Labor Nurse

What does a labour nurse do?

A Labor (Perinatal) nurse will care for women prior to giving birth as well as assisting the obstetrician during delivery and after labor. They have a wealth of knowledge about monitoring a pregnancy, tips and advice for the actual delivery and will help promote bonding between the new mother and child. They will have an extra nursing qualification that specifically relates to pregnancy, labor and after care and look after both physical and psychological needs, offering professional support and guidance. The role requires regular participation at lectures and classes to keep the qualification up to date and ensure that skills and knowledge are current, many will also contribute to research papers and forums to help develop the role and improve services.

You may come to know your labor nurse as a confidante and source of encouragement but this is just part of the role, when you need specific medical care or intervention they know exactly what to do and will refer you to the appropriate specialist. They are truly multi skilled with excellent skills in both personal interactions and medical expertise.

Will my labor nurse stay with me?

As labor can be a very lengthy process you should not expect the same labor nurse to be present for the whole event, it might be possible if your labor is relatively short but it is likely you will be cared for by two or more labor nurses. If you think about it - you want to be sure that your medical team are well rested and able to fulfill their role competently and be re-assured that you are in the best possible hands.

If there are any complications after delivery the labor nurse will continue to care for the mother until she is well enough to be discharged from medical care. A labor nurse may also offer support to new mums who are feeling down or depressed and ensure that other sources of assistance are in place in these circumstances.

Will I have my own labor nurse?

A labor nurse may have more than one woman to care for but will be available for the expectant mother throughout the labor, will assist with pain control, monitor dilation and decide when the physician should be called for the actual delivery. During labor the nurse will observe the fetal heartbeat and examine the mother regularly. If a cesarean section is booked or required the labor nurse will stay to assist.

The labor nurse will take care of any blood samples, paperwork and communications between the mother, birth partners and medical team. It is an extremely demanding and responsible role but the absolute priority is the health and well being of the mother, if the nurse seems to be busy then it is because there are a huge amount of observations that must be recorded and noted during the delivery, everyone involved needs to know the path that the process has taken and be able to assess the progress at all stages and so sometimes paperwork and feedback to colleagues may take priority.

To summarize labor nurses are highly qualified and skilled members of the delivery team offering invaluable support to mothers and mothers to be.