Leopold Maneuvers
Included In This Lesson
Study Tools For Leopold Maneuvers
Outline
Overview
- Leopold maneuvers involve systematically palpating the mother’s abdomen/uterus to feel the fetal position
Nursing Points
General
- Determine the position of the fetus
- Assist examiner in estimating a location for fetal heart sounds
Assessment
- Fundal grip
- Head will feel hard, round and moveable
- Baby’s bottom will feel irregular
- Umbilical grip
- Should feel smooth back on one side
- Should feel irregular bumps and lumps on the side to indicate fingers, toes, knees
- 1st Pelvic Grip
- Performed facing the mother
- Determines which part is engaged
- 2nd Pelvic Grip
- Performed facing mom’s feet
- Determines flexion or extension of the baby’s head if this is the presenting part
Therapeutic Management
- Laying comfortable
- Empty bladder
Nursing Concepts
- Reproduction
- Comfort
Patient Education
- What we are doing
- Assessing for location and presenting part
- Assessing to get best fetal heart tones
- Empty bladder
Transcript
In this lesson I will explain the use of leopold’s maneuver and how this is incorporated into practice.
So what is this maneuver and why do we do it? It is a palpation of the mother’s abdomen or uterus. It is done so we can feel the fetal position. Why would we need to know this? We need to know what the presenting part is. We need to make sure the fetus is head down. We need to know where the fetal back is because this is where we put the monitor to detect the fetal heart rate. So let me explain why because I know that seems weird. If a fetus is curled up in a fetal position then we can’t access the heart to put it on. Also the back is a large surface area so we can easily get the monitor against the fetal back.
Let’s look at the maneuvers so there are four different maneuvers. First is the fundal grip. If there is a head it will feel hard, round and moveable. If it is a bottom then it will feel harder and irregular. The next is Umbilical grip. You are feeling on the sides and should feel a smooth long back on one side. The other side should feel irregular bumps and lumps on the side which is going to indicate fingers, toes, and knees. The next is the first pelvic grip. This is done by facing the mother. And this will determine which part is the presenting part andis engaged. The second pelvic grip is done by facing the mother’s feet and will determine if it is flexion or extension of the baby’s head. Of course this grip only works if it is the head that is the presenting part.
Our management for this patient is really just to make sure she is laying back comfortable. This is a lot of pushing and maneuvering to assess the fetal position. It will be helpful to ensure the patient has an empty bladder as well because of all the manipulation. We are looking for the presenting part and determining the best location to assess heart tones.
Comfort and reproduction will be our nursing concepts. We need to keep the patient comfortable during this and has reproduced.
Let’s review the key points. The leopold’s maneuver is done to assess where the fetal back is for heart tones and to determine the presenting part. Do do this the fundal maneuver is first assessed. And this is done by pressing at the top of the uterus, the fundus. Next the umbilical grip and this is feeling the sides. The last two are pelvic grip. The first is facing the mother to feel in the pelvis at what the presenting part is. The next pelvic is done at the maternal head. This is done if the head is determined to be in the pelvis to find if it is flexed or extended. So what do we feel? If it is firm and moveable ball it is the head. If it is firm, irregular it is the fetal butt. If you feel small bumps these are fists and knees.
Make sure you check out the resources attached to this lesson. Find a friend and practice the maneuvers as well as reviewing what each part feels like. Now, go out and be your best selves today. And, as always, happy nursing.
Monalisa’s Study Plan
Concepts Covered:
- Community Health Overview
- Circulatory System
- Urinary System
- Communication
- Prenatal Concepts
- Test Taking Strategies
- Respiratory Disorders
- EENT Disorders
- Developmental Theories
- Legal and Ethical Issues
- Prefixes
- Suffixes
- Acute & Chronic Renal Disorders
- Disorders of the Adrenal Gland
- Preoperative Nursing
- Integumentary Disorders
- Integumentary Disorders
- Prioritization
- Bipolar Disorders
- Disorders of the Posterior Pituitary Gland
- Hematologic Disorders
- Immunological Disorders
- Renal Disorders
- Childhood Growth and Development
- Labor Complications
- Upper GI Disorders
- Medication Administration
- Developmental Considerations
- Adulthood Growth and Development
- Disorders of Pancreas
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Trauma
- Disorders of the Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands
- Integumentary Important Points
- Pregnancy Risks
- Urinary Disorders
- Cardiac Disorders
- Learning Pharmacology
- Documentation and Communication
- Anxiety Disorders
- Basic
- Factors Influencing Community Health
- Prenatal and Neonatal Growth and Development
- Lower GI Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Trauma-Stress Disorders
- Microbiology
- Oncology Disorders
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- Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
- Dosage Calculations
- Concepts of Population Health
- Understanding Society
- Depressive Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Cognitive Disorders
- Substance Abuse Disorders
- Psychological Emergencies
- Hematologic Disorders
- Liver & Gallbladder Disorders
- Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
- Female Reproductive Disorders
- Delegation
- Vascular Disorders
- Oncologic Disorders
- Postpartum Complications
- Fetal Development
- Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
- Basics of NCLEX
- Shock
- Studying
- Concepts of Mental Health
- Labor and Delivery
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Health & Stress
- Neurological Emergencies
- EENT Disorders
- Emotions and Motivation
- Intraoperative Nursing
- Digestive System
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Brain
- Tissues and Glands
- Postpartum Care
- Cardiovascular Disorders
- Newborn Care
- Renal and Urinary Disorders
- Newborn Complications
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- Basics of Human Biology
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- Emergency Care of the Neurological Patient
- Basics of Sociology
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Spinal Cord
- Infectious Respiratory Disorder
- Psychotic Disorders
- Emergency Care of the Trauma Patient