NUR 202 Maternal-Newborn Nursing Exam 3 Actual Exam
2026/2027 | Complete Exam-Style Questions with
Detailed Rationales | Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Section 1: Antepartum Care & Fetal Development (12 Questions)
Q1: A pregnant patient asks when she should begin taking a prenatal vitamin containing
folic acid. Which response by the nurse is most accurate?
A. Beginning at 12 weeks gestation
B. At least 1 month before conception and throughout pregnancy [CORRECT]
C. Only during the first trimester
D. Beginning at 20 weeks gestation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because folic acid supplementation of 400 mcg daily should begin at
least one month before conception and continue through the first trimester to reduce
the risk of neural tube defects.
Q2: A pregnant patient at 28 weeks has a hemoglobin of 10.8 g/dL. Which explanation
by the nurse is most appropriate?
A. This indicates iron-deficiency anemia requiring immediate transfusion
B. This is expected due to hemodilution from increased plasma volume [CORRECT]
C. This requires immediate iron supplementation only
D. This indicates a bleeding disorder
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because physiologic anemia of pregnancy occurs due to greater
expansion of plasma volume relative to red blood cell mass, and a hemoglobin around
11 g/dL in the second trimester is a normal finding.
Q3: Using a Doppler device, the fetal heart rate is typically first audible at approximately:
A. 4 weeks gestation
B. 8 weeks gestation
C. 10–12 weeks gestation [CORRECT]
,D. 20 weeks gestation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because the fetal heart rate can usually be detected with a handheld
Doppler device between 10 and 12 weeks gestation as the uterus rises out of the pelvis.
Q4: A primigravida patient reports feeling fetal movement for the first time. At what
gestational age does this typically occur?
A. 12–16 weeks
B. 18–20 weeks [CORRECT]
C. 24–28 weeks
D. 30–32 weeks
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because quickening, or the first perception of fetal movement,
typically occurs between 18 and 20 weeks gestation in primigravidas and may be felt
earlier in multigravidas.
Q5: At 20 weeks gestation, the fundal height is expected to be located at the:
A. Symphysis pubis
B. Midway between symphysis and umbilicus
C. Level of the umbilicus [CORRECT]
D. Xiphoid process
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because fundal height in centimeters approximates gestational age
in weeks between 20 and 32 weeks; at 20 weeks the fundus is typically at the level of
the umbilicus.
Q6: Data question: A patient's last menstrual period began on March 10. Using
Naegele's rule, what is the estimated date of delivery?
A. December 3
B. December 10
C. December 17 [CORRECT]
D. January 10
Correct Answer: C
, Rationale: Correct because Naegele's rule calculates the estimated date of delivery by
adding 7 days to the first day of the last menstrual period and subtracting 3 months,
which yields December 17 from a March 10 LMP.
Q7: According to standard prenatal care schedules, how often should a patient with an
uncomplicated pregnancy be seen between 28 and 36 weeks gestation?
A. Every week
B. Every 2 weeks [CORRECT]
C. Every 4 weeks
D. Every 3 weeks
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because standard prenatal visit scheduling requires visits every 4
weeks until 28 weeks, every 2 weeks from 28 to 36 weeks, and weekly thereafter until
delivery.
Q8: A pregnant patient asks which food should be avoided during pregnancy. Which
response by the nurse is correct?
A. Pasteurized cheddar cheese
B. Cooked salmon
C. Unpasteurized soft cheeses [CORRECT]
D. Pasteurized yogurt
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because unpasteurized soft cheeses may contain Listeria
monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis leading to miscarriage, stillbirth, or
neonatal infection.
Q9: During pregnancy, cardiac output increases by approximately:
A. 10–15%
B. 20–25%
C. 30–50% [CORRECT]
D. 60–75%
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because maternal cardiac output increases by 30 to 50 percent
during pregnancy, peaking in the late second trimester due to increased stroke volume
and heart rate.
2026/2027 | Complete Exam-Style Questions with
Detailed Rationales | Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Section 1: Antepartum Care & Fetal Development (12 Questions)
Q1: A pregnant patient asks when she should begin taking a prenatal vitamin containing
folic acid. Which response by the nurse is most accurate?
A. Beginning at 12 weeks gestation
B. At least 1 month before conception and throughout pregnancy [CORRECT]
C. Only during the first trimester
D. Beginning at 20 weeks gestation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because folic acid supplementation of 400 mcg daily should begin at
least one month before conception and continue through the first trimester to reduce
the risk of neural tube defects.
Q2: A pregnant patient at 28 weeks has a hemoglobin of 10.8 g/dL. Which explanation
by the nurse is most appropriate?
A. This indicates iron-deficiency anemia requiring immediate transfusion
B. This is expected due to hemodilution from increased plasma volume [CORRECT]
C. This requires immediate iron supplementation only
D. This indicates a bleeding disorder
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because physiologic anemia of pregnancy occurs due to greater
expansion of plasma volume relative to red blood cell mass, and a hemoglobin around
11 g/dL in the second trimester is a normal finding.
Q3: Using a Doppler device, the fetal heart rate is typically first audible at approximately:
A. 4 weeks gestation
B. 8 weeks gestation
C. 10–12 weeks gestation [CORRECT]
,D. 20 weeks gestation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because the fetal heart rate can usually be detected with a handheld
Doppler device between 10 and 12 weeks gestation as the uterus rises out of the pelvis.
Q4: A primigravida patient reports feeling fetal movement for the first time. At what
gestational age does this typically occur?
A. 12–16 weeks
B. 18–20 weeks [CORRECT]
C. 24–28 weeks
D. 30–32 weeks
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because quickening, or the first perception of fetal movement,
typically occurs between 18 and 20 weeks gestation in primigravidas and may be felt
earlier in multigravidas.
Q5: At 20 weeks gestation, the fundal height is expected to be located at the:
A. Symphysis pubis
B. Midway between symphysis and umbilicus
C. Level of the umbilicus [CORRECT]
D. Xiphoid process
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because fundal height in centimeters approximates gestational age
in weeks between 20 and 32 weeks; at 20 weeks the fundus is typically at the level of
the umbilicus.
Q6: Data question: A patient's last menstrual period began on March 10. Using
Naegele's rule, what is the estimated date of delivery?
A. December 3
B. December 10
C. December 17 [CORRECT]
D. January 10
Correct Answer: C
, Rationale: Correct because Naegele's rule calculates the estimated date of delivery by
adding 7 days to the first day of the last menstrual period and subtracting 3 months,
which yields December 17 from a March 10 LMP.
Q7: According to standard prenatal care schedules, how often should a patient with an
uncomplicated pregnancy be seen between 28 and 36 weeks gestation?
A. Every week
B. Every 2 weeks [CORRECT]
C. Every 4 weeks
D. Every 3 weeks
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because standard prenatal visit scheduling requires visits every 4
weeks until 28 weeks, every 2 weeks from 28 to 36 weeks, and weekly thereafter until
delivery.
Q8: A pregnant patient asks which food should be avoided during pregnancy. Which
response by the nurse is correct?
A. Pasteurized cheddar cheese
B. Cooked salmon
C. Unpasteurized soft cheeses [CORRECT]
D. Pasteurized yogurt
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because unpasteurized soft cheeses may contain Listeria
monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis leading to miscarriage, stillbirth, or
neonatal infection.
Q9: During pregnancy, cardiac output increases by approximately:
A. 10–15%
B. 20–25%
C. 30–50% [CORRECT]
D. 60–75%
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because maternal cardiac output increases by 30 to 50 percent
during pregnancy, peaking in the late second trimester due to increased stroke volume
and heart rate.
