supply of nutrients. Glycogen stored during feedings must be converted to glucose to support energy needs between feedings. Adding further to the vulnerability of the newborn period, many of the digestive and absorptive functions of the newborn are incompletely developed (Schmitz, 1991).

Pregnancy institutes a state of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, a condition involving the increase of insulin circulating in the blood(Association, 2004). This altered state predisposes some women to form a degree of glucose intolerance with onset that was otherwise not recognized preceding pregnancy (Association, 2004; Gilmartin, Ural, & Repke, 2008; Kaaja & Rönnemaa, 2008). This form of intolerance is referred to as Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). GDM stems from a variety of factors ranging from human chorionic somatomammotropin (HCS) secretion and estrogen disruption, but this study will focus on Glucocorticoid (GC) secretion (Kaaja & Rönnemaa, 2008). GCs are steroids that have potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties (Munck, Guyre, & Holbrook, 1984). Cortisol is a naturally occurring GC as well as the end-product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s central stress response(Jozic, Stojadinovic, Kirsner, & Tomic-Canic, 2015). HPA axis activity is characterized by the release of hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), also referred to as corticotrophin- releasing hormone (CRH). When CRF binds to the CRF receptors on the anterior pituitary gland it stimulates the biosynthesis and release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)(Munck et al., 1984). Released ACTH binds to adrenal cortex receptors triggering cortisol production and release. During pregnancy, regulation of the HPA changes at a drastic rate (Maeyama

HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, which is a naturally occurring hormone during pregnancy. The HCG causes a trigger within the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the area of the brain that controls many bodily functions, including metabolism and weight. The HCG causes the hypothalamus to allow the release of unwanted fat within the body. This, paired with

HYPEREMISIS GRAVIDARUM 1. Hyperemesis Gravidarum is a severe type of morning sickness. 2. Hyperemesis Gravidarum’s exact cause is unknown although some contributing factors include: a. High levels of human chorionic gonadotropin b. Increased estrogen levels c. Pregnancy-induced changes to the gastrointestinal symptom d. Psychological factors, such as anxiety e. Consumption of a high-fat diet f. Infection with Helicobacter pylori 3.

Hearing the word midwife leaves many people thinking of unprofessional, inexperienced women who help deliver babies naturally, without the help of medication. In truth, nurse-midwives are registered nurses who have attended additional schooling for women’s health and are taught to make women feel as comfortable as possible. In the beginning, remedies were the females’ legacies, their “birthright”; these females were known as “wise-women by the people, witches of charlatans by authorities”. (Ehrenreich, 1973). “Females were wanderers, traveling from one place to another, healing the sick and wounded.” (Ehrenreich 1973). These women were among the first human healers and they were especially helpful when it came to childbearing. The midwives