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The Duties & Responsibilities of a Delivery Room

After nine months, most moms-to-be can't wait to deliver their babies and meet the newest member of the family. Finally contractions begin, her water breaks and she drives to the hospital. In the delivery room, health professionals work to meet not only a laboring mother's medical needs, but also her emotional ones. Nurses and doctors offer advice and coach new moms through a life-changing day.

  1. Tracking Contractions

    • Delivery room nurses should track both the frequency, intensity and length of a mom-to-be's contractions. Contractions can indicate how quickly the baby will arrive. As a woman's contractions grow more intense, occur more often and cannot be eased by walking, nurses and doctors know that the baby's arrival is imminent.

      A woman's bodily fluids can also indicate the stage of her labor. Pink or bloody discharge can indicate that labor is beginning while any other color alerts nurses that that more time will pass.

    Determining Fetal Position

    • For the easiest and healthiest delivery, the baby will come out head first, face down. Some babies want to come out buttocks first, also known as breech, or face up, which can complicate delivery. A doctor or nurse can try to rotate the baby inside the mother. Sometimes a baby will turn around on his own. If a baby is in the breech position, a C-section may be necessary.

    Preparing Mom

    • Health professionals in the delivery room will track a mother's vital signs, including breathing and heart rate. They will also administer pain medication as needed. They will hook the mother to any necessary intravenous medications and sanitize the area.

    Delivering Baby

    • Nurses and doctors will coach a woman through labor, telling her when to breathe and push. They also offer encouragement. A typical first-time labor lasts anywhere from eight to 14 hours, according to Sutter Health, a California medical clinic. Health care professionals will also work to mitigate medical problems that arise whether they impact the baby or mom.

    Checking Baby

    • Nurses will score the baby with an APGAR Score one minute after birth and again five minutes after birth. If nurses believe a baby has health problems, they should score the baby again 10 minutes after birth. Since APGAR is an acronym, each of the five areas has a first initial with one letter from APGAR: activity and muscle tone, pulse, grimace, appearance and respiration. Nurses score each category on scale of zero to two, with two recognizing the healthiest activity. Babies who score low may need additional care such as supplemental oxygen.

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