A patient who is 37 weeks pregnant and has gestational diabetes is admitted to the labor and delivery unit for induction.
The patient is placed on an external fetal monitor and receives an epidural anesthesia.Which action should the nurse take to identify a potential side effect of the epidural?

The correct answer is choice C. The patient should palpate her breasts using the padded sections of her fingers.This is the recommended technique for breast self-examination, as it allows the patient to feel any changes or lumps in the breast tissue.

Choice A is wrong because the patient should perform breast self-examination at the same time each month, preferably a few days after the menstrual period ends when the breasts are less likely to be swollen or tender.

Choice B is wrong because the patient should not assume that any lumps that are present in both breasts are normal.Some breast cancers can affect both breasts, and any new or unusual lumps should be reported to a doctor.

Choice D is wrong because the patient should look at her breasts while standing in front of the mirror with her arms at her sides, raised overhead, and pressed firmly on her hips.She should also look for any changes in the shape, size, color, or texture of her breasts and nipples.

The correct answer is choice C.Choice C is wrong because having more than three full-term pregnancies does not affect the suitability of using a copper IUD as a birth control method.Copper IUDs are long-term, reversible contraceptives that can be used by premenopausal women of all ages, including those who have never been pregnant or who have had multiple pregnancies.

Choice A is correct because a copper IUD can be inserted anytime during a normal menstrual cycle, or up to eight weeks after childbirth.

Choice B is correct because a copper IUD may cause heavier and longer periods, as well as more cramping.

Choice D is correct because a copper IUD works by creating an inflammatory response in the uterus that prevents sperm from reaching the egg and fertilizing it, and also prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall.