HESI MATERNITY AND PEDIATRICS FINAL 2026
WOMEN’S HEALTH AND POSTPARTUM
WORKBOOK SOLVED QUESTIONS
COMPILATION
◉ A new mother who has just had her first baby says to the nurse, "I
saw the baby in the recovery room. She sure has a funny-looking
head." Which response by the nurse is best?
A."This is not an unusually shaped head, especially for a first baby."
B."It may look odd, but newborn babies are often born with heads
like that."
C."That is normal. The head will return to a round shape within 7 to
10 days."
D."Your pelvis was too small, so the head had to adjust to the birth
canal.".
Answer: C."That is normal. The head will return to a round shape
within 7 to 10 days."
,Rationale: Option C reassures the mother that this is normal in the
newborn and provides correct information regarding the return to a
normal shape. Although option A is correct, it implies that the client
should not worry. Any implied or spoken "don't worry" is usually the
wrong answer. Option B is condescending and dismissing; the
mother is seeking reassurance and information. Option D is a
negative statement and implies that molding is the mother's fault.
◉ Twenty minutes after a continuous epidural anesthetic is
administered, a laboring client's blood pressure drops from 120/80
to 90/60 mm Hg. Which action should the nurse take immediately?
A.Notify the health care provider or anesthesiologist.
B.Continue to assess the blood pressure every 5 minutes.
C.Place the client in a lateral position.
D.Turn off the continuous epidural..
Answer: C.Place the client in a lateral position.
Rationale: The nurse should immediately turn the client to a lateral
position or place a pillow or wedge under one hip to deflect the
uterus. Other immediate interventions include increasing the rate of
the main line IV infusion and administering oxygen by facemask. If
,the blood pressure remains low after these interventions or
decreases further, the anesthesiologist or health care provider
should be notified immediately. To continue to monitor blood
pressure without taking further action could constitute malpractice.
Option D may also be warranted, but such action is based on
hospital protocol.
◉ The nurse is teaching a new mother about diet and breastfeeding.
Which instruction is most important to include in the teaching plan?
A.Avoid alcohol because it is excreted in breast milk.
B.Eat a high-roughage diet to help prevent constipation.
C.Increase caloric intake by approximately 500 cal/day.
D.Increase fluid intake to at least 3 quarts each day..
Answer: A.Avoid alcohol because it is excreted in breast milk.
Rationale: Alcohol should be avoided while breastfeeding because it
is excreted in breast milk and may cause a variety of problems,
including slower growth and cognitive impairment for the infant.
Options B, C, and D should also be included in diet teaching for a
breastfeeding mother; however, because these do not involve safety
, of the infant, they do not have the same degree of importance as
option A.
◉ A client at 28 weeks of gestation calls the antepartal clinic and
states that she has just experienced a small amount of vaginal
bleeding, which she describes as bright red. The bleeding has
subsided. She further states that she is not experiencing any uterine
contractions or abdominal pain. What instruction should the nurse
provide?
A.Come to the clinic today for an ultrasound.
B.Go immediately to the emergency department.
C.Lie on your left side for about 1 hour and see if the bleeding stops.
D.Take a urine specimen to the laboratory to see if you have a
urinary tract infection (UTI)..
Answer: A.Come to the clinic today for an ultrasound.
Rationale:Third-trimester painless bleeding is characteristic of a
placenta previa. Bright red bleeding may be intermittent, occur in
gushes, or be continuous. Rarely is the first incident life threatening
or cause for hypovolemic shock. Diagnosis is confirmed by
transabdominal ultrasound. Bleeding that has a sudden onset and is
WOMEN’S HEALTH AND POSTPARTUM
WORKBOOK SOLVED QUESTIONS
COMPILATION
◉ A new mother who has just had her first baby says to the nurse, "I
saw the baby in the recovery room. She sure has a funny-looking
head." Which response by the nurse is best?
A."This is not an unusually shaped head, especially for a first baby."
B."It may look odd, but newborn babies are often born with heads
like that."
C."That is normal. The head will return to a round shape within 7 to
10 days."
D."Your pelvis was too small, so the head had to adjust to the birth
canal.".
Answer: C."That is normal. The head will return to a round shape
within 7 to 10 days."
,Rationale: Option C reassures the mother that this is normal in the
newborn and provides correct information regarding the return to a
normal shape. Although option A is correct, it implies that the client
should not worry. Any implied or spoken "don't worry" is usually the
wrong answer. Option B is condescending and dismissing; the
mother is seeking reassurance and information. Option D is a
negative statement and implies that molding is the mother's fault.
◉ Twenty minutes after a continuous epidural anesthetic is
administered, a laboring client's blood pressure drops from 120/80
to 90/60 mm Hg. Which action should the nurse take immediately?
A.Notify the health care provider or anesthesiologist.
B.Continue to assess the blood pressure every 5 minutes.
C.Place the client in a lateral position.
D.Turn off the continuous epidural..
Answer: C.Place the client in a lateral position.
Rationale: The nurse should immediately turn the client to a lateral
position or place a pillow or wedge under one hip to deflect the
uterus. Other immediate interventions include increasing the rate of
the main line IV infusion and administering oxygen by facemask. If
,the blood pressure remains low after these interventions or
decreases further, the anesthesiologist or health care provider
should be notified immediately. To continue to monitor blood
pressure without taking further action could constitute malpractice.
Option D may also be warranted, but such action is based on
hospital protocol.
◉ The nurse is teaching a new mother about diet and breastfeeding.
Which instruction is most important to include in the teaching plan?
A.Avoid alcohol because it is excreted in breast milk.
B.Eat a high-roughage diet to help prevent constipation.
C.Increase caloric intake by approximately 500 cal/day.
D.Increase fluid intake to at least 3 quarts each day..
Answer: A.Avoid alcohol because it is excreted in breast milk.
Rationale: Alcohol should be avoided while breastfeeding because it
is excreted in breast milk and may cause a variety of problems,
including slower growth and cognitive impairment for the infant.
Options B, C, and D should also be included in diet teaching for a
breastfeeding mother; however, because these do not involve safety
, of the infant, they do not have the same degree of importance as
option A.
◉ A client at 28 weeks of gestation calls the antepartal clinic and
states that she has just experienced a small amount of vaginal
bleeding, which she describes as bright red. The bleeding has
subsided. She further states that she is not experiencing any uterine
contractions or abdominal pain. What instruction should the nurse
provide?
A.Come to the clinic today for an ultrasound.
B.Go immediately to the emergency department.
C.Lie on your left side for about 1 hour and see if the bleeding stops.
D.Take a urine specimen to the laboratory to see if you have a
urinary tract infection (UTI)..
Answer: A.Come to the clinic today for an ultrasound.
Rationale:Third-trimester painless bleeding is characteristic of a
placenta previa. Bright red bleeding may be intermittent, occur in
gushes, or be continuous. Rarely is the first incident life threatening
or cause for hypovolemic shock. Diagnosis is confirmed by
transabdominal ultrasound. Bleeding that has a sudden onset and is
