Subsequent Care ... cont.

Daily assessment while in hospital, focusing on the following areas:

Upper Extremities:

Check for:

• Edema
• Palmar pallor.

Fundal Height

Twelve hours after delivery the fundus is above the umbilicus. After that the fundus descends about one finger breadth every 24 hours. By the 10th day of postpartum the uterus should not be palpable abdominally. When checkingfor the status of uterus,ask the woman to flex her legs and check for:

• contractility of the uterus
•  fundal height
•  tenderness
• position of the uterus.

With legs flexed palpate and ask if she feels calf pain, check for varicose veins and edema.