The Prenatal Period: Anatomy & Physiology

Ms. Betty Stevens is 29 years old, pregnant for the first time, and attending a prenatal clinic. Ms. Stevens appears interested in facts about pregnancy and human reproduction. During Subsecuent visits to the clinic, she asks many questions about this subject.

* During a prenatal visit MS. Stevens asks questions about female hormones and the ovaries. To develop a teaching plan and answer questions, the nurse should know that the ovaries normally secrete ESTROGEN and PROGESTERONE.



* Ms. Stevens also asks about ovulation. The nurse can plan to answer her questions about ovulation knowing that this phenomenon occurs when the anterior pituitary gland releases LUTEINIZING HORMONE.

> posterior pituitary gland releases - ANTIDIURETIC HORMONE & OXYTOCIN
> production of milk in the mamary gland - PROLACTIN

* Another question asked by Ms. Stevens concerns male hormones and their influence on her husband's sperm count. The nurse can plan to explain in simple terms, the effect of hormones on the formation of sperm (spermatogenesis) by knowing that this process is under the influence of THE ANTERIOR PITUITARY GLAND.

* During a prenatal visit Ms. Stevens asks how the sex of the baby is determined. The correct explanation is based on the fact that the sex of a fetus is determined by an X or Y CHROMOSOME IN THE SPERM

* During a discussion of her pregnancy, Ms. Stevens asks about hormones and pregnancy. The nurse can develop a teaching plan for Ms. Stevens by knowing that the hormones that plays the most important role in preparing the uterus for pregnancy is PROGESTERONE.

* During a prenatal visit Ms. Stevens asks questions about human reproduction. To answer Ms. Stevens' questions a diagram can be used to display and described the uterus. The nurse can label the inner lining of the uterus as the ENDOMETRIUM.

> Outer Layer - PERITONEUM & PERIMETRIUM
> Middle Muscular layer - MYOMETRIUM



* Ms. Stevens asks how sperm travel. The nurse explains that after ejaculation of sperm into the vagina, sperm are propelled by MOVEMENTS OF THEIR TAIL - LIKE PORTIONS (Flagella)

> Cilia on their body - LUNGS
> Peristaltic-like cervical and uterine contractions - ORGASMIC PHASE

* Part of the explanation about human reproduction given to Ms. Stevens concerns conception and includes a brief discussion of chromosomes. When planning the explanation the nurse will include the fact that the total number of chromosomes in each mature germ cell (ovum or sperm) is 23.

* When explaining conception to Ms. Stevens, the nurse plans to name the anatomic structure where the egg (ovum) normally unites with the sperm. This structure is called the FALLOPIAN TUBES. (AMPULLA is the most common)