title: Caring for the extremely obese woman during pregnancy and birth.
abstract: This article describes the special care needed by the pregnant woman who is extremely obese. Many pregnant women who are extremely obese have underlying medical conditions, and a multidisciplinary, coordinated approach to their care involving anesthesia providers, physicians, and the nursing staff is needed to develop a detailed plan for vaginal and cesarean births. Such an approach, begun preconceptionally or during pregnancy, can enable care to be delivered smoothly and safely and should include an evaluation of the unit's equipment and furniture to determine if they are appropriate for obese persons. Equipment that should be evaluated for size and weight limits include beds, operating room tables, commodes, wheelchairs, scales, walkers, blood pressure cuffs, transfer devices, and intermittent pneumatic compression devices.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nursing Excellence, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA. Dotti.james@mercy.net
authors.forename: Dotti C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Maher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D002585:Cesarean Section; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods*; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000592:standards*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult