BSNC 5000 Module 1 Antenatal Care Questions With
Complete Solutions
Hypercoagulability state
During pregnancy, your body makes more clotting factors,
which helps prevent too much bleeding.
But this also means you're twice as likely to get blood
clots (called thrombosis).
Why does this happen?
Your platelet count (the cells that help blood clot) goes down
because: Your blood gets more diluted. Some platelets get
"trapped" in the placenta.
After Birth (Postpartum):
Your blood starts to go back to normal about 6 to 8 weeks after
delivery.
We're checking for DVT symptoms
But during that time, your risk of clots actually goes up even
more—about 5.5 times higher—because: Platelets are no
longer trapped in the placenta, so more are floating around in
your blood.
Basal metabolic rate in pregnancy
A woman's body works harder during pregnancy, and her
metabolism goes up by about 14%.
This means she uses more oxygen because both she and the
,baby need more energy and food.
The graph shows that as pregnancy goes on (from 0 to 38
weeks), oxygen use slowly increases to keep up with the
growing needs of the mother and baby.
Pulmonary function during pregnancy
Lung Changes During Pregnancy (Pulmonary Function)
Pregnant people breathe in more air with each breath (tidal
volume goes from 450 mL to 650 mL).
But the extra air they can breathe out after a normal
breath (called expiratory reserve) goes down. This means
the oxygen storage in their lungs is lower.
The growing baby pushes the diaphragm up by about 4 cm,
making it harder to breathe sometimes (this is called mild
dyspnea).
Pregnancy hormones make the ribs spread out a bit to help
make more space for the lungs even though the baby is pushing
up.
Acid-base balance
Pregnancy hormones (like progesterone) make you breathe
faster. This means you breathe out more carbon dioxide (CO₂).
Because of this, your body ends up with less acid in the blood
(this is called alkalosis).
To balance things out, your kidneys get rid of extra bicarbonate
(a base your body normally uses to neutralize acid).
The graph shows that as your breathing rate goes up: CO₂ levels
, go down Bicarbonate levels also drop because your kidneys are
trying to keep things in balance
Renal changes in pregnancy
Moms are lowkey hyperglycemic during pregnancy
More blood flows through the kidneys, and they filter more stuff
out.
This can cause sugar to show up in pee (called glycosuria), even
if the person doesn't have diabetes. This happens because:
Pregnancy hormones (like placental lactogen) mess with insulin.
The kidneys can't reabsorb all the extra sugar, so some leaks into
urine.
A low sodium level (called hyponatremia) is normal in
pregnancy. It's the body's way of keeping enough fluid for the
baby (like amniotic fluid). It's not dangerous unless sodium
drops really low (below 130 mEq/L).
Who is the client in the obstetric setting?
The family
We need to address the entire room
Dads, mom, baby, siblings
Take time to answer their question
How can I incorporate the entire family
Engage and share with the family
Complete Solutions
Hypercoagulability state
During pregnancy, your body makes more clotting factors,
which helps prevent too much bleeding.
But this also means you're twice as likely to get blood
clots (called thrombosis).
Why does this happen?
Your platelet count (the cells that help blood clot) goes down
because: Your blood gets more diluted. Some platelets get
"trapped" in the placenta.
After Birth (Postpartum):
Your blood starts to go back to normal about 6 to 8 weeks after
delivery.
We're checking for DVT symptoms
But during that time, your risk of clots actually goes up even
more—about 5.5 times higher—because: Platelets are no
longer trapped in the placenta, so more are floating around in
your blood.
Basal metabolic rate in pregnancy
A woman's body works harder during pregnancy, and her
metabolism goes up by about 14%.
This means she uses more oxygen because both she and the
,baby need more energy and food.
The graph shows that as pregnancy goes on (from 0 to 38
weeks), oxygen use slowly increases to keep up with the
growing needs of the mother and baby.
Pulmonary function during pregnancy
Lung Changes During Pregnancy (Pulmonary Function)
Pregnant people breathe in more air with each breath (tidal
volume goes from 450 mL to 650 mL).
But the extra air they can breathe out after a normal
breath (called expiratory reserve) goes down. This means
the oxygen storage in their lungs is lower.
The growing baby pushes the diaphragm up by about 4 cm,
making it harder to breathe sometimes (this is called mild
dyspnea).
Pregnancy hormones make the ribs spread out a bit to help
make more space for the lungs even though the baby is pushing
up.
Acid-base balance
Pregnancy hormones (like progesterone) make you breathe
faster. This means you breathe out more carbon dioxide (CO₂).
Because of this, your body ends up with less acid in the blood
(this is called alkalosis).
To balance things out, your kidneys get rid of extra bicarbonate
(a base your body normally uses to neutralize acid).
The graph shows that as your breathing rate goes up: CO₂ levels
, go down Bicarbonate levels also drop because your kidneys are
trying to keep things in balance
Renal changes in pregnancy
Moms are lowkey hyperglycemic during pregnancy
More blood flows through the kidneys, and they filter more stuff
out.
This can cause sugar to show up in pee (called glycosuria), even
if the person doesn't have diabetes. This happens because:
Pregnancy hormones (like placental lactogen) mess with insulin.
The kidneys can't reabsorb all the extra sugar, so some leaks into
urine.
A low sodium level (called hyponatremia) is normal in
pregnancy. It's the body's way of keeping enough fluid for the
baby (like amniotic fluid). It's not dangerous unless sodium
drops really low (below 130 mEq/L).
Who is the client in the obstetric setting?
The family
We need to address the entire room
Dads, mom, baby, siblings
Take time to answer their question
How can I incorporate the entire family
Engage and share with the family
