A 26-year-old white female comes to your clinic at 38 weeks, complaining of intermittent contractions. They last for 30 seconds and are coming every 10 minutes. Her prenatal course has so far been uneventful. You send her to labor and delivery for a labor assessment. On vaginal examination she has effaced 4 cm, but you cannot feel a presenting part. You admit her for active labor; however, you wish to assess if she is vertex (baby's head is down), so you do the Leopold's maneuver. Palpating the upper pole with your hands, you feel a firm round mass. Placing your hand along the right side of her abdomen, you feel a smooth firmness. Palpating your other hand along the left side of her abdomen, you feel irregular bumps. Above the pelvic brim you feel a firm irregular mass. While awaiting ultrasound to confirm your diagnosis, you write the pertinent orders. How is this fetus presenting?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a baby is breech you often cannot feel a presenting part with the cervical check. In a breech lie, the irregular firm mass (the buttock) will be at the pelvis, while the firm round mass (the head) will be at the uterine pole.

A 26-Year-Old White Female Comes to Your Clinic at 38