Prenatal Care
Estimated Date of Delivery
One sign of pregnancy is where the patient misses their menstrual cycles. However, the menstrual cycles could be missed due to different causes, and a missed menstrual cycle cannot be said with surety to be pregnancy. Also, the use of contraceptives may be a cause for irregular menstrual cycles, and the date of conception may not be estimated with ease. The patient in the case study might have conceived some times before abandoning the contraceptive use or several months after abandoning the pills. According to Schuiling and Likis (2017), the Nagele’s Rule may be used in this scenario to show that the patient could be between 9 weeks since the last dose of the pills, and several weeks when she stopped having her menstrual periods. Also, the occurrence of pregnancy may happen in the middle of several attempts to prevent it (Tharpe, Farley & Jordan, 2017). The estimation of her date of pregnancy may, therefore, be inaccurate, and an ultrasound test may give more reliable results. The successful dating of the pregnancy will make the development of a care plan a bit easier and effective.
Recommended Procedures and Screenings
The client’s visit to the clinic should not be viewed as a sign of preparation for pregnancy. Therefore, several procedures should be conducted before the final plan is developed. The client’s history should be captured that includes the G, P, last menstrual period, method of birth control, symptoms of pregnancy and cases of previous STIs (Tharpe, Farley & Jordan, 2017). The history should be used to assess whether complications may come up during the pregnancy process. The screening tests will, however, vary depending on the Estimated Date of Delivery since different stages require different tests.
Missed Procedures or Screenings
Prenatal care is necessary once a client is found to be pregnant. The nurse in charge should encourage the client to attend the prenatal care without failure in a bid to save them from complications that may come with pregnancy. The basic goal of prenatal care is to ensure the birth of a healthy baby and saving the mother from risks brought by pregnancy (Schuiling &Likis, 2017). The early recognition of pregnancy helps in reducing the risk of complication for both the child and mother.
Plan of Care
The provision of prenatal care varies among clients depending on the results of the primary tests. The prenatal care should begin immediately after the pregnancy has been ascertained, and the date of pregnancy known. The initial visit should be used to prescribe the client to prenatal vitamins, proof of pregnancy, and order for lab work where necessary. Also, an order for an ultrasound test should be made, and information on prenatal care provided to the client. Based on the initial assessment, additional resources should be provided, according to Schuiling&Likis, (2017). A determination of the safety of the pregnant client is also done.
Additionally, the client is advised on the practices to cease from as well as the practices to uphold during the pregnancy period. The expectations from the prenatal clinic visits will also be outlined in the plan. Also, the client should be enlightened about health-risky activities that should be avoided during pregnancy. Finally, the client should be introduced to her care provider, and the contact details provided for communication in case of complications while outside the clinic.
References
Schuiling, K. D., &Likis, F. E. (2017). Women’s gynecologic health (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Tharpe, N. L., Farley, C., & Jordan, R. G. (2017). Clinical practice guidelines for midwifery & women’s health (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.